MINIATURE ZEBU CATTLE WILL MAKE FIRST APPEARANCE AT STOCK SHOW

The Denver Post

The biggest thing at the 2018 National Western Stock Show is also one of the smallest.

Miniature zebu cattle will for the first time be showcased at the largest stock show on earth. Thirty-two of the animals are registered to make an appearance — a fraction of the 14,000 total head of cattle scheduled to pass through the show Jan. 6-21.

Miniature zebu are bred for a variety of reasons: to be shown at events by children, for companionship and for products, like meat and milk. To meet breed standards, the animal must be 42 inches in height or shorter (measured behind its signature, fatty hump), according to the International Miniature Zebu Association. Most miniature zebu weigh between 300 and 600 pounds, whereas the other breeds of zebu are similar to a typical cow in height and can weigh up to 2,400 pounds.

National Western Stock Show livestock coordinator Clancy Anderson said she’s excited to welcome the zebu and their owners to the show.

“Some people raise purebred dogs, and these people raise miniature zebu. It’s a rare thing — especially in this part of the country,” she said.

Miniature zebu — and most of the other about 70 breeds of zebu — thrive in hot, humid climates, which is why few breeders live in Colorado. To counter the cold, the zebu will be kept indoors during the Stock Show, unlike other breeds of cattle which will live primarily outdoors during the two-week event.

Breeder Will Hughes and his wife are no stranger to the miniature variety. They own a small ranch called JW’s Mini Moo’s in Vineland, about 10 miles east of Pueblo. They plan to bring their entire eight zebu herd — including a junior bull born Dec. 12 — to show Jan. 7-9. Hughes said he and the other zebu breeders in attendance are focused on education, handing out pamphlets and making presentations to help cultivate knowledge of the breed.

“We’re ecstatic we’ll be there for the inaugural event,” Hughes said. “I hope that we can increase the numbers year after year. Hopefully our numbers will be 40 or 50 next year.”

More than 300 cattle that seem small compared to other breeds are typically shown during the Stock Show, including American Aberdeen, about 48 inches at the shoulder, and miniature Hereford, about 42 inches at the shoulder.

So why own a mini cow as opposed to a standard-size bovine? Anderson and Hughes both said the smaller version has its benefits: They eat less food, produce less waste and are easier to handle.

“As a small-acreage farm, we don’t have the room for larger sized cattle,” Hughes said. “You can fit more (cattle) in a smaller space. People with lower incomes — who still want to do their own food and milk production — resort to these smaller breeds.”

The miniature zebu will be on display Jan. 7-9, the mini Herefords Jan. 17-21, and the Aberdeens Jan. 1520.

“Hopefully visitors will come to the stock show and remember that they saw miniature cattle and not just the normal ones,” Anderson said. “It’s rare for people to see this different angle of the livestock industry, and it gives them a different perspective. Especially with the addition of the miniature zebu, we’re excited to expand our horizons.”