by Miniature cows are bred for milk or decorative purposes. But there are breeds that are bred for meat. Compared to a regular cow, the milk yield of dwarf analogues is minimal. The cow weighs about 100 kg and produces up to 3 liters of milk per day. But it is much easier to maintain the “small form”. The productivity is more than enough for one family.
Let’s look at popular dwarf breeds and the prospects for their breeding.
History of origin
Dwarf cows have ancestors among wild animals. For example, the ancestors of Zebu have long lived on the island of Sri Lanka. Here they have long been accustomed to these animals, but Indian scientists are extremely interested in miniature cows.
In India, cows are sacred, and a miniature version of them is much more profitable to keep for religious purposes than a normal-sized animal. It was in India that the Zebu breed was bred.
The trend was soon picked up by the West. In America, miniature cows were initially bred only for entertainment, but in England, where free pastures are insufficient, dwarf cows were immediately looked at from a practical point of view.
Features and productivity
According to the latest data, there are 30 breeds of mini-cows in the world.
They all have the same characteristics:
- They weigh 100-110 and 250-350 kg (depending on the breed).
- Height – no more than 1 m.
- Daily milk yield is 2-3 l. For some breeds – 6-8 l.
Advantages of miniature cows:
- Very tasty milk with good chemical and biological composition.
- Good immunity is the merit of breeders. Cows almost never get sick, if they catch a cold – they easily cope with it.
- Milk has valuable properties for healthy nutrition. It is distinguished by small sizes of fat droplets – this indicates a high content of phospholipids, which are necessary for brain development.
Breeds
Highland
This is one of the most productive beef breeds among dwarf cows. The Highland cow, bred in the Scottish Highlands, is bred all over the world. The genetic ancestor is the Celtic cattle.
Exterior Description:
- long horns, diverging to the sides – can protect themselves from predators;
- thick, long hair, wavy or double-layered;
- under the fur there is an undercoat, which allows animals to withstand cold weather without having a thick layer of fat;
- there is a long fringe – it protects the eyes from wind and insects;
- coat color – black, red, gray-brown, yellow, silver;
- the back of the body is slightly raised;
- The body is small and the legs are short.
The breed is valued for its dietary meat. But Highlands have a gentle and calm nature, so they are often kept not for profit, but for the soul.
Other features of the breed:
- excellent immunity – almost never get sick;
- undemanding in terms of maintenance and diet;
- undemanding to food – they can digest any food, including coarse fiber;
- calving is easy and without complications;
- Instead of a barn, they make do with a canopy – the cows only need shelter from snow and rain;
- meat is dietary, with a low cholesterol content;
- give decent milk yield for 25 years.
The breed is widespread in Europe, North America and Australia.
Highlands cannot be kept on a leash – they will immediately begin to lose weight. They need space to graze.
Productivity:
- Despite their small size, they gain impressive weight. The range in weight is very large – a cow weighs up to 350 kg, and a bull – up to 750 kg.
- First calving – at 3 years. Calf weight – 11-16 kg;
- They produce offspring for up to 20 years, but Highlands are kept for 10 years – the meat of old cows becomes second-rate;
- The best age for slaughter is 1-3 years;
- Maximum daily milk yield is 3-4 l.
The breed is not suitable for the tropics and subtropics. Thick fur does not allow them to tolerate heat and high humidity well. Animals quickly die in such conditions.
Evening
The breed was developed in India. Vechura is the city where the selection was carried out. This is the smallest cow in the world. The cow weighs no more than 150 kg, the bull – 200 kg. Maximum height is 90 cm. Vechura is as tall as a large sheep. Milk productivity is 3-4 liters per day.
External characteristics of the Vechur breed:
- color – black or brown;
- horns – small, thin, short;
- tail – long;
- There is a hump in the front part of the body.
Breed Features:
- economical in terms of feed;
- withstands difficult weather conditions and tolerates humid climates well;
- has a strong immune system;
- not prone to mastitis, oral cavity and hoof diseases;
- produce milk with up to 5% fat content – easily digestible by the human body;
- they do not need additional grain feeding, grazing is enough for them;
- are distinguished by their intelligence, cleanliness, and strong immunity;
- Vechurov manure is dry, it does not interfere with the germination of crops and easily turns into compost.
Vechurov milk is believed to help treat diabetes, asthma, autism, allergies, schizophrenia and heart disease.
Yakut
The breed is considered aboriginal in the Sakha Republic. It belongs to the meat and dairy direction. The weight of cows is 200 kg, bulls – up to 300 kg. The ancestors of the Yakut breed, having arrived here from Mongolia, successfully assimilated.
External signs:
- head – large;
- color – variegated, combines white, brown and black colors;
- legs – short;
- the chest is widened, the back is narrowed;
- in the area of the scruff of the neck there is a slight hump;
- height – up to 120 cm at the withers;
Average annual productivity is 1500-2000 l. Per day – 3-6 l of milk. Fat content – up to 11%.
Breed Features:
- resistant to low temperatures – easily tolerate frosts down to minus 50 °C;
- unpretentious in matters of food;
- resistant to tuberculosis, leukemia, and various infections;
- the meat is marbled, with thin streaks of fat;
- slaughter yield – 60%.
Zebu
The breed originates from Sri Lanka. Height at the withers is 90 cm. Weight is 80 kg. Daily milk yield is 3 l.
Distinctive external features:
- the hump on the back of the neck is a kind of fat “depot” in case of hunger;
- the limbs are thin and do not have well-developed muscles;
- the fur is quite long – it protects the cows from numerous tropical insects;
- between the front limbs there are pronounced skin folds.
Features of the Zebu breed:
- hardy;
- undemanding to food;
- maintenance is similar to that of regular cows, but costs three times less;
- The temperature in the barn should not fall below 0°C.
The breed is widespread in Africa, Pakistan and India. During the selection process, many varieties of zebu were developed – today there are about 70 of them. The desire for perfection almost led to the disappearance of the purebred line. Thanks to the efforts of breeders, the breed was restored.
Angus
The ancestors of the Angus Dwarf cow are full-sized Angus from Scotland. The mini-copy was bred by Australian and Scottish breeders. The goal was to create a high-quality meat breed. Weight – up to 250-300 kg. Maximum daily milk yield – 10 l.
External signs:
- the body is round, massive, with developed muscles;
- poorly defined neck;
- the udder is well developed;
- height at withers – up to 100 cm;
- color – brown or black.
Breed Features:
- meat is highly valuable, marbled, with a small amount of fat;
- compared to other dwarf breeds, they are quite heavy;
To successfully gain weight, 10 cows need a pasture of 2 hectares. Even 2 regular, full-sized cows will not be able to feed on such an area.
Dwarf Angus are bred mainly in Australia, where they were bred. When bred in the middle zone, they need to be kept in barns with enough space to move around.
Aboriginal
Aboriginal breeds of dwarf cows are not a separate breed, but a category that includes cattle from all over the world. Aboriginal are dwarf cows that have decreased in size as a result of natural development. The parameters of such animals differ slightly from the standards.
Palsho
The breed was developed in Sweden and registered in 2002. In terms of miniature size, it is almost as small as the Vechuras.
External signs:
- body – cylindrical;
- back – straight, even;
- horns – small, diverging from the head;
- slightly sagging skin on the chest;
- color – most often red, light gray and black.
- head – small.
For its ability to eat grass on the lawn well, the breed was called a “live lawn mower”. It produces up to 3 liters of milk per day. It can graze on the poorest pastures. It easily tolerates low temperatures.
Krasnogorbatovskie
This is a domestic breed that can be classified as a dwarf with a big stretch. Compared to other mini-cows, representatives of the Krasnogorbatovskaya breed are too large. It is not much inferior to ordinary cattle in size and weight.
The breed was developed in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The breeders set a goal – to increase milk yield and immunity in the Priokskaya breed.
As a result, we obtained cows with the following characteristics:
- hardy;
- undemanding to food;
- economical in terms of feeding;
- disease resistant;
- high milk yield – up to 6 liters per year.
The cow weighs 350 kg. Average daily milk yield is 10-15 liters of milk. Milk fat content is 4,3%, no less. It contains many amino acids and proteins. The breed was recently saved from extinction by Russian breeders. The herd size decreased to 1,5 thousand heads. Today the situation has stabilized.
Plush
The breed was developed in the USA, in the state of Iowa. These cows were bred for aesthetic purposes – to participate in exhibitions. The plush cow, similar to a toy, was developed by the American breeder Lottner.
The breed has not yet received official registration – many experts believe that the furry cow is nothing more than a hybrid. Milk yield and meat and milk indicators are not discussed in relation to the plush cow – it is bred exclusively for decorative purposes.
Features of appearance:
- color – red, black, light brown;
- often the main color is complemented by spots;
- no horns;
- the udder is minimally developed – milking is not expected;
- legs – short;
- body – rectangular;
- the back is straight, smoothly flows into the head;
- the neck is not pronounced;
- The hair is very soft and plush to the touch.
It would seem that plush cows have no practical use. But the cost of one individual today reaches tens of thousands of dollars.
To ensure that plush toys look perfect, they are carefully looked after:
- during exhibitions they are washed several times a day;
- the wool is sheared – otherwise it looks like the wool of long-haired breeds;
- the wool is dried using professional hair dryers with special attachments;
- fix the result with special varnishes, also use foam, balm, oil in care;
- To make the wool brighter, they dye it.
To ensure that the cow is healthy and beautiful, special nutrition is selected for her, optimized in terms of nutrients.
Price
Unfortunately, dwarf cows have not yet become widespread in Russia. Buying a calf is an expensive pleasure. If in India they ask for 100 dollars for it, then here Zebu costs up to 7 dollars.
To keep a mini cow, you need to spend about 1000 rubles a month to buy hay.
Reviews
In Russia, the breeding of miniature cows is in its early stages. But given the advantages of mini cattle, the direction will definitely develop.
According to farmers, the advantages of small cows include:
- Regular milk yield. 3 liters of fresh milk per day is an excellent result for dwarf cattle. They are able to give milk longer than ordinary cows.
- Valuable meat. In many breeds it is marbled.
- Easy care. Since the animals are smaller in size, they are easier to care for, clean, and transport.
- Calm disposition. Compared to full-sized breeds.
- Cheaper to maintain. Less feed is required. 1-2 cows can even be grazed on the lawn near the house.
- No compound feed is needed for nutrition – in summer there is enough grass, in winter – prepared hay.
- Low weight Animals do not trample the grass; some are even used to “mow” the lawn.
- Strong immune system, resistance to many diseases, low mortality rate.
Mini cows have one drawback: they produce much less milk than regular cows.
Basics of Growing and Care
The rules for keeping dwarf cows are the same as for regular cows.
And all the differences lie in the simplification of the care processes:
- Mini cows require much less feed. They require less personal space – they are content with pastures of minimal area.
- Local plants are enough for dwarf cows to feed themselves – they don’t even have to buy mixed feed. The volumes of hay harvesting are several times less than for standard cattle.
- Small animals are much easier to care for – they are calmer than large cows, more docile and manageable, and show virtually no aggression.
Prospects for breeding in Russia
Reasons for the low prevalence of mini-cows in Russia:
- High price. Miniature cows are very expensive in Russia. To buy an “economy version” of a milking cow, you have to shell out a large sum. The price of calves reaches several thousand dollars. Those who decide to make their breeding their business decide to buy animals at such a price.
- Low adaptation of certain breeds to cold climates. For example, Zebu and Dwarf Angus are accustomed to subtropics, so keeping them in Russia requires having a closed, heated room.
Before purchasing a dwarf cow, find out how well the breed adapts to local climatic conditions. The only breed that adapts well is the Highland.
But these frost-resistant animals belong to the meat direction, getting milk from them is an extremely problematic task. But breeding Highlands for meat is profitable – consuming less feed than sheep, they can live and eat in the natural environment.
Conclusion
Dwarf cows are a tempting but expensive thing. Before you start breeding them, calculate the benefits and risks. There are breeds that are simply impossible to breed in moderate, and especially harsh, climates. Choose mini-cows from the frost-resistant category – Highlands, Yakutskaya, Krasnogorbatovskaya will do.
