Owning miniature cattle has proven to be one of the best decisions we have made in a long, long time. If you are a first time livestock owner, you will learn as you go - we certainly did. At times the learning curve will seem steep but eventually it will all become second nature. A pattern will evolve where you just know what you need to do for your miniature cattle and your cattle will know what they need to do for you. Cattle love a routine and a bit of peace and quiet - just like us really.

 Bulls Cows Heifers Steers - Which One to Choose

The following information is provided for first time livestock owners as a starting point only.

First and foremost, have a think about why you want miniature cattle. What do you expect from the cattle and what will the cattle need from you? Consider what kind of cattle you want and what you will need to provide to keep those cattle happy and healthy.

Steers, if you get them at six months old, are the easiest to handle. Steers don’t go looking for a bull or a cow to join with. If you have cows and bulls you will soon discover that their drive to join with a mate can be very strong and usually very inconvenient. (Your neighbour will only ring you at the worst possible moment to let you know that your bl#@dy bull is in with his show heifers! Or worse - out on the road!!)

So… unless you have enough cows to keep a bull ‘entertained’ you are better off making other arrangements (no… as a rule one or two cows won‘t do it!). There will always be exceptions to any rule and our little bulls are proving to be quite content to stay exactly where we put them. As long as they have the company of at least one steer, our little Miniature White Galloway bulls seem fine.

Also, unless you are able to borrow a bull or pay to have your cows artificially inseminated, a cow that is cycling will go ‘wandering’ in search of a bull. They usually don’t wander quietly and they can be very determined. Again, there are always animals that seem perfectly content regardless. Our Miniature White Galloway females have not gone through a fence or caused a big fuss to date (touch wood).

Galloway cows are renown for ease of calving. If you want to experience the joy of your very own calves there is no reason why you shouldn’t buy some ‘girls’. Make sure you will have enough feed for the calves as they grow and that you have a plan for their future. You need to know what you are going to do with the calves by the time they turn six months old. Some miniature Galloways mature very early - both bull calves and heifers.

Owning Miniature Cattle - The Basics

Again, this information is provided for first time livestock owners as a starting point only. Basically, miniature cattle need pasture, shade, fresh water, ongoing  care and regular contact with their owner.

Pasture: Pasture is the mixture of different grasses, legumes etc that are in your paddock. The greater the variety of grasses and legumes in your paddock the better the nutritional value the pasture has for your cattle. It is probably wise to seek local knowledge on the type of lantana and other weeds you may have on your property that are poisonous to cattle. Talk to your vet or a farmer who lives near you about these things.

You need at least three paddocks so that the pasture can be rested and the cattle get a fresh paddock regularly. Alternatively, if you only have one large paddock you can divide it into three. You can easily use inexpensive electric fencing to divide up one paddock. A small battery powered transformer (no bigger than a 1 litre milk container - run on D cell or 12 volt batteries) and PVC tread in posts with a strand of polywire is all you need. Transformers are under $200 and tread in PVC posts are under $6. Too easy.

Boundary fences need to be well maintained and strong enough to contain your biggest, most adventurous animal. Four or five strands of wire, barbed or plain, with star pickets and timber corner posts and stays, should be sufficient. Most cattle won’t test fences if all their needs are being met. Barbed wire is not necessary and is harmful to wildlife. If your fences already have barbed wire please consider replacing the top and bottom strand with plain wire - especially if it is evident that you have a wildlife corridor.

Shade: Shade means mature trees that the cattle can’t wreck or at least a solid shade structure where cattle can get out of the sun in each paddock . Make sure the shade is always available in the middle of the day in every paddock. Galloways have a double coat and don’t need shelter from the cold, definitely not in Qld anyway, but they do need shade.

Fresh Water: Fresh water means that the cattle need a trough in the paddock that is monitored and topped up regularly or an automatic trough (you still need to check an automatic trough occasionally to see that it fills properly). Ideally the container needs to be deep enough for the water to stay cool or to be shaded in the heat of the day. If the cattle have access to a dam or pond that is fine - as long as you don’t mind the water being fouled and the edges being eroded.

Contact and Care: At least once or twice a week, look carefully at your miniature cattle and run your hands all over them. By doing this you will remain familiar to your cattle and you will be able to notice when things change. You will be able to take note of the condition of the animal and their coat. You will also notice things like too many ticks, flies or odd behaviour.

If you notice your miniature cattle are losing condition (getting skinny) you need to add extra hay or other feed to supplement their pasture. If they are getting too fat you might want to cut back on the extras.

Ticks & Parasites: In the hotter months of the year, if you live in a tick zone, keep an eye out for the appearance of ticks on your miniature cattle. If ticks become a problem you will need to use a pour-on or spray product to control the tick numbers. Most of the pour-ons you use for ticks also treat internal parasites. So, even if you don't have ticks, the cattle will still need a product like Ivermectin, Cydectin or something similar periodically to treat worms and other internal parasites. You can purchase smaller bottles (smaller than cattle stations use), of these products at Landmark, a produce store or the like. You pour a measured amount down the spine. There is a tape you can use (like a dressmakers tape) to work out the weight of the animal so you know the correct amount of pour-on you need to use. These tapes are also available from Landmark, a produce store or the like.

If you only have two miniature cattle and you brush them regularly with a slicker brush a chemical tick treatment may not become necessary. We brush our cattle every few days, move them into a fresh paddock every two or three weeks and then slash the pasture behind them. In January 2010 our cattle only had a couple of ticks on their ears after months of no other treatment. We are hoping that next season we will only need to use Neem Cattle Wash to control ticks.

Buffalo Fly: Again, in the hotter months of the year, look out for buffalo fly. These small flies hang around and irritate the cattle’s eyes in particular - sometimes making them bleed. If they become a problem  a product like Brute, a pour on, works well for people with small numbers of cattle. You might be able to purchase a couple of ear tags from a neighbour who uses these to protect their cattle from buffalo fly.

If you want to use non chemical or organic alternatives there are a few available. We use and can recommend Neem Cattle Wash. We use it neat on cuts, scratches, sores and bites. We dilute it and spray it on (using a little 500ml kitchen spray bottle) to kill tick larvae, deter buffalo fly and soothe any skin irritations. Check it out online. We also use Lucas Paw Paw ointment on broken skin. We have started using homeopathic drops for Buffalo Fly and are now waiting to see the results next season (homeopathic drops from Heal With Ease).

Get to know other people in your area with cattle. We have found that 'cattle people' are really helpful people. They usually don‘t mind being asked what you might feel are ‘silly questions’. If you can team up with a couple of other people who also have miniature cattle it can help immensely. You get the opportunity to share information, ideas, costs and worries. More importantly though, you get to share the sheer joy of owning these wonderful animals with other people, people who actually understand what you are so excited about.

Vaccinations and Injections: Cattle need an annual 7 in 1 injection. The 7 in 1 injection is an immunisation against enterotoxaemia, blackleg, malignant oedema, black disease, tetanus and leptospirosis. You may choose to use other injections to solve other problems.

Bovine Ephemeral Fever: If you notice your cattle are moving stiffly or laying down and not getting up, then Three Day Sickness might be the problem. An annual Bovine Ephemeral Fever (BEF) injection will immunise your cattle against this viral disease of cattle and buffalo. Typically, affected animals are only sick for a few days, hence the alternative name - Three Day Sickness. Three Day doesn‘t usually kill cattle and some people only immunise their most valuable herd members. If your cattle do come down with Three Day Sickness you will need to make sure they are in the shade and have plenty of water while they recover. You may have to take this to them if they are not moving (although they may not be able to drink as BEF can effect their ability to swallow).

We have recently used Heal With Ease homeopathic drops on a cow presenting with the symptons of BEF and were amazed to see the results. She was down in the afternoon (unable to get up) when we gave her the drops. She was up and eating the next morning. See Cattle Links - Useful Links for the Heal With Ease website address.

Tick Fever: In Queensland we ‘blood’ our cattle - vaccinate them against tick fever. The vaccine is inexpensive and can be sourced from the Tick Fever Centre Street address: 280 Grindle Rd, Wacol QLD 4076.

Reference Books: For further information on cattle care there are a couple of good books we have used and recommend often. Margo Hayes Small Cattle for Small Farms. Pat Coleby Healthy Cattle Naturally (now out of print but you can get Natural Cattle Care by Pat Coleby). Both books are less than $40 each.