A 2017 – 2018 National Pet Owner Survey, which was carried out by American Pet Products Association, showed that 85 million families in the United States own a pet. People love having pets.
Moreover, the same survey found out that people in the United States own 88 million cats, 74 million dogs, 16 million birds, and 10 million other small animals. Animals, such as pigs, horses, and chickens have become popular pets, too. Another pet that people want to keep is:
The mini cow
According to the Lovable Little Ones, a mini cow breeder from Colorado, mini cows are affectionate and social pets. Moreover, they are easy to take care of.
Even though cows are considered animals with a similar mindset, based on mooing and gazing, they have different and unique personalities. Rosamund Young, a farmer, thinks that all cows are different. Moreover, he added that cows are sweet, bossy, shy, and hard to teach.
However, before adopting a mini cow, you should know that they are not like cats and dogs. Mini cows are quite large, i.e. about one-third or one-half of a standard cow. They can be kept for meat or dairy products. In general, these cows produce about 1 gallon of milk per milking.
Advantages of keeping a mini cow
The advantage of keeping a mini cow is that they need 25 – 30 % less food than standard ones. Moreover, as mini cows require less food, they poop less than regular cows.
Farmers keep mini cows as meat livestock because it is considered that one mini cow can feed a four-member family for a couple of months. Moreover, they are kept as therapy animals because mini cows are gentle with small children.
There are several breeds of mini cows. According to the Big Picture Agriculture, there are 26 breeds of mini cows.
Disadvantages of keeping a mini cow
On the other hand, there are some disadvantages of keeping mini cows. Livestock laws are different in each town, and there are places where keeping a cow is prohibited. Moreover, even though you are a farmer, mini cows can be hard to find. They cost about $1800.
Also, when it comes to keeping a mini cow as a pet, safety should be taken into consideration. Mini cows weigh a few hundred pounds, and their behavior sometimes cannot be predicted.
