Miniature Cattle Info. Please

[m.holloway]

can't help on what breed to get. my 2 cents is that i got lucky on mine. they are not mini's and not milking either but pets for sure. they are 1yr and 3 month weight is 435 and 460 in good health, not over 4 feet if that.they are cross bred. one is char-lay / angus and the other is beefmaster/hereford. i sent pics in to farmer kitty and got some feed back on it. they said they look small too, but not sick looking. we have a cattle camp again on feb 14 i plan to weight them again to see if they have gain weight. since the advice was to feed them more. they eat 8 pd of grain each and 3 times of hay a day,and 10 oranges each a day for now, our grass is gone for now. just 2 cents??i want a milking cow too. but that is in the future wayyyyyyy in the future. hahaha hubby is not one to say yes to another cow or now.

 

[hollybird]

dexter's corner farm has great info on the mini jersey or guinea jersey.

 

[amyquilt]

a highland cow requires an acre of land.but they are like longhorns.in that they can survive on brushy rough pastures.

I've been reading some on Highlands. Living here in the Texas Panhandle, with the terrain and prairie grasses, sounds like they would do well here.

Do they really work well for dual purpose or mainly just for meat?

 

[wynedot55]

you could milk them but i dont know how much milk they give.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

A friend of my DH's family had one. At the time we were there, she was springing. They said that all she had to produce for milk was enough for the calf and were not hopeful of milking her at all. I don't know how she did but, I got the impression that they really don't give a lot of milk. I know we have a couple highland owners on the board here and they just have them for beef animals.

 

[amyquilt]

I've read that...after I posted. lol

 

[j.luetkemeyer]

I own a Dexter and I am looking at getting a Mini-Jersey or at least a smaller Jersey depending on the price of the Mini. My Dexter is fairly small. I don't think she will get over 650lbs but I haven't weighed her lately to see where she is at. I plan on weighing her in April when she turns 1 year old.

I'm also thinking of breeding my Dexter to a Mini Jersey Bull. This cross is known as a Belfair. The cow resembles a dexter; however, it usually results in a polled animal and the cows will produce more milk than a purebread Dexter.

My reasoning for having both breeds is the milk of the Dexter has smaller fat globules making it easier for human digestion. I want the Jersey for the higher butterfat to make other dairy products.

Is anyone aware of the pricing of Mini-Jerseys in the Midwest?

 

[Biddieacres]

So glad to find this. I was just about to post the same question. :bun

 

[promiselandfarm]

I am so glad someone on I think it was Beekissed posted this sister site on one of the other sister sites. My son and daughter went in together last summer and purchased a Jersey with calf who died only days after arriving on our farm(*terrible long story...not our fault other than they purchased a very malnourished cow). Anyway all the meds and vet care could not save mom but we did manage to save the calf who happened to be a bull calf. He however is looking to be a mini not a full size boy. This is possible because the place were we got them from raised minis. So now my Daughter bought out her brother who after the vet bills just was so sick of it all wanted out. Long story we had to have the calf tubed daily as he refused to suck from a bottle or a goat or anything other than his mother. Anyway.... She wants to find him a mate and we have time as he is slow in growing so we have time.

 

[Farmer Kitty]