Miniature cows are bred for milk or decoration. But there are breeds that breed for meat. Compared to ordinary cow, milk yield of dwarf analogues is minimal. A cow weighs approximately 100 kg and produces up to 3 liters of milk per day. But keeping a "small form" is much easier. Productivity is more than enough for one family.
Where did the dwarf cows come from?
Dwarf cows have ancestors among wild animals. For example, the ancestors of Zebu have long lived on about. Sri Lanka. It has long been accustomed to these animals, but Indian scientists are extremely interested in miniature cows. In India, cows are sacred, and their miniature copy is much more profitable to keep for religious purposes than an animal of normal size. It was in India that the Zebu breed was bred.
The trend was soon picked up by the West. In America, mini-cows were first bred just for fun, but in England, where there is not enough free pasture, dwarf cows were immediately looked at from a practical point of view.
Features and Productivity
In the world, according to recent data, there are 30 breeds of mini-cows. All of them are united by the same characteristics:
- Weigh 100-110 and 250-350 kg (depending on the breed).
- Growth - no more than 1 m.
- Daily milk yield - 2-3 liters. In some breeds - 6-8 liters.
Advantages of miniature cows:
- Very tasty milk with good chemical and biological composition.
- Good immunity is the merit of breeders. Cows almost do not get sick, if colds happen - they easily cope with them.
- Milk has properties that are valuable for a healthy diet. It is distinguished by the small size of fat droplets - this indicates a high content of phospholipids, which are necessary for the development of the brain.
Unfortunately, in Russia dwarf cows have not yet received sufficient distribution. Buying a calf is expensive. If in India they ask for $ 100, then Zebu costs up to $ 7,000.
To keep a mini cow, you need to spend about 1000 rubles a month - on the purchase of hay.
Highland
This is one of the most productive meat breeds among dwarf cows. The Highland Cow bred on the Scottish Highlands is bred all over the world. Genetic ancestor - Celtic cattle.
Exterior Description:
- long horns, diverging to the sides - can protect themselves from predators;
- thick long hair, wavy or two-layer;
- under the coat there is an undercoat that allows animals to endure cold weather without having a thick fat layer;
- there is a long bang - it protects the eyes from wind and insects;
- coat color - black, red, taupe, yellow, silver;
- the back of the body is slightly elevated;
- the body is small and the legs are short.
The breed is appreciated for diet meat. But the Highlands have a gentle and calm disposition, therefore they are often kept not for the sake of profit, but for the soul.
More features of the breed:
- excellent immunity - they almost do not get sick;
- unpretentious to the content and diet;
- undemanding to food - can digest any food, including coarse fiber;
- calving is easy and without complications;
- instead of a crib, a canopy is dispensed - cows only need shelter from snow and rain;
- meat - diet, low in cholesterol;
- give worthy 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 in mass. They need space for grazing.
Productivity:
- With small sizes gain impressive weight. The spread in weight is very large - the cow weighs up to 350 kg, and the bull weighs up to 750 kg.
- The first calving - at 3 years. Calf weight - 11-16 kg;
- They give offspring up to 20 years, but contain Highlands for 10 years - the meat of old cows becomes second-rate;
- The best age for slaughter is 1-3 years;
- The maximum daily milk yield is 3-4 liters.
The breed is not suitable for the tropics and subtropics. Thick hair does not allow them to tolerate heat and humidity. Animals quickly die in such conditions.
Vechur
The breed was bred in India. Vechur is a city where breeding was carried out. This is the smallest cow in the world. Cow weight - not more than 150 kg, bull - 200 kg. The maximum height is 90 cm. The height of Vechura is with a large sheep. Milk productivity - 3-4 liters per day.
External signs of the Vechur breed:
- color - black or brown;
- horns - small, thin, short;
- tail is long;
- there is humpiness in the front of the body.
Features of the breed:
- economical in terms of feed;
- withstands difficult weather conditions, tolerate a humid climate;
- possesses strong immunity;
- not prone to mastitis, diseases of the oral cavity and hooves;
- give milk up to 5% fat - easily absorbed by the human body;
- do not need additional grain top dressing; grazing is enough for them;
- differ in intelligence, cleanliness, strong immunity;
- Vechurov’s manure is dry, it does not interfere with the germination of crops and easily turns into compost.
Vechurov’s milk is believed to help treat diabetes, asthma, autism, allergies, schizophrenia, and heart disease.
Yakut
The breed is considered native in the Republic of Sakha. Refers to meat and milk direction. Cows weigh 200 kg, bulls weigh up to 300 kg. The ancestors of the Yakut breed, having got here from Mongolia, successfully assimilated. External signs:
- the head is large;
- color - motley, combines white, brown and black colors;
- legs are short;
- the chest part is expanded, the back is narrowed;
- in the area of the scruff - a slight hump;
- height - up to 120 cm at the withers;
Average annual productivity - 1500-2000 liters. A day - 3-6 liters of milk. Fat content - up to 11%.
Features of the breed:
- resistant to low temperatures - easily tolerate frosts up to minus 50 ° C;
- unpretentious in matters of feed;
- resistant to tuberculosis, leukemia, to various infections;
- meat - marble, with thin fat veins;
- slaughter yield - 60%.
Zebu
The breed comes from Sri Lanka. Height at the withers - 90 cm. Weight - 80 kg. Daily milk yield - 3 liters.
Distinctive external features:
- the hump on the scruff of the neck - a kind of fat "depot", in case of hunger;
- the limbs are thin, not distinguished by developed muscles;
- the coat is quite long - it saves the cows from numerous tropical insects;
- between the forelimbs - pronounced skin folds.
Features of the Zebu breed:
- hardy;
- unpretentious to feed;
- the maintenance is similar to ordinary cows, but costs three times less;
- the temperature in the stable should not drop below 0 ° C.
The breed is widespread in Africa, Pakistan and India. During the breeding, many varieties of zebu were bred - today there are about 70 of them. The pursuit of excellence almost led to the disappearance of the purebred line. Thanks to the efforts of the breeders, the breed was restored.
Angus
The ancestors of the Angus dwarf cow are full-sized Angus from Scotland. The breeding of the mini-copy was done by Australian and Scottish breeders. The goal was to create a quality meat breed. Weight - up to 250-300 kg. The maximum daily milk yield is 10 liters.
External signs:
- the body is round, massive, with well-developed muscles;
- low neck;
- the udder is well developed;
- height at the withers - up to 100 cm;
- color - brown or black.
Features of the breed:
- meat - high-value, marbled, with a small amount of fat;
- in comparison with other dwarf breeds, they are quite weighty;
To successfully gain weight, 10 cows need a pasture of 2 hectares. In this area, 2 regular, full-sized cows will not feed.
Dwarf Anguses are bred mainly in Australia - where they were bred. When breeding in the middle lane, it is necessary to keep in sheds, where there will be enough space for movement.
Indigenous
The native breeds of dwarf cows are not a separate breed, but a category that includes cattle from around the world. Indigenous are dwarf cows, which have decreased in size as a result of natural development. The parameters of such animals slightly differ from the standards.
Palsho
The breed was bred in Sweden, registered in 2002. By miniature, it is almost not inferior to Vechura. External signs:
- the body is cylindrical;
- back - straight, straight;
- horns - small, diverging away from the head;
- slightly sagging skin on the chest;
- color - often red, light gray and black.
- the head is small.
For the ability to qualitatively eat grass on the lawn, the breed was called the "living lawn mower." Gives up to 3 liters of milk per day. Can graze on the most meager pastures. It easily tolerates low temperatures.
Krasnogorbatovskie
This is a domestic breed that can be attributed to dwarf with a 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 bred in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The breeders set a goal - to increase milk yield and immunity in the Prioksky breed. As a result, we got cows with the following features:
- hardy;
- unpretentious to feed;
- economical in the matter of feeding;
- resistant to disease;
- high milk yield - up to 6,000 liters per year.
Cow weight - 350 kg. The average daily milk yield is 10-15 liters of milk. The milk fat content is 4.3%, not less. It has a lot of amino acids and proteins. Recently, Russian breeders saved the breed from extinction. The number of livestock decreased to 1.5 thousand heads. Today the situation has stabilized.
Plush
The breed was bred in the USA, Iowa. These cows were bred for aesthetic purposes - for the sake of participation in exhibitions. Bred a plush cow that looked like a toy, an American breeder Lottner. The breed has not yet received official registration - many experts believe that a shaggy cow is nothing more than a hybrid. They don’t talk about milk yield and meat-and-milk indicators when applied to a plush cow - it is bred solely for decorative purposes.
Appearance Features:
- color - red, black, light brown;
- often the main coloring is supplemented with spots;
- no horns;
- the udder is minimally developed - milking is not expected;
- legs are short;
- the body is rectangular;
- back - straight, smoothly passes into the head;
- the neck is not pronounced;
- the hairline is very soft, to the touch - plush.
It would seem that there is no practical benefit from plush cows. But the cost of one individual today reaches tens of thousands of dollars. To plush "toys" looked perfect, they are intensely looked after:
- during exhibitions washed several times a day;
- the hair is sheared - otherwise it looks like wool in long-haired breeds;
- the hair is dried with professional hair dryers with special nozzles;
- fix the result with special varnishes, apply also foam, balm, oil;
- for brightness, the coat is tinted.
To make the cow healthy and beautiful, they select special nutrition optimized for nutrients.
Advantages and disadvantages
In Russia, the cultivation of dwarf cows is in the initial stage. But taking into account the advantages of mini-cattle, the direction will certainly develop.
Pluses of small cows:
- Regular milk yield. 3 liters of fresh milk per day is an excellent result for dwarf cattle. Able to give milk longer than regular cows.
- Valuable meat. In many breeds, it is marble.
- Simple care. Since animals are smaller, it’s easier to care for, clean, and transport them.
- Calm disposition. Compared to full-sized breeds.
- Cheaper to keep. Less feed required. 1-2 cows can even be grazed on the lawn near the house.
- Compound feeds are not needed for food - in the summer enough grass, in the winter - harvested hay.
- Due to the low weight. Animals do not trample grass, some are even used to “mow” the lawn.
- Strong immune system, resistance to many diseases, low mortality rate.
There is one drawback with mini cows - they produce much less milk than regular cows.
Fundamentals of growing and caring
The rules for keeping dwarf cows are the same as for ordinary cows. And all the differences are in the simplification of the care processes:
- Mini cows spend much less feed. They need less personal space - they are content with pastures of minimal area.
- Local plants are enough for dwarf cows to feed themselves - you don’t even have to buy compound feed. Hay harvesting volumes are several times less than for standard cattle.
- Small animals are much easier to care for - they are calmer than large cows, more malleable and manageable, practically do not show aggression.
Why dwarf cows are not popular?
The reasons for the low prevalence of mini-cows in Russia:
- High price. Miniature cows in Russia are very expensive. To buy the “economy version” of a milked burenka, you need to pay a large amount. The price of calves reaches several thousand dollars. To buy animals at such a price are decided by those who are going to make their breeding their business.
- Low adaptation of individual breeds to cold climates. For example, Zebu and the Angus pygmy dwarf are accustomed to the subtropics, so keeping in Russia implies the presence of a closed, heated room.
Before purchasing a dwarf cow, find out how well the breed adapts to local climatic conditions. The only successfully adaptable breed is Highlands. But these frost-resistant animals belong to the meat industry, getting milk from them is an extremely problematic task. But it’s profitable to breed Highlands for meat - consuming less feed than sheep, they can live and eat in the natural environment.
Dwarf cows are a tempting but expensive thing. Before you start breeding them, consider the benefits and risks. There are breeds that can be bred in a moderate, and even more harsh climate. Choose mini-cows from the frost-resistant category - Highlands, Yakutskaya, Krasnogorbatovskaya will do.
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Russia. City Novosibirsk
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