Quote: Cattle are large, even the miniature ones. You'd get to deal with artificial insemination unless you keep a bull, which I doubt you want to do. Even a calm cow can injure a child just because of her size. I remember one of ours when I was a kid stepping on my bare foot. I screamed...and kept screaming as she placidly rotated on my foot with her hoof, to turn away from the noise I was making! Arggghhh!
Either goats or sheep will be better bets for you. The ladies of both can be quite companionable, but again, they are much larger than children. I'd make sure you either get a polled breed or ones that have been disbudded. Horns are great for detering predators, but they are also good for poking human eyes, and getting heads caught in fences for dogs and coyotes outside the fence to get. (I lost a goat as a kid to that...came home from school to my pet goat having been killed by feral dogs.) Either goats or sheep must be re-bred to maintain milk. The males of both species can become mean and be dangerous. However, there are enough of both around that you may be able to borrow a male, or buy one, use him and resell him each year. Goats are easier to milk than sheep, but cheeses are made from both. Miniature dairy goats like pygmy or Nigerian dwarfs might work, but neither of those are routinely disbudded.
Lots of pros and cons here, eh?
Happy early birthday!
Either goats or sheep will be better bets for you. The ladies of both can be quite companionable, but again, they are much larger than children. I'd make sure you either get a polled breed or ones that have been disbudded. Horns are great for detering predators, but they are also good for poking human eyes, and getting heads caught in fences for dogs and coyotes outside the fence to get. (I lost a goat as a kid to that...came home from school to my pet goat having been killed by feral dogs.) Either goats or sheep must be re-bred to maintain milk. The males of both species can become mean and be dangerous. However, there are enough of both around that you may be able to borrow a male, or buy one, use him and resell him each year. Goats are easier to milk than sheep, but cheeses are made from both. Miniature dairy goats like pygmy or Nigerian dwarfs might work, but neither of those are routinely disbudded.
Lots of pros and cons here, eh?
Happy early birthday!
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