Mini Cows Are Packed With Compact Cuteness
Published on July 14, 2014
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It’s Cow Appreciation Week, and we’d like to take this time to express our true gratitude for bitty bovine.
There are 26 breeds recognized by The International Miniature Cattle Breeders Society and Registry (IMCBS). These stocky cows and bulls, which have been bred down from their full-size cousins, are about 36 to 42 inches tall at maturity.
Miniature cows are thought to be a good size for small-acreage farms because they require only one-third of the feed. They’re also easier to handle and easier on the land, according to the IMCBS.
The mini cows’ ancestors, who were brought to the United States from Europe in the 1800s, were much smaller than the full-size cows we see today. That’s because cattle were bred to be larger in the 1950s and ’60s, when farmers wanted more meat from them and weren’t as concerned about the cost of feed, according to a 2009 story in the Los Angeles Times.
So if you didn’t know cattle could be cute, allow us to introduce you to five adorable mini cow breeds in the gallery below.
More on Vetstreet:
There are 26 breeds recognized by The International Miniature Cattle Breeders Society and Registry (IMCBS). These stocky cows and bulls, which have been bred down from their full-size cousins, are about 36 to 42 inches tall at maturity.
Miniature cows are thought to be a good size for small-acreage farms because they require only one-third of the feed. They’re also easier to handle and easier on the land, according to the IMCBS.
The mini cows’ ancestors, who were brought to the United States from Europe in the 1800s, were much smaller than the full-size cows we see today. That’s because cattle were bred to be larger in the 1950s and ’60s, when farmers wanted more meat from them and weren’t as concerned about the cost of feed, according to a 2009 story in the Los Angeles Times.
So if you didn’t know cattle could be cute, allow us to introduce you to five adorable mini cow breeds in the gallery below.
More on Vetstreet:
- Fluffy Cows Are the Internet Rage
- 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Cows
- Is It Dangerous for My Dog to Eat Cow Pies?