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.{{r|dave|page=3}} Some, but not all, miniature breeds display achondroplasia, or dwarfism.{{r|cabi|page=xxvi}}

Compared to larger cattle, miniature cattle require less space and less feed,{{r|guard}} and may be easier to handle.{{r|lat}} They do less damage to pasture land, do not need such high or strong fencing,{{r|nz}} and do not produce as much methane.{{r|guard}}

Breeds

class="wikitable" ! style="width: 180px;" \| Breed !! Origin !! style="width: 180px;" \| Height/weight !! style="width: 180px;" \| Image !! style="width: 180px;" \| Notes
Achham	zebu, Achham District of Nepal{{r\|cabi\|page=259}}	{{ubl\|Males: 97 cm\|Females: 88 cm}}	height="100px" \|
Australian Lowline	derived from Aberdeen Angus in Australia{{r\|dad2}}	{{ubl\|Males: 110 cm\|Females: 100 cm}}	180px
Dexter	traditional Irish breed	{{ nobreak\|92–107 cm}}{{r\|dad}}	180px
Kasagarod	traditional breed, Kerala, India	{{ nobreak\|80–90 cm}}{{r\|cabi\|page=322}}	180px
Lagune or Dahomey	Benin, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Togo	{{ubl\|Males: 100 cm\|Females: 80 cm{{r\|dad4}}}}	180px
Miniature Texas Longhorn	United States	not over 115 cm{{r\|tlbaa}}	height="100px" \|
Miniature Zebu	modern breed register, United States	{{ubl\|Males: 182–272 kg\|Females: 136–227 kg\|Maximum height: {{convert\|107\|cm\|in\|0\|abbr=on}}{{r\|cabi\|page=245}}}}	180px
Minivaca	Mexico	about {{val\|100\|u=cm}}{{r\|val2\|p=105}}		developed from the 1970s at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Mexico City by selective breeding of Indu-Brasil for small size.{{r\|val2\|p=105}}
Niata	Uruguay, Argentina; now extinct{{r\|cabi\|page=xxvi}}		180px
Panda cow	United States		180px	rare type of black-and-white belted miniature; in 2011 the total number world-wide was estimated at 24 head.{{r\|tel}}
Punganur	Andhra Pradesh, India	{{ubl\|Males: 107 cm, 240 kg\|Females: 97 cm, 170 kg{{r\|dad5}}}}	180px
Somba	Benin, Togo	{{ubl\|Males: 110 cm\|Females: 85 cm{{r\|dad3}}}}	height="100px" \|
Vechur	traditional breed, Kerala, India{{r\|cabi\|page=xxvi}}		180px

An American breeder, Richard Gradwohl, has developed eighteen different strains of miniature cattle.{{r|guard}} Miniature Galloway, Hereford and Holstein have been bred.{{r|cabi|page=245|guard}} In the United States, small zebuine cattle deriving from stock imported from Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Sweden may be registered as "Miniature Zebu";{{r|cabi|page=245}} in Australia, similar cattle may be known as "Nadudana".{{cn|date=February 2017}} In the United States, Jersey cattle of the original island type may be known as "Miniature Jersey"; Jersey cows stand about {{nobreak|115–120 cm}} and weigh some {{nobreak|350 kg}}.{{r|cabi|page=212}}

The Ethiopian Goffa and Guraghe breeds in the Abyssinian Shorthorned Zebu group are also small.{{r|cabi|page=99}}

References

{{reflist|45em|refs=

[s.n.] (2 January 2011). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8236447/Rare-panda-cow-born.html Rare 'panda cow' born]. London: The Telegraph. Accessed December 2022.

Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). [https://books.google.it/books?id=2UEJDAAAQBAJ&hl=en Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding] (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. {{ISBN|9781780647944}}.

[http://dad.fao.org/cgi-bin/EfabisWeb.cgi?sid=0b1613ebf16355cf65f6a05b9a65fe25,reportsreport8a_50001561 Breed data sheet: Dexter/Ireland]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed February 2017.

[http://dad.fao.org/cgi-bin/EfabisWeb.cgi?sid=0b1613ebf16355cf65f6a05b9a65fe25,reportsreport8a_50000521 Breed data sheet: Lowline/Australia]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed February 2017.

[http://dad.fao.org/cgi-bin/EfabisWeb.cgi?sid=0b1613ebf16355cf65f6a05b9a65fe25,reportsreport8a_502 Breed data sheet: Somba/Benin]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed February 2017.

[http://dad.fao.org/cgi-bin/EfabisWeb.cgi?sid=0b1613ebf16355cf65f6a05b9a65fe25,reportsreport8a_5499 Breed data sheet: Lagune/Benin]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed February 2017.

[http://www.fao.org/dad-is/browse-by-country-and-species/en/ Breed data sheet: India: Cattle: Punganur]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed February 2019.

David Barnett (1998). [http://www.lowlinecattleassoc.com.au//wp-content/uploads/2016/02/History-of-the-Breed-–-Preface-of-ALCA-Foundation-Herd-Book-by-David-Barnett-OBE-Foundation-Member.pdf History of Lowlines]. In: Foundation Herd Book. Armidale, New South Wales: Australian Lowline Cattle Association.

Rebecca Seal (25 July 2010). [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jul/25/miniature-cattle-environmentally-friendly-beef Why mini cows could save the planet]. The Guardian. Accessed February 2017.

[Associated Press] (4 January 2006). [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jan-04-fi-minicows4-story.html Miniature Cattle Breed Interest]. Los Angeles Times. Accessed February 2017.

[https://www.rarebreeds.co.nz/lowline.html Australian Lowline Cattle: A Rare Breed of Australian Origin]. Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand. Accessed February 2017.

[https://web.archive.org/web/20110728111059/http://www.tlbaa.org/breed/MTL_Rules_Regs_v9.pdf Regulations for registering Miniature Longhorns with the TLBAA]. Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America. Archived 28 July 2011.

Valerie Porter (2008). [https://books.google.it/books?id=N6CSqgpIC0YC&hl=en&pg=PA66 The Field Guide to Cattle]. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Voyageur Press. {{isbn|9780760331927}}.

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Category:Cattle