by Joanna Hay

Created on: June 23, 2009

Aren't miniature cows made of meat? If it is ethical to eat regular size cows than how could it not be ethical to eat miniature cows?

Perhaps some people believe that miniature cows must have been intended for pets since they are so small and cute. The reality is that generations of cattle have been carefully selected and bred to create smaller cattle with the full intention for these cattle be used as meat. Although there are 26 recognized breeds of miniature cattle that all have different desired traits, the main goal for them all is to produce quality meat on less acreage. Most miniature cattle breeds were originally intended for small farmers. Dexters, for example, originated in Ireland where many landholders had only small areas to graze. Indonesian farmers had plenty of room but not much grass, which resulted in the miniature zebu breed. Miniature cattle come from many countries but all had the ultimate goal of agriculture, not pets.

Despite the intentions of the creators of these breeds, perhaps some people believe that their acceptable uses must change as society changes. We have hundreds of ranchers in this country raising larger and comparatively less cute cattle. Why don't we just eat them? The fact is that miniature cattle are more popular in America than they have ever been. Some may in fact be pets, but the vast majority will eventually enter the food chain. With so much publicity about hormone implants and questionable handling and sanitation in the commercial food supply, many people are starting to desire to know exactly where their meat comes from. A regular sized cow can easily weigh over a thousand pounds by the time it goes to slaughter. Who can eat all that? It is much more practical for families whose livelihood is not based in agriculture to raise a smaller animal that will eat less and produce a more reasonable amount of meat. Many of these animals are also bred to produce more milk than is needed for their calf, so if they have a calf once a year a family can have all the milk and meat they need.

Although I am sure that a properly reared calf would make an excellent pet, the fact remains that these miniature breeds were intended to be food sources for subsidence farmers. As times become ever more uncertain in this world, I am sure that more and more people will take advantage of these delicious, space saving animals.

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