Highland cattle prices and demand is booming across Australia

Numbers of Highland cattle have boomed in recent years, relative to what had otherwise been a traditionally small number, to a point where the breed - now seen as the "must-have" for your hobby farm - has been removed from the "at-risk" category to "recovering" on the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia rare breed list.

The breed's numbers now stand at almost 9700 registered Highlands in Australia.

Brenton Earl and Matthew Martin run Mullameah Highland Cattle, at Mullengandra near Holbrook, and said it has become normal to have as many as 10 people contact them in a week.

"You can have five to 10 people contact you a week chasing females and now those that have females want to breed because there is that market, so they're chasing bulls," Mr Earl said.

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They sell to everyone from other breeders to tourism businesses, which includes places like luxury coastal cabins business, Five Acres, Phillip Island, Vic.

Ray White Rural Canberra and Yass agent Paul Costigan said Highland cattle used to be the tail-end of the saleyard offering, but now the prices they fetch shock potential buyers.

At a sale in May, Mr Costigan sold nine head for a total of $104,800, including an unregisterd bull, Nugget, for $16,075, believed to have been the highest priced Highland bull on record at the time.

"It was unbelievable," he said. "The unregistered animals are making just as much if not more than the registered."

Australian Highland Cattle Society councillor Deniz Karaca said the trend is being seen across Australia.

"There's a huge shortage and a huge demand and we're a very long way from being even close to meeting the demand," he said.

"A lot of people are trying their luck with embryos - someone might not sell you their best cow, but they'll only flush the best cow."

Mr Karaca said prices have increased dramatically in the six years he's been breeding with more people making the tree change.

"I remember buying a cow with calf at foot for $400 and now that same combo would cost you up to $20,000," he said.

Mr Karaca said it's not only hobby farmers. With prices so high, commercial breeders were getting a piece of the action.

"We're seeing now a certain amount of Angus, Speckle Park, whatever breeders, not changing, but certainly diversifying," he said.

"They say 'hey we've got a couple of back paddocks so we'll put a couple of those animals in there and they'll make us good money'."