LONDON, Ohio — Bigger isn’t necessarily better – those were the words of Ohio State University extension specialist Greg Meyer as he spoke about the benefits of raising miniature cattle.

"Smaller mature cows require less feed for maintenance, which can lower your annual feed costs," he said. "Plus, they finish at lower weights and smaller carcasses can be a profitable niche when selling custom freezer beef. Their size also works well for grass-fed beef operations."

Meyer recently addressed a large gathering at this year’s Farm Science Review. He has taken this same message to other parts of Ohio, as well.

"They’re definitely smaller, but I would add they’re not more docile," he said. "Small doesn’t always mean easier. They’re still bigger than a sheep, goat or a pig. Easier with equipment is also a misnomer, as they’re still big animals, and they’ll require good fencing. Depending upon the breed of miniature cattle that you raise, mature cows weigh between 600 and 1,100 pounds. Mature bulls will be even heavier. Good fencing is a must."

"The main reason people raise miniature cattle is the freezer beef," Meyer said. "A freezer beef operation with miniatures will work as selling smaller quarters will fit in one’s freezer. What people should research is where these animals can be harvested and processed. People should also go into this business for the long term.

"Also keep in mind it’s easy to exit the business when that time comes. You can take these animals to the stockyards to sell them at any time. The stockyards, though, is a bad idea for many. Miniature cattle sold through traditional methods can be discounted up to 50 percent, compared to full-sized cattle. In this case, their size works against them. Miniature cattle are too small to meet today’s beef industry carcass standards."

According to Meyer, the three breeds of choice are Dexter, Lowline and Hereford.

Dexters are native to Ireland and vary in color. They’re the smallest of the miniatures that stand between 38-40 inches tall and weigh between 700 and 1,000 pounds.

A popular breed, there are 20,000 re-gistered Dexters in the United States.

Lowlines, native to Australia, are normally black in shade and stand 40-48 inches tall with weight around 1,500 pounds. This breed, Meyer said, "comes with temper issues at times."

Herefords, a British breed, are red and white in color, stand between 39 and 47 inches tall and also weigh around 1,500 pounds.

"The miniature cattle market is a real market, a real industry," Meyer said. "When you get in this venture it should be long term and not the ostrich fad where people bought that animal in hopes to find other people who wanted to raise the ostrich. The miniature cattle market is a real niche market."

Meyer pointed to two reasons why people engage in miniature cattle: freezer beef and breeder sales.

"Buying local is more popular than ever, but freezer space is limited for many customers," Meyer said. "Selling a quarter of beef from a miniature steer will provide about 100 pounds of meat, a reasonable amount for most freezers, making it very appealing to many households.

"When it comes to genetics, if the genetics of the herd are exceptional, then the animals may be desired by other breeders. Miniature cattle can be marketed for sale directly from the farm or through consignment auctions. If your goal is to sell animals to other breeders, then expect your initial investment to be higher for genetically superior breeding animals."