Miniature cattle

Miniature cattle are found in various parts of the world. Some, such as the Dexter of Ireland and the Vechur of Kerala, India, are traditional breeds; others have been created by selective breeding. The Australian Lowline was the unexpected result of a scientific experiment.[1]: 3  Some, but not all, miniature breeds display achondroplasia, or dwarfism.[2]: xxvi 

Compared to larger cattle, miniature cattle require less space and less feed,[3] and may be easier to handle.[4] They do less damage to pasture land, do not need such high or strong fencing,[5] and do not produce as much methane.[3]

Breeds
BreedOriginHeight/weightImageNotes
Achhamzebu, Achham District of Nepal[2]: 259 
  • Males: 97 cm
  • Females: 88 cm
Australian Lowlinederived from Aberdeen Angus in Australia[6]
  • Males: 110 cm
  • Females: 100 cm
Dextertraditional Irish breed92–107 cm[7]
Kasagarodtraditional breed, Kerala, India80–90 cm[2]: 322 
Lagune or DahomeyBenin, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Togo
  • Males: 100 cm
  • Females: 80 cm[8]
Miniature Texas LonghornUnited Statesnot over 115 cm[9]
Miniature Zebumodern breed register, United States
  • Males: 182–272 kg
  • Females: 136–227 kg
  • Maximum height: 107 cm (42 in)[2]: 245 
MinivacaMexicoabout 100 cm[10]: 105 developed from the 1970s at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Mexico City by selective breeding of Indu-Brasil for small size.[10]: 105 
NiataUruguay, Argentina; now extinct[2]: xxvi 
Panda cowUnited Statesrare type of black-and-white belted miniature; in 2011 the total number world-wide was estimated at 24 head.[11]
PunganurAndhra Pradesh, India
  • Males: 107 cm, 240 kg
  • Females: 97 cm, 170 kg[12]
SombaBenin, Togo
  • Males: 110 cm
  • Females: 85 cm[13]
Vechurtraditional breed, Kerala, India[2]: xxvi 

An American breeder, Richard Gradwohl, has developed eighteen different strains of miniature cattle.[3] Miniature Galloway, Hereford and Holstein have been bred.[2]: 245 [3] In the United States, small zebuine cattle deriving from stock imported from Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Sweden may be registered as "Miniature Zebu";[2]: 245 Similar cattle are known as "Nadudana" in Australia.[14] In the United States, Jersey cattle of the original island type may be known as "Miniature Jersey"; Jersey cows stand about 115–120 cm and weigh some 350 kg.[2]: 212 

The Ethiopian Goffa and Guraghe breeds in the Abyssinian Shorthorned Zebu group are also small.[2]: 99 

References
  1. David Barnett (1998). History of Lowlines. In: Foundation Herd Book. Armidale, New South Wales: Australian Lowline Cattle Association.
  2. Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
  3. Rebecca Seal (25 July 2010). Why mini cows could save the planet. The Guardian. Accessed February 2017.
  4. [Associated Press] (4 January 2006). Miniature Cattle Breed Interest. Los Angeles Times. Accessed February 2017.
  5. Australian Lowline Cattle: A Rare Breed of Australian Origin. Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand. Accessed February 2017.
  6. Breed data sheet: Lowline/Australia. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed February 2017.
  7. Breed data sheet: Dexter/Ireland. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed February 2017.
  8. Breed data sheet: Lagune/Benin. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed February 2017.
  9. Regulations for registering Miniature Longhorns with the TLBAA. Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America. Archived 28 July 2011.
  10. Valerie Porter (2008). The Field Guide to Cattle. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Voyageur Press. ISBN 9780760331927.
  11. [s.n.] (2 January 2011). Rare 'panda cow' born. London: The Telegraph. Accessed December 2022.
  12. Breed data sheet: India: Cattle: Punganur. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed February 2019.
  13. Breed data sheet: Somba/Benin. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed February 2017.
  14. arik (2023-08-11). "The Ultimate Guide to Mini Cows: Breeds, Benefits, and Care". Retrieved 2023-08-15.
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