Compare BREEDS of Homestead & Miniature Cattle

Breed Comparison Graphs

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Homestead & Miniature Cattle are docile, efficient cattle that produce well with low input on small acreage. They are often old-fashioned types of cattle found in many breeds. They can be any size, but most range in miniature to midsize frame scores. Many are dual or triple purpose cattle that descend from old heritage breeds that served self-reliant families on small homesteads centuries ago. They are predominantly short legged, deep, long-bodied cattle with wide-sprung ribs, great rumen capacity and grass fed genetics. They can produce more pounds of beef or milk per acre of grass (without grain) than modern breeds can. They are genetically healthy, hardy and long-lived. They are docile--bulls should be easy to handle--and gentle cows should still be excellent mothers. They are easy on fencing and equipment. The smaller they are, the easier they may be on fragile pasture and soils, but larger sizes may work well with pasture rotation programs. Breeds listed on this page are known for being (or including some) excellent homestead cattle with these traits.

see also: FAQ: 10 Things to Consider When Choosing a Breed

Type

Polled

Purity

Frame Score

small

large

Homestead cattle breeds

micro

miniature

midsize

standard

6-5a

2-3

4-5

6-7

8-10

American (Belgian) Blue

American Lineback

Angus, American Aberdeen (see Lowline)

•

Angus, miniature (see Lowline)

•

Beefalo

Belted Galloway (see Galloway)

•

Beltie, Panda® (miniature composite)

BueLingo

British White (polled) & White Park (horned)

Canadienne

Corriente (Mexican)

Devon (Milking, North American, Red)

Dexter (see Irish Dexter)

•

Durham Shorthorn (miniature, restored)

Dutch Belted (Lakenvelder)

Fleckvieh

Florida Cracker

Galloway (Belted Galloway)

Galloway (Solid “Traditional” Galloway)

Galloway (Riggit Galloway)

Galloway (White Galloway)

Hereford, Traditional

Hereford, Miniature

Heritage Angus

Heritage Shorthorn

Irish Dexter

Irish Kerry

Jersey, Heritage

Jersey, miniature

Kerry (see Irish Kerry)

•

Lincoln Red

Lowline (American Aberdeen)

Mashona

Milking Shorthorn (see Heritage Shorthorn)

•

Miniature Angus (see Lowline)

•

Miniature Bucking Bulls (composite)

Miniature Hereford (see Hereford)

•

Miniature Holstein (reproduction)

Miniature Shorthorn (see Durham)

•

Miniature Zebu

Murray Grey

Normande

Panda® (see Beltie)

•

Pineywoods Guinea Cattle

Pinzgauer

Randall Lineback Cattle

Red Poll

Scottish Highland

Shetland

Shorthorn (see Heritage Shorthorn)

•

South Devon

South Poll

Speckle Park

Square Meater (small Murray Grey)

Sundog (miniature composite)

Texas Longhorn

Western Heritage Cattle (mini composite)

White Dexter® (miniature composite)

White Galloway (see Galloway)

•

White Park (see British White)

•

Zebu (see Miniature Zebu)

•

Frame Scores
(breed size ranges, measured by height:)
	micro	miniature				midsize		standard
Miniature Breeds	6-5a	4a	3a	00	0	1	2-3	4-5	6-7	8-10
Miniature Cattle are small or short cattle of any breed that measure in height to Frame Score 1 or 2.
• Irish Dexter	x	x	x	x	x	x
• Miniature Zebu	x	x	x	x	x

Heritage Breeds	6-5a	4a	3a	00	0	1	2-3	4-5	6-7	8-10
Many Homestead breeds of cattle are heritage breeds with centuries of history, developed to perform efficiently in harsh conditions, with low input. When high production, grainfed breeds took over, many became rare. But today they are again increasing in popularity as more people move to small acreages for self-sufficiency and safer, healthier, home-raised food. Some are dairy, some are beef, and many are dual-purpose breeds.
• Angus {fullblood Heritage}							x	x	x
• Angus {Lowline, American Aberdeen}	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
• Canadienne {Canada}							x	x
• Cracker {Pineywoods}					x	x	x	x
• Devon {Ruby, Red, Milking, North}					x	x	x	x	x
• Dutch Belted {Lakenvelder}					x	x	x	x	x	x
• Galloway {fullblood, all colors}				x	x	x	x	x	x
• Hereford {fullblood Heirloom}						x	x	x	x
• Hereford {fullblood miniature}	x	x	x	x	x
• Highland {fullblood Scottish}					x	x	x	x
• Jersey {fullblood Heritage}					x	x	x	x
• Irish Kerry						x	x
• Lincoln Red						x	x	x
• Randall Lineback							x	x
• Red Poll						x	x	x
• Shorthorn {fullblood Heritage}				x	x	x	x	x	x
• South Devon					x	x	x	x	x	x
• South Poll							x	x
• Texas Longhorn					x	x	x	x

more Breeds	6-5a	4a	3a	00	0	1	2-3	4-5	6-7	8-10
• British White {White Park}					x	x	x	x	x
• Fleckvieh					x	x	x	x
• Montbeliarde						x	x
• Murray Grey						x	x
• Murray Grey {Square Meater}					x	x
• Normande						x	x	x	x
• Pinzgauer						x	x	x

Composite Breeds	6-5a	4a	3a	00	0	1	2-3	4-5	6-7	8-10
Like all the "designer breeds" of dogs, there are many composite "breeds" of small frame and miniature cattle developed for the growing homestead market. They are often called by the same breed names as their fullblood counterparts and registered alongside them. They may be close to 100% of the breed or called "purebred." Some are old restored breeds (purity was lost) that have been re-created, or, what was left was salvaged and preserved as pure as possible. Some composite breeds are priced for their direct value as homestead dual purpose, beef or dairy animals. Some composite breeds compete to be the tiniest possible cattle (using dwarfism) with the fanciest colors or the brightest markings, and are priced more for their popularity or what they will bring as a pet. I have included a few proprietary composites with trademarked™ breed names for information only. I have no stake in their profit or loss, no intent to advertise, and no endorsement is implied.
• Belfair, Belmont {Irish Jersey}™				x	x	x
• Miniature Bucking Bulls			x	x	x
• Miniature Belties {Panda™}	x	x	x	x	x
• Miniature Braford		x	x	x	x
• Miniature Brahman {Wasani™}			x	x
• Miniature Brangus {Bramalow}			x	x
• Miniature Guernsey					x
• Miniature Highlander	x	x	x	x	x
• Miniature HighPark	x	x	x	x	x
• Miniature Holstein					x
• Miniature Jersey		x	x	x	x
• Miniature Meatmaster			x	x	x
• Miniature Wagyu		x	x	x	x
• Miniature Watusi		x	x	x	x
• Miniature white park crosses	x	x	x	x	x
• Sheeted Somerset {re-created}							x	x
• Shetland {restored}						x	x
• Speckle Park {Canada}							x	x
• Toy Sundog		x	x	x	x
• Western Heritage	x	x	x	x	x
• White Dexter™		x	x	x	x

Specialty Breeds	6-5a	4a	3a	00	0	1	2-3	4-5	6-7	8-10
• Bison {Beefalo, Bison Hybrid)					x	x	x	x	x
• Mashona						x	x	x
• Yak, Yaklander				x	x	x

publisher: Vintage Press, LLC.
owner: Bucking V Outfit, LLC., Maricopa County Arizona
published online: 07-15-2020
author: by Donna Grace Vickery
Miniature.Cattle.Directory@gmail.com