----- Original Message -----

From: Gene Bowen

To: MiniatureCattle@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2009 8:37 AM

Subject: Re: [MiniatureCattle] Trade miniature horses for Mini Herford or Mini Panda? www.cabinfeverminis.com

"Hi Martha,

 

What is the correct name for the minis that some people have adn call Pandas?  Is it a cross from a Lowline /hereford?   You should be able to get our wed site to come up now.  Sorry for that,  Let me know if you have any problems.  If all else fails I can email you the pages directly.  I took alook at your site,  they are some nice looking little ones.

 

Thanks again,  

Brad & Amy Smith"

 

 

They can be produced by crossing a Dexter with either Dutch belted or Belted Galloway.

 

A former marketing professor makes and sells them. He copyrighted the name "Panda Cattle". He sells his creations for outstandingly high prices!

 

He even has a registry where he 'registers' his creations.

 

They're not a standardized breed. The offspring of any two of these cattle could look like either grandparent or anything in between. Neither size nor coloring nor conformation have been standardized. That takes many generations of intensive breeding selection to accomplish.

 

Look how many years it took to make the Lowline Angus breed, and they started with all purebred Angus. The only thing to standardize was the size.

 

Think about that whenever someone wants to sell you a Panda or a Belfair or a Belmont or an Irish Jersey or any other mini cow. If it's size was brought down by crossbreeding it's parent to a small breed, it won't breed true for you.

 

There are still some true Jerseys with heights around 42" that are descended from the original stock imported to this country. They're worth more than a little bit. An awful lot of those being sold are either crosses of Jerseys with a small breed, a genetically small Jersey that may not breed true, a dwarf, or just something that looks like a small Jersey, so let's call it a mini Jersey. Beware.

 

The Herefords of the 1950's were quite small. Some percentage of them carried the "snorter dwarf" genes. In breeding to get rid of the snorter genes, breeding selection was made of the larger cattle. Almost all of the true small Herefords of the '50's were lost. A few yet survive, and are eagerly sought after. The desire for small Herefords has prompted a lot of cross breeding to reduce the size of larger Herefords. Check carefully before paying huge sums.

 

Genebo

Paradise Farm