Why miniature cows

Their milk is very delicious and quite nutritious too. They contain high butterfat and protein amounts. They can produce about 2 to 4 gallons of milk a day.

It needs to be attached well, and the teats should be large enough that you can milk them easily. They should also sport a straight spine, and stand firmly with legs long enough to support their body length and size. This is especially true with bulls that have been bottle-fed from birth. While they can be playful as calves, they can also be very gentle and sweet even when compared to their female calves.

You can start handling him less when he reaches puberty, which for mini Jersey bulls is at 6 to 7 months. So you should keep them warm with calf coats or even with heat lamps. Keeping them warm in the winter months is crucial if you want to minimize the risk of stress-related diseases. Just remember, with mini Jerseys you get the best milk for your family, and a cute and gentle pet besides.

The result was a small heifer measuring just 14 inches tall at birth. She has a white belt around her middle, along with the face of a panda, all white with black circles around the eyes. Sometimes the celebrity status can even get in the head of the Panda cattle. The standard Hereford cattle breed began in Herefordshire, England, about years ago. The breeding program for the miniature Hereford started in the late s, but it was only in when breeding stock became available for sale.

You can buy them as a pet for your young children, or enter them in shows. Some buy them because of the agricultural tax breaks they get to enjoy. These make for wonderful pets. Even the bulls are comparatively gentle compared to the bulls of other miniature breeds. And the calves only weigh in at 30 to 60 pounds, so that even 5 or 6-year old kids can show them around.

In addition, they are very hardy and they adapt well to all environments, so you cut back on veterinary bills. And their meat is more tender because of their shorter muscle length. They also offer a larger ribeye area of about 1. The breed is very fertile and can breed back rather quickly.

Heifers can breed at about 2 to 3 years. After giving birth the mother is very nurturing, and she can also provide lots of milk for her calf. Just make sure you get the most suitable animal for your needs. Now that you are learning so much about miniature cattle, be sure to learn about how a livestock guardian dog can help.

The Lowline Angus descended from the Angus cattle breed that was formed several hundred years ago from the black hornless cattle in the Angus and Aberdeen counties in Scotland. These spread worldwide during the s, and soon thereafter, Black Angus started to dominate the US beef industry. The Lowline Angus was actually created by accident. They were the result of an Australian study which tried to determine if large or small animals were more efficient at converting grass into meat.

The High Line herd was defined by high yearling growth rates, and the Low Line herd had low yearling growth rates. The third herd was the control with randomly selected animals. Researchers found out at the end that the High and Low Line herds demonstrated about the same level of efficiency in converting grass to protein. They were supposed to slaughter the Low Line herd, but it soon became evident that these smaller animals had far greater value than what was first thought. These animals were extremely docile.

They adapted to Australian conditions. The researchers conducted a disposal sale in , and introduced to the US in On average, a purebred Lowline Angus calf weighs 42 pounds. A mature cow is 39 inches tall and weighs pounds. The cows calve with excellent ease, with a short gestation period of days and afterwards they exhibit great mothering ability.

Lowline Angus can adapt to a wide variety of climates, from the hot and humid Deep South to the cold of Canada. They do not test for the Anchondroplasia gene and the dwarfism gene. What the Lowline Angus represents is a chance for you to get a taste of delicious beef even if you do own a very small farm. Yet despite their horns, the Texas longhorn is actually very gentle and even quite intelligent for their species.

And if you want the smaller and cuter version, you can go for the miniature Texas longhorns instead. They began from a breeding program that downsized purebred, registered Texas Longhorns.

The process simply bred then smallest Texas Longhorns they had until the resulted in this miniature version. Like their bigger counterparts, they have the horns, the general build, and the mild, tractable personality without any nervousness or aggressiveness.

For bulls, the maximum is 48 inches. They live for about 10 years and they can weigh from to pounds. If all you know of the Scottish Highlands is what you got from watching Braveheart , then you should at least know that the Scots are tough because they had to be. And that also true of their cattle. The Highland breed has thrived ever since the 6 th century AD, and they share the same traits with the miniature Scottish Highland breed.

That makes them one of the cutest farm animals to have around, especially when combined with their characteristic long hair on top of their heads. People admire the Highland breed for their distinctive looks, and when that look is in a miniature version the cuteness score is off the charts. They exhibit all the major traits of their bigger counterparts.

The difference is they require less food and acreage, making them better suited for smaller farms. They marble naturally on lower food amounts and produce high quality, lean, and low fat cuts of beef.

The early Scots would even keep them in their homes during the winter, with a woven wattle fence to keep the cattle and human areas separate inside.

They do not spook easily. Once they give birth, they protect and devoted themselves to their young. These milk cows:. Also, mini Holsteins can produce large amounts of milk.

In fact, Holsteins have held the world record for milk production for many years now. One record holder in from Wisconsin produced 72, pounds of milk in a year. Typically, they can give you as much as 9 gallons of milk per day.

And perhaps that may be too large an amount for you to handle. So you may want to get a miniature Holstein instead. They can give you about 2 to 3 gallons of milk a day. Standard lactation lasts about days a year. You can milk some 3 times a day, every day of the year. The smaller Holstein also offers clear advantages over the standard-sized Holsteins. They only measure in at 42 inches in height, unlike full-sized Holsteins that come in at 58 inches tall at the shoulder.

They can learn to milk the cow and help feed it. Regardless of the breed you choose for your small farm, the advantages of the miniature cattle breeds cannot be denied. Your fencing costs are much more minimal. They do less damage to your pasture. They can provide some supplemental income, as well as meat or milk at more reasonable amounts that you can handle more easily.

More animals per acre is the key here. Because you can raise more animals in the same amount of space, beef production is twice to three times as much. It takes about five acres to raise two large animals, depending on location soil and climate and the pasture available.

You could raise one or two animals per acre with one of the small cattle breeds. One beef per locker is a lot more desirable than raising more beef than you need. Miniature cattle can also be a great investment and at the same time be helpmates with the grass and brush.

They are also much less intimidating and easier to handle. However, the truth of the matter is that they make great pets. Most owners of these great little animals would probably never consider them for beef purposes. All the girls are expecting, so we will have quite a few more. Have we eaten some of our miniatures?

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By Anna Roth on June 15, Anna Roth. Diminutive in size and appetite, these dainty dairy cows make sense for small farms. Sign up for your Modern Farmer Weekly Newsletter. Notify of. Most Voted Newest Oldest. Inline Feedbacks.