Happy Saturday!

Not only do I use my photography for art - it's also a useful way to educate others and illustrate things. In this case, I managed to capture one of those times that my miniature zebu herd interacts with the surrounding Angus/Charlais herd of full-size cattle. These photos are fun, because they capture just how small my mini moos are. No, I didn't spend much time editing - I just brightened up the images when needed. Don't be afraid to share your photos - if they show something cool or have meaning to you, then they're worth publishing. They don't always need to be visually stunning to be awesome.

My sweet girl Bo (and friends) standing along the fence line with two standard size American cattle. All of the cows you see in the photo are full grown! And yes, I realize that the red gal is not a black Angus OR a Charlais :)

Apollo tentatively walks up to greet a full size mama. Apollo is currently 1 year and 7 months old. He is nearly done (or done) growing at this age, though his horns and hump will continue to develop.

The two new friends say hello! We have had two different miniature zebu cattle live with standard size cattle, and they live together normally. Mini moos and standard cattle are much the same, with the exception of their size and, in this case, the type of milk they will produce.

I love this photo, because my little Cupid in front (miniature zebu; 10 months old) looks much more like he could be the calf of the full size cow pictured than her actual calf (the fuzzy white one). In reality, the fuzzy little one is much younger than Cupid, though Cupid is much, much smaller. I love catching my calves next to standard ones!

Pictured her is Otto, very much an adult at nearly 4 years old. He walks next to Angus/Charlais calves and a fully grown Angus cow. Interestingly, he's about the same size as those calves!

The calves are never sure what to make of those tiny, adult cattle!

A view that warms my heart :)

Thank you for learning more about these little cattle. As a quick reminder:  Miniature cattle are still cattle. They eat grass and hay, they poop all the time, and they are still large enough to hurt adult people if they are inclined to. Do not expect them to be "like a dog." There are definitely friendly ones, but they behave like friendly cattle - not like a friendly dog. If you love cattle and you have pasture, shelter, and time to learn about and care for them, and room for at least one bovine friend for your new addition, miniature cattle can be a dream come true!

If you're looking for a companion animal to live in your house, go for one of the many cats and dogs at animal shelters that need a loving home - a cow is not what you're looking for.