Breed Origination
Miniature Zebu are the smallest naturally occurring miniature cattle breed standing at just three and a half feet tall. The breed dates back as far as 3000 BC, making it the world’s oldest cow breed. They are a member of the Bos Indicus breeds or humped cattle that originated from India where the climate enabled the animal to develop a tolerance to high temperatures.
Breed Characteristics
Zebu are characterized by the large hump on their shoulders, gentle faces, small ears and horns. They come in many colors and patterns. Gray being the most common.
At maturity the Miniature Zebu is from 29 to 42 inches tall and weighs 200 to 600 pounds. AMZA (American Miniature Zebu Association) rules require the animal to be no taller than 42” at the hips. The key to quality miniatures is that without an external, visual reference, one cannot tell the true size of the subject animal. The average lifespan of Miniature Zebu is 20+ years and will continue to produce throughout their late years. Newborn calves are 16 to 18 inches tall and weigh 10 to 20 pounds. Miniature Zebu are a hearty, disease resistant breed of cattle as are their cousins the Brahman Cattle. They have a higher tolerance to insect attacks due highly active sub-dermal twitching muscles and sweat glands. Miniature Zebu are very social animals and have a strong herd instinct. They are very family oriented, and seldom stray from each other. After establishing a “pecking order”, the herd will always stay together.
Grazing Requirements
With their reduced frame size and being the smallest of the bovine breeds one can graze Miniature Zebu on a fraction of the acreage needed for any other breed of cattle whether miniature or standard. An adult Miniature Zebu will consume as little as 1/3 of the amount of food as a full grown 900 to 1000 pound cow making Miniature Zebu cattle ideal for small acreage farms and ranches.
Show Animals
Miniature Zebu are a great show animals for youngsters. They are easy to handle and safer than their full sized relatives, making them great 4-H projects for any showman.
Milk
An average Miniature Zebu cow can produce up to a gallon of milk per day, with a butterfat content of up to five percent. The milk also has a smaller fat globule size from that of other dairy breeds, making the milk easily digestible. Milk quality has been tested to be similar to that of goat milk, in that it is higher in good fats than typical dairy cows milk, yet not as sweet as goat milk.
Beef
Zebu raised for meat have been taste tested with good results. Beef production is on average 60% of their live weight vs 40% on a typical beef animal. Zebu cholesterol is nearly half of that of standard beef and the feed requirements are substantially less. It has been shown that they do better with natural grass and less feed. Additionally, they will provide enough meat that will fit in a standard family freezer without finding additional people to split the meat and cost with.
