How to Keep Miniature Cows

Miniature cows are great for small farms.

Miniature cows are an excellent choice for small dairy operations, home milk production and small farms. Their size makes it possible to raise them on smaller acreage with less feed costs, and they are easier to handle and milk.

Back-to-the land enthusiasts, raw milk producers and hobby farmers are discovering the benefits of miniature cows and are raising them for their milk and for breeding purposes.

Instructions

1. Choose your breed. Two of the most popular miniature cows for milk purposes are Dexters, a breed from Ireland with no large counterpart, and miniature Jersey cows, which of course were bred to be small and are from the original Jersey breed.

2. Find out what to expect from miniature cows. Ranging in height from about 32" to 42" in height, miniature cows are about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of standard size milking cows. Milk production varies from about 1.5 to 2.5 gallons a day, making them practical for families who enjoy drinking milk and making their own yogurt, cheese and butter.

3. Decide how many miniature cows you will raise. Cows are herd animals, and as the saying goes "two are better than one." While they bond best with their own species, plan to at least include a goat for companionship if you will not have at least two cows.

4. Prepare the pasture and shelter for your miniature cows. They can graze on as little as 1/2 acre of good pasture per cow, but having more space means less supplementing with hay or alfalfa feed will be necessary. Be sure the fence is tight and complete and gates are secure. A three-sided shelter, preferably facing south to allow full sun in the winter, is another necessity for raising miniature cows unless their pasture is attached to a barn or stalls they can enter at will.

5. Begin halter training your calves, especially the females who will later be used for milking, from an early age to encourage the traits of gentleness and docility.

6. Breed heifers at about 18 months of age. Once their calves are born, they will produce milk and need to be milked daily. The calf needs to have most of the colostrum, and should receive some of the milk for the first few weeks or longer. However, if you are raising miniature cows for milk, separating cow and calf at least from early evening until the morning milking will be necessary. Serious dairy farmers separate calves from cows permanently.

7. Find a vet familiar with cattle, especially miniature cows, to oversee your animals' health and assist with preventative care as well as medical situations that may arise.

Tips & Warnings

• Dexter steers are excellent for meat, so if your Dexter cows have male calves you can plan to butcher them or sell them to others who will raise them for the beef.

Resources

• Keeping A Family Cow (book)
• Getting Started with Beef & Dairy Cattle