At Mount Eerwah Park we specialise in breeding docile, family friendly miniature cattle - cattle that many people want to keep as paddock pets. Our Mountain View Miniature White Galloway calves are very well handled and have been trained specifically for first time livestock owners and children. Our whole herd is handled more often and is given more intensive, on going training than many breeders can afford to give their show team. If you can manage large, well trained dogs, you can manage our small, well trained cattle.

Our steers are weaned at six months and our heifers a little later. By this age they are sweet, gentle and halter trained. This means that you can walk up to them in the paddock and put a halter on them. You can attach a lead to the halter and ask them to ‘walk on’ and they will follow you. When you stop they will stop. These little mates have been handled (by adults and children) from the day they were born. They love to be brushed, talked to and scratched under the chin. We sell our steers as pets when they are six months old. Parting with them is always heart wrenching - but they have all gone to fabulous new homes so everyone is happy.

Miniature Cattle as Pets

If you want to keep miniature cattle as pets then you have to buy cattle that have been bred and trained for this purpose. Once you have purchased docile, friendly, paddock pets you need to then treat them like pets. You need to continue the regular, hands on interaction with them. This doesn’t have to be every day but at least a couple of times a week. It is your regular contact with them that keeps them docile and friendly.

Hands on interaction means having time to quietly walk up close to your miniature cattle and talk to them or maybe scratch them on the top of the tail. It can also mean putting the halter on them, taking them for a stroll and telling them they are good when they 'walk on' or 'stand'. It might mean just giving them some calf muesli with a mineral supplement mixed in it and a kind word. It could mean breaking up a biscuit of hay and brushing them with a slicker brush while they eat the hay. It definitely does not mean leaving them to their own devices for weeks or months on end. You can do this of course and they will be fine - they just won't be as docile and friendly.

This hands on time is important with steers and heifers. Steers need you to be gentle but firm with them on a regular basis as they mature - they will remain docile and well behaved if you do. Their well mannered behaviour cannot be guaranteed if you don't. Calves must be constantly reminded that even gentle nudging, pushing or butting you with their heads is definitely 'not on'. As they grow there can be up to 350-400kgs behind that 'nudge' and it will not be funny.

To experience the joy of the birth with your miniature female when she has a calf, you need to have formed a strong bond with that heifer or cow well before she actually calves. If you have walked up to her every day or so for weeks and given her a brush or some beef flakes with apple cider vinegar in it, then there is a good chance she will be happy to have you there on the big day! If you don't have her trust, it is the cow's natural instinct to not let you near her or her new calf for weeks, if not months.

Like any pet, miniature cattle are a commitment. They need time and care - regularly.

Calves start out very proud of their halter training. Digby loved getting it right!

If you continue with the regular training they grow up sweet and easy to manage.

Training can sometimes mean laying around with the halter on just lookin' good.