How to shop for a mini cow?

Mini cows make the perfect homestead pet. They are easy to maintain, do not need a lot of ground for roaming and are incredibly resilient. 

What makes a cow miniature?

Measuring matured cattle from the top of the tailbone down to the ground we can confidently say that 42”-48” is mid sized cattle. 36”-42” is miniature cattle and anything under 36” is called micro, like our herd bull Dan. A micro bull or cow carries the Chondrodysplasia, or chrondo gene (dwarfism). For comparison, standard cattle measures around 62”.

Why should I buy a mini cow?

Well, for one, these little creatures are insanely cute!!! And they are very easy keepers. You do not need previous cattle experience, a thousand acre ranch or even a good sized pasture. Mini cattle can be kept in a large, well fenced off, backyard. They are perfect for homesteaders or the aspiring small estate rancher. We really like their size for the kids as well, they are easy to play with and not intimidating at all. 

And best of all.. they eat according to size! If you don’t have grass for them to graze you can roughly count of feeding about two to four small bale flakes a day.

Cow or bull?

If you are not planning to breed yourself it will not matter much. Just make sure to ask the vet to castrate your bull so he will not develop all that testosterone and be capable of impregnating somebody else’s cows. If you are looking to get two or more we would recommend to get one bull and one or more cows. Typically if you put multiple males together they might end up fighting over the ladies.

A castrated bull is called a steer and a cow that has not had babies yet is called a heifer. 

How do I prep for the arrival of my mini cow?

First things first: check your fences! Cows are absolute escape artists and if there is a tiny hole, they will find it! It takes some time to teach cattle to walk on a halter and they don’t necessarily magically come when you call (even though this can be taught!). Just make sure you are confident they are going to stay within the boundaries that you have set for them. Second you would want to make sure that they have a size appropriate water trough. You can buy these at any farm supply store and they are called small animal trough. While at the farm store you can also buy grass hay bales. We prefer to feed our cattle straight grass because a grass/alfalfa mix or straight alfalfa mix could make them bloated. Straight alfalfa hay is too rich and could cause various types of issues for you and your miniature cow. You do not need to have a shelter as they have weather resistant fur coats, but it wouldn’t hurt to have one either. It provides a place for them to be out of the rain and wind.



Excited?!

When you are ready to meet our spring babies give Karen a call at (307) 690-5220 and let us help you find the perfect pet cow for you!