Everyone who loves cattle would like to have a large piece of land. But that is not always possible.
Just because there is limited space doesn’t mean you can’t follow your love for raising livestock.
If you wish to raise cattle and have a small piece of land, the most effective way to do it in a small space is to keep mini cattle breeds.
When you have mini cattle, they are so small and can be successfully raised on smaller farms.
What are Miniature Cattle?
Miniature cattle, as the name implies, are smaller than typical full size cattle.
Their average body size is 30% smaller than standard of practice cattle.
Miniature cattle are classified in three categories based on the height at the hip:
- Standard miniature cattle: they stand between 36 inches and 42 inches.
- Micro-miniature cattle: they have a hip height of less than 36 inches.
- Midsize miniature cattle: they stand between 42 inches and 48 inches.
Benefits of Rearing Miniature Cattle Breeds
Here are the top benefits of keeping miniature cattle on your farm.
Sustainable Milk Production
A healthy full-size cow produces a minimum of six gallons of milk daily at its peak.
This is enough to feed a household with some to spare for selling; however, there are a few downsides.
First, you will need to invest in additional storage to keep the milk cool.
Further, as a beginner to the business, you may not know what to do with the item.
Miniature cattle, on the other hand, produce 1.5 gallons of milk per day or less.
For many family situations, this is sufficient to feed their need for milk and other dairy products that would include cheese, ghee, butter, yogurt, etc.
Plus: It saves you from needing to look for additional storage.
Reduced Demand for Food
If you’re in the animal husbandry world, you probably already realize dairy cows require more nutrients than beef cattle.
It is still necessary to provide supplemental hay even on pasture to give the cows an adequate quantity of nutrients sufficient for milk production.
Finally, the cows’ manure will start to become slow on nutrients due to consuming a diet of mainly pasture of nothing else.
The good news is miniature cattle do not have the feed demand of larger livestock and do not require, as a rule, the amount of feed intake as each other species require.
Instead, they receive a balanced diet of feed including barley, oats, sorghum, soybeans, and wheat feed along with pasture grass when they have access to it.
Example: One miniature lowers the feed cost to approximately ¼ of what standard breeds require. Therefore, what used to cost a specific amount, allows you to do more with the money you save on feed.
Popular Miniature Cattle Breeds
Before you decide to begin keeping miniature cattle, it’s a good idea to understand the breeds that are available to you.
This knowledge will help you choose a species that fits your needs.
Here are the popular varieties of miniature cattle.
Miniature Holstein
Miniature Holsteins are cute and produce a lot of milk!
This means you can have a cow and a pet. You will be able to produce enough milk to feed yourself and family, and sell all of your extra milk.
On average, this breed will produce somewhere between two and three gallons of milk a day,
If you are lucky, you may even get that cow that would produce milk three times a day for every single day of its lactation for 305 days!
In terms of height, a miniature Holsteins is about 42 inches, thus is a miniature midsized breed.
This breed is typically related to Holsteins that run about 58 inches at the hip.
From Experience: This breed has a reputation for being very docile and friendly. If you were to leave any miniatures near children, you can rest assured that they should be free of any accidents.
Miniature Belted Galloway
Miniature Belted Galloways, or Belties, are known for their ability to thrive in extreme weather.
This breed of cattle originated in southwestern Scotland, and they have a double coat of hair, where the outer layer is coarse and water repellent.
The inner coat does not look ‘hairy,’ but looks wooly. This special coat keeps the animal warm on cold winter days.
Yes, the name Belted Galloway comes from the belt, or band, of white around their girth.
The rest of the body – head, legs, behind – is solid color. A mature cow, for example, is 42 inches tall.
And since Belties are polled (hornless cattle), you don’t have to worry about the costs of dehorning your cattle or the dangers of animals with horns.
Belties are also lean, meaning that Belties require less feed to achieve a gain of one kilogram in body weight – holder feed cost without sacrificing size means you have a much better margin when you sell them for beef.
Dexter Mini Cows
The Dexter breed of mini cow is based on a herders male calf with the name of Dexter, which was born in about 1750 and was an origin of the breed.
Dexter cattle travelled to America about the early 1900s, but has never become as colonized as the others have.
In fact, the American Livestock Breed Conservancy call the Dexter ‘rare’ in their Conservation Priority List.
Though they are rare, they have above-average lifespans. The Dexter has a lifespan of up to 18 years.
Dexter’s reproduction rate is also fast, as an adult female can have 10 calves in her lifetime. Interestingly, they can also act as a surrogate.
When they reach maturity, bulls can weigh up to 450 kgs (1,000 lbs.) and can grow to be up to 47 inches.
Because of Dexter’s foraging ability and feed conversion rate, and because they have a good meat-to-bone ratio, one Dexter steer can reach 180kgs in 1½ years.
Most Dexters are black, but you’ll also see dark red.
Miniature Zebu Cows
Primarily, miniature cattle represent a cross of smaller animals of larger breeds.
This is not true for miniature zebus; they are purebred animals and have been around since 6,000 BC.
The zebu, also commonly called a Brahman, was first brought to the USA in the early 20th century.
During that time, the animal was primarily part of some zoological research, hence the limited number of these animals in North America.
The major characteristic of the zebu breed supplied is its characteristics that make it resemble an animal similar to a fawn.
Zebus have conscious humps, particularly in mature bulls. Some Zebus even have horns.
Most people keep zebus (unlike the other miniature cattle breeds), mostly for:
- agricultural fairs
- rode events
- and zoological zoo gardens
This due to their impressive stature and color. Some farmers will keep them as ‘pets’ or for milk and meat production.
The gestation period for a miniature zebu is about nine months like it is in humans.
Calving, an average cow can give a gallon of milk per day that is high in butterfat.
Cows are extremely protective of their calves especially during their early weeks of life.
Miniature Herefords
Miniature Herefords are native to Herefordshire in the UK.
Despite being a newer breed, introduced in the 1970s
The breeding wanted a breed with great feed conversion, a calm disposition, as well as a hardy breed.
Characteristic of a nageing mini Hereford is their stout frame with short legs.
They have remarkable resilience and can survive adverse conditions while maintaining milk production and meat quality.
Despite not having experience with cattle, anyone can have an easy time managing mini Herefords since they have a calm temperament.
Additionally: They are capable of carrying heavy loads over long distances, making them a great option for new farmers whether a small farm or commercial.
Jersey Mini Cattle
Jersey mini cattle show distinct genetics and gene pools, because they come from an isolated island off the French Coast. This means, their bloodlines that have spent most of their life isolated.
However, they are well known for producing a high volume of milk, low maintenance, and a friendly disposition.
Summarily, cattle continue to breed to larger sizes, but overall weight of miniature Jersey is about 700lbs and height at three years is 42 inches.
Mini Jerseys eat about half of what a regular Jersey cow eats.
Yet, they produce two to four gallons of milk, rich in butterfat and protein.
Check the udder when milking and be sure to find the place to help milking by deciding if the teats are large enough.
In general, miniature Jersey bulls are more aggressive than mini Jersey cows, especially if they have not been breastfed.
Usually they will show signs of aggression at puberty, which occurs at six to seven months of age. Cold weather can promote aggressive behavior as well.
Miniature Panda Cattle
The miniature panda, one of the rarest breeds in the world, is a crossbreed of the Belted Galloway, and Dexter miniature cattle.
The breed has an all white face with black stripes around the eyes, which are also similar to a panda, along with the body of the belt, which is the ‘belt’ part of the belted Galloway.
There are only a handful of miniature panda cattle on the planet, and most animal lovers view them as celebrities.
If you want to visit a miniature Panda, you can see them at the Woodland Park Zoological Gardens in Seattle, Washington.
Because their rarity, they produce calves that are more ‘surely’ to their mothers than the average breed of cattle.
Miniature Texas Longhorns
Famed for being grim, Texas Longhorns usually have this opinion when you first look at miniature Texas Longhorns – which are completely different.
That said, the smaller version is not as overly aggressive and not as dangerous as its larger counter-part.
A mature miniature Texas Longhorn bull can be up to 45 inches long when the majority of the animals do not even reach this length.
This breed of miniature Texas Longhorn has a lifespan of approximately 10 years and will weigh between 350-800 lbs.
Texas Longhorns are generally mostly active during the day time and typically forage on grasslands. When they are dry staying in the hay.
Mini Lowline Angus
The mini Lowline Angus is quite surprisingly actually descended from the accidental breeding of standard Angus cattle.
It is one of the smallest cattle breeds in the world. They are also a rather calm breed and docile.
Lowline Angus are on the heavier side for miniature cattle, however. A full-grown bull can weigh as much as 1,200 lbs.
This large body comes from the way they like to live – grazing more than eating feeds.
They average about 18.5 years of life and can tolerate extreme weather conditions.
Even Better- they have no bulldog gene that kills cattle.
Square Meters
Square Meters were developed in Australia and then transferred to New Zealand and the United States.
They were developed with a purpose to have cattle that were grown out to full maturity in one year of age.
In addition to being rapid grower, one exciting aspect of Square Meters is they are a measured breed.
Rules state that at 12 months, bulls must be at a shoulder height of between 110 and 110 cm shoulder measurement; and (again) cows must have a shoulder measurement of between 110 and 110 cm shoulder measurement.
These limitations are created purposely, to stop the animal from maturing at the “wrong” rate.
The great majority of Square Meter all appear to have a coat of gray, but what they resemble is dark chocolate.
They have a dark pigmented skin to purposefully limit the animal’s risk of sunburn and skin cancer.
In terms of temperament, Square Meters are very optimistic and very friendly.
How to Take Care of Miniature Cattle
Similar to other domesticated animals, if you want your miniature cows to be healthy and productive, you need to take care of them properly.
Here are a number of things that you need to keep your animals happy and healthy.
- Calve coats: You will need these to keep your animals warm, it gets cold and you have to keep your animals warm.
- Heat lamps: You can use heat lamps as a supplement to the coats for the cold season.
- Electric milking machines: If you have a lot of cows, or if you have cows with little teats, these machines are great.
- Fresh water: You need fresh water to keep your animals healthy.
- Herbal ley: This helps with disease problems caused by worms and other parasites.
- Mineral salt blocks: These are supplementary to the available nutrients of feeds and grasses.
Wrapping Up
Miniature cows are an excellent choice for small homesteaders, whether you want them for their milk and beef or want to bring them on as a pet.
They need less than a full-sized cow and they can stand and flourish in extreme environments! They will live over 15 years if you take care of them!
But make sure you get trained up first! Make sure you have the space, enough food, and a proper shelter!
Most importantly, have a vet’s number on hand in case you have to deal with a health complication with the animals.