Bonus Bites
Miniature Cattle, Landrace Livestock
The International Miniature Cattle Breeder’s Society and Registry maintains herd books for 26 breeds, and the Animal Research Foundation registers miniature bovines of every breed. Miniature Herefords, Angus (Lowlines), Zebus, Jerseys and Dexters can be registered with both organizations but also support herd books of their own. These represent the big five of the miniature bovine world.
Dexters are tri-purpose cattle (beef, milk and draft). Thanks to the breed’s foraging ability, and its high feed conversion and meat-to-bone ratios, a grassfed Dexter steer will finish in 18 to 24 months, dressing out at 50 to 60 percent live weight. Dexter beef is fine-textured, tender and delicious. And Dexter cows give 11⁄ to 3 gallons of roughly 4 percent butterfat milk
2 daily, at a rate of up to one quart of cream per gallon.
LowLines are Miniature Angus cattle developed by the Trangie Agricultural Research Centre in Australia. No “outside” blood was used in its creation; they are purebred Angus bred 30 to 60 percent smaller than their standard (Highline) kin.
Miniature HereforDs are another scaleddown purebred breed. They are said to mature 20 percent faster than standards. They’re gentle, they adapt to all climates, they’re highly efficient foragers, and veterinarians familiar with beef breeds know how to treat them. Miniature Herefords are a first-rate, easy-care choice for gourmet and organic beef producers.
Zebus: “Zebu” is another name for Bos indicus — all breeds of Asian humped cattle. Most folks recognize the brawny Brahman, a full-size Zebu developed in North America. Miniature Zebus resemble Brahmans with notable twists: Mini Zebus’ upright ears don’t match the Brahman’s trademark floppy ones, and Miniature Zebu cows have a lot less hump. Both breeds, however, sport short, sleek coats; tough, loose skin; and have fully functional sweat glands. Highly developed panniculus muscles make it easy for Zebus to twitch away flies. They’re heat-, disease- and insect-resistant; thrive on marginal pasture; and rodeo-bull image notwithstanding, they are easygoing and remarkably intelligent.
Jerseys were barely more than today’s miniature size until recently, historically speaking. While the “bigger is better” boom ultimately impacted this ancient dairy breed, enough bantam Jerseys remained to make selectively breeding them back to miniature frame a relatively easy task. For today’s smaller households seeking a pocket-size family cow, Miniature Jerseys make good sense. They are gentle, prolific and a delight for the eyes. And their delicious, high-butterfat milk is hard to beat!
— Sue Weaver