Raising Miniature Cattle

The very first calf I raised in 4-H was a Charolais heifer named Mandy. I was eleven-years-old. Mandy was little when I got her, but she grew a lot bigger by show time – and I didn't. Today, I see 4-H-ers and others with cows that come in a smaller package. They may look like baby bovines, but are actually full-sized miniature cattle.

• Campbell Barrett is a 4-H Extension agent at Montana State University. He says the miniatures are typically classified as anything under 48" at the hip when full grown. There are many breeds of tiny cattle, but he says among the most popular are miniature Herefords and Lowline Angus. Because they're smaller than their full-sized cousins, there are several reasons why these livestock are a good fit for a small farm or 4-H project.
• "Well, it takes less acreage and also they eat less. According to the parents and some of the breeders locally, they claim they're more efficient with the feed, meaning they gain more per-pound of food than the larger frame," says Barrett. "I can't find really a lot of definitive research to back that up, but that's their anecdotal experience. A lot of the parents claim that they're a little more mild-tempered."

They're easier on fences, equipment, and pasture. You can have two or three minis in the same space as one full-size cow. The meat from an animal that reaches a mature weight of 800-pounds versus 1300-pounds also means a smaller freezer.

"They have smaller portion sizes. A ribeye steak from a miniature is going to be, if you're doing the carcass data, somewhere between probably a seven-and-ten-inch square-inch loin eye. The larger ones are probably going to be between nine-and-16-inch square-inch loin eye. So, smaller portion sizes from smaller animals if you're worried about nutrition."