Contents
Why Raise Miniature Livestock?
SECTION 1 Raising Miniature Livestock
1 Before You Begin
Lifestyle Choices
Physical and Emotional Considerations
Economic Considerations
2 Which Species?
Miniature Cattle
Miniature Horses
Miniature Donkeys
Miniature Mules and Hinnies
Miniature Llamas
Miniature Goats
Miniature Sheep
Miniature Pigs
Breeder’s Story: Gib and Melba Mullins
3 Getting Started: Education, Vets, and Where to Buy
Educate Yourself
Finding the Right Vet
Where to Buy
Breeder’s Story: Bev Jacobs and Bill Lanier Jr.
4 Selecting Miniature Livestock
Avoiding Dwarfism
Choosing Good Pedigrees
Breeder’s Story: Kathie Miller
Other Considerations
5 Livestock Guardians
USDA Statistics Tell the Tale
Which Guardian Is Best?
6 Facilities and Fences
Shelters Large and Small
Pens
Feeders
Watering Devices
Fences
7 Feeding
All about Hay
Breeder’s Story: Lauren Simermeyer and P. Colleen Simermeyer
Choosing Concentrates
Mineral Supplements and Salt
8 Health
Calling the Shots
Administering Liquids and Pastes
Wound Care
Taking Vital Signs
Identifying, Preventing, and Treating the Most Common Illnesses
Dealing with Internal Parasites
Dealing with External Parasites
9 Identification
Permanent Identification
Breeder’s Story: Lonnie and Brenda Short
Temporary Identification
10 Transportation
Stress-full Statistics
Plan Ahead
Weather Kills
Choosing a Hauling Conveyance
Working with a Livestock Transporter
11 Breeding
A Breeding Stock Primer
A Short Course in Livestock Midwifery
Bringing Up (Bottle) Baby
When Baby Won’t Nurse
12 Got Milk?
Milk for Your Family’s Table
Getting Started with Dairy Stock
Milking Basics
Processing Tasty Milk
Raw versus Pasteurized?
Save Some for Later
13 The Business End
The Big Billboard in the Sky
Every Good Business Needs a Card
Say It with Flyers and Brochures
Creative Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank
SECTION 2 The Species
14 Miniature Cattle
Getting Started with Miniature Cattle
Think like a Cow
The Breed You Need
Breeder’s Story: Dottie Love and Tom Sale
15 Miniature Equines
Think like an Equine
Miniature Horses
The Horse or Pony Breed You Need
Breeder’s Story: Gary, Carlene, and Chase Norris
Miniature Donkeys
Breeder’s Story: Jon, Mary, and Jay Nissen
Miniature Mules (and Hinnies)
Breeder’s Story: Jim and Nancy Eubanks
Starting with Miniature Equines
Foaling Miniature Equines
16 Miniature Goats
Getting into Goats
Think like a Goat
The Breed You Need
Breeder’s Story: Jeanne DuBois
17 Miniature Llamas
Llama, Alpaca, or What?
Llamas at a Glance
Fiber Types, Not Breeds
Getting into Miniature Llamas
Breeder’s Story: Richard and Gayle Dumas
18 Miniature Pigs
The Pet Pig Boom of the 1980s and 1990s
Think like a Pig
Getting into Pigs
Breeding
The Breed You Need
Breeder’s Story: Jim and Lori Enright
19 Miniature Sheep
Getting into Sheep
Think like a Sheep
The Breed You Need
Breeder’s Story: Scott and Laurie Andreacci
Appendix: Emergency Euthanasia
Resources
Glossary
Index