enchanted..the only word I can think of

farmgirl6 · #1 04/04/12, 07:06 AM

Okay, I know you guys who raise mini cows are so "over it" but the only word I can think of how I felt when the big horse trailer door swung open and this perfect minature, bright, intelligent face looked up at me attached to a perfect little cow body no bigger than a large dog was "enchanted" Mini Cooper, the tiny little Dexter cow I bought from Maria after she was posted on this thread some weeks back arrived yesterday, to be honest I was more than a little stressed as I was not expecting her until the end of the week and was out of town when I got the heads up. On the long speedy drive home, I had started to wonder if this impulsive whim was such a good idea, I've a farm full of animals that take up so much of time as it is, to include a full size pet steer who keeps me busy making repairs as he cheerfully removes gates and sections of fence and a young Jersey heifer who should come into heat this season for the first time. It had been a bit of scramble raising the funds for having her moved from the St. Louis area to here in northern Alabama (solved with a fundraiser of selling tickets for a basket chocked full of organic goodies from the farm, including honey and figs and such).
But any misgivings ended when that door swung open. I suppose I expected her to be tiny, but having only full size cows I was still suprised and enchanted. Despite the long trip, she hopped from the trailer and cavorted about happily as the gentle oversized gentleman who delivered her led her down to the cow paddock to go in with my little heifer. Maria and only started handling her and feeding her as she was origionally freezer bound; but she quickly settled in with no nervousness and just a bit of reserve. This morning as I carried the bucket out to feed the larger animals, a tiny muzzle poked the back of my thigh and a suprisingly loud moo was to remind me a small bucket was emply! what a cutie!!! she had learned to come up for treats and enjoys with caution a gentle face scratching. Thank you Maria for sending her to me, and introducing me the world of the tiny bovine!

Cheryl aka JM · #2 04/04/12, 07:11 AM

I think it's illegal to post about something so terribly cute and not put pictures up. I mean....if it isn't it should be!

farmgirl6 · #3 04/04/12, 07:21 AM

sorry will post pictures later

bama-newsteader · #4 04/04/12, 07:47 AM

So where are you gals in Alabama? I am in Boaz.

Cheryl aka JM · #5 04/04/12, 08:02 AM

Falkville
we should get together and BBQ some day

Maria · #6 04/04/12, 09:01 AM

I'm absolutely delighted that you are so pleased with her. She's quite a talker, isn't she?

From the time it became apparent that she wasn't going to get to a reasonable butcher size, I'd been filled with a sort of dread. I mean, yeah, we raise mini cattle, but this one was a micro mini. I didn't want her for breeding, because I seriously dread the day we'll have to pull a calf and the chances of that would be high with a cow her size. And if we butchered her, it would be the same amount of work for less than half the meat we usually get.

So I am still completely thrilled that you wanted her farmgirl6! The money you paid us is going towards buying a lot of fencing supplies and soon we'll have more grazing area. And then we can keep a couple more cows!

I've already scheduled a vacation day to go the exotic animal auction in Macon, MO next week. I might be bringing home something new.

edit: I can't wait to see pictures of her in her new home!

farmgirl6 · #7 04/04/12, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maria

I'm absolutely delighted that you are so pleased with her. She's quite a talker, isn't she?

From the time it became apparent that she wasn't going to get to a reasonable butcher size, I'd been filled with a sort of dread. I mean, yeah, we raise mini cattle, but this one was a micro mini. I didn't want her for breeding, because I seriously dread the day we'll have to pull a calf and the chances of that would be high with a cow her size. And if we butchered her, it would be the same amount of work for less than half the meat we usually get.

So I am still completely thrilled that you wanted her farmgirl6! The money you paid us is going towards buying a lot of fencing supplies and soon we'll have more grazing area. And then we can keep a couple more cows!

I've already scheduled a vacation day to go the exotic animal auction in Macon, MO next week. I might be bringing home something new.

edit: I can't wait to see pictures of her in her new home!

She is a joy, and has a fan base already here! tomorrow we are having a pizza party with the winning tickets being drawn for the farm baskets, all anyone can talk about is going to see her! I am so glad it you can expand out some, and that auction sounds amazing! I would love to go to that one year! My husband would forbid it! will post pictures soon, need to get one with a person in it so people can really appreciate her tiny little size

thanks again and keep my posted how things are going
cheers
Janice
weren't those guys who picked her up great! such a big gentle giant, very, very nice, very easy going, was a bit taken a back when he got out and I saw him

! I am going to give a great recommendation for the company, he left early to avoid the snowstorms in Oregon. You get the impression fellows like that can handle any situation calmly and competently!

Maria · #8 04/04/12, 09:47 AM

I'm definitely keeping their business card. Good people, patient and kind to the animals and meticulous in their care. He even asked if he could clean out the trailer stalls while the horses were unloaded at our place, prior to loading Mini Cooper. We didn't expect that, but it was certainly not a problem.

We had to confine our livestock guardian dog while the horses were unloaded, though. He hadn't seen horses up close before and started barking at them.

We hadn't expected that, either- but should have.

farmgirl6 · #9 04/04/12, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maria

I'm definitely keeping their business card. Good people, patient and kind to the animals and meticulous in their care. He even asked if he could clean out the trailer stalls while the horses were unloaded at our place, prior to loading Mini Cooper. We didn't expect that, but it was certainly not a problem.

We had to confine our livestock guardian dog while the horses were unloaded, though. He hadn't seen horses up close before and started barking at them.

We hadn't expected that, either- but should have.

wow, did not know they did that, they asked if they could water the horses still loaded but did not ask to unload, probably because I was keeping it low key as the hubby was not happy was getting another animal...

they were in and out pretty quick

maybe that is common, I have never done this before, seems like it might be better to load them in the order they are coming off, what if someone hasn't the space for you to unload them?

Maria · #10 04/04/12, 12:57 PM

The front stall was the only one with a divider all the way to the floor, which was why they wanted to put Mini Cooper in that one. She wasn't in that one when they arrived?

farmgirl6 · #11 04/04/12, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maria

The front stall was the only one with a divider all the way to the floor, which was why they wanted to put Mini Cooper in that one. She wasn't in that one when they arrived?

oh she was, I just assumed they picked her up first

she hopped out the side door when we unloaded her

farmgirl6 · #12 04/04/12, 02:14 PM

Hey Maria, is she naturally polled or did you debud her?

tailwagging · #13 04/04/12, 02:29 PM

So happy for you!!
gatta love mini-cattle.

Maria · #14 04/04/12, 02:56 PM

She's naturally polled. Her sire is Lowline Angus and the poll gene for them is always dominant, I've heard. So far that's been true for us. We are crossing him with Dexter and Pineywoods cows and every single offspring has been polled so far, despite the mother's horns.

There wasn't a side door to the main part of the trailer that I saw... Maybe they moved her to the small section in the gooseneck later on when shuffling animals? That had a side door to it. They discussed putting her there at first, but decided to go ahead and put her in the rear part with the horses.

farmgirl6 · #15 04/05/12, 10:01 AM

I need to get a picture with a person in it so you can see how small

this will give you an idea
enchanted..the only word I can think of - Cattle

Norman, a normal size Jersey with my little Jersey cross heifer Annebelle - she is just shy of 41"

enchanted..the only word I can think of - Cattle

Annabelle and Minnie Cooper

Maria · #16 04/05/12, 10:21 AM

Oh gosh, Norman is huge! Minnie Cooper looks like she might almost be able to walk under his belly!

Tessynae · #17 04/05/12, 10:25 AM

She is absolutely ADORABLE!!!!! How sweet! Thank you for sharing the pictures. You're right though, you should get a pic with a person standing next to her. That way we can get a better idea of how tiny she is.

She's beautiful. Congrats!

genebo · #18 04/05/12, 11:40 AM

I'm looking at Mini Cooper at the 4' fence and counting the 4" x 6" squares above her head. It looks like she's just 36" to the top of her head!

farmgirl6 · #19 04/05/12, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by genebo

I'm looking at Mini Cooper at the 4' fence and counting the 4" x 6" squares above her head. It looks like she's just 36" to the top of her head!

oh I just put down six inches of gravel and fence is dug in about six inches below where she is standing, so she is just about thirty inches!