a Homestead Cattle Association (HCA) resource directory
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| Homestead & Miniature Cattle are generally small, gentle breeds that work well on small acreages. Heritage Cattle are 100% pure (fullblood) animals; and may be rare. Whether fullblood, purebred, composite or crossbred; whether beef, dairy or dual purpose; most homestead, heritage and miniature cattle breeds offer excellent grass fed genetics. | |||||||||
| Breeds: Homestead, Heritage & Miniature Cattle Breeds; 10 FAQ | |||||||||
| Breeder Directory listed by region; find breeders near you | |||||||||
| Classifieds free and paid ads | |||||||||
Record Keeping, Forms, Charts, Graphs |
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| You are welcome to put any chart or graph found on Homestead Cattle Association (HCA) or Miniature-Cattle.com on your website, w/ credit & link. | |||||||||
| Age: How to Estimate Age of Cattle by their Teeth (with free printable vintage poster) | |||||||||
| Body Condition Score (BCS) charts (dairy & beef breeds) and Muscle Thickness Score Chart (beef breeds) | |||||||||
| Breed Comparison charts (graphs that compare breed traits) | |||||||||
| Bull Lease Agreement form | |||||||||
| Bulls: Sire Records (to keep on A.I. & breeding bulls) | |||||||||
| Bulls: Sire Testing (health tests for A.I. breeding bulls) | |||||||||
| Calving Ease (CE) score charts | |||||||||
| Cattle Calculators; OSU Extension; calculators, forms, spreadsheets | |||||||||
| Cattle or Livestock Bill of Sale form | |||||||||
| Cattle or Livestock Purchase Contract form | |||||||||
| Cattle Origin Affidavit form affidavit provided by The Cattle Range–March 2018. Homestead Cattle Association (HCA) registered cattle already have cattle origin documented on their registration certificates. If selling unregistered or multiple cattle, this form documents where the cattle were born. | |||||||||
| Docility: Temperament Score Charts (sharable info•graphic) | |||||||||
| Frame Score (FS) charts (measuring young cattle to help estimate mature height; BIF height-age formula used for bulls and females across breeds) | |||||||||
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| Gestation Chart for Cows (table opens in separate window) Based on a 283 day gestation period. These are estimates only. The Gestation Period for Cattle is approximately 279-292 days from the first mating or about 9 months long. Generally younger cows and smaller breeds calve up to 10 days earlier and older cows and larger breeds calve up to 10 days later. Cows will generally conceive after one breeding. Did you know bulls can become fertile at 6-7 months of age? A typical standard breed newborn calf weighs between 55 and 100 pounds. Miniature newborns typically weigh from 18 to 40 pounds. | |||||||||
| Pedigrees: How to Determine the Bloodline or Breed Percentage in an Animal's Pedigree | |||||||||
| Tattooing Guide for Cattle, University of Arkansas | |||||||||
| Tattooing Your Beef Cattle, 4H Project, Nebraska Extension | |||||||||
| Udder Score charts (udder scores should assessed annually within 24 hours after calving) | |||||||||
| Weight: How to Estimate Weight of Cattle (using body measurements) | |||||||||
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| WW: Calculating Adjusted 205 day Weaning Weights. The 205 day adjusted WW may help compare efficiency between cows and across breeds when raising homestead & miniature beef calves. | |||||||||
Cattle Genetics |
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| DNA Inherited Genetics (most of these are testable: and include most testable production traits, cosmetic traits, genetic conditions & diseases) This is the most comprehensive list of cattle genetics in North American breeds of cattle on the internet. | |||||||||
| Chondrodysplasia (BD) Everything You Need to Know About Dwarfism in Miniature Cattle | |||||||||
| Coat Color (CC) Genetics in Cattle page 1 (basic red & black + printable info•graphic) | |||||||||
| Coat Color (CC) Genetics in Cattle page 2 (basics of Bos Taurus coat colors, patterns & dilutions) | |||||||||
| Coat Color (CC) Genetics in Cattle page 3 (the unique Dexter dun) | |||||||||
| Coat Color (CC) Genetics in Cattle page 4 (the unique lightning streak pattern) | |||||||||
| Horned and Polled Genetics | |||||||||
| A1/A2 Betacasein in Milk | |||||||||
| Unlocking Dairy's Digestibility: Understanding the A1 vs A2Beta-Casein Difference Dr Mercola | Ashley Armstrong | |||||||||
| Myostatin Mutations (MYO) Pros & Cons: Double Muscling (Myostatin mutations) in Breeds of Cattle | |||||||||
| Miniature Club Calves: a rare miniature bloodline; probably a recessive mutation descending from “Who Made Who” | |||||||||
| Genetic Mutations: DNA Facts; 12 things the genetics lab may not tell you | |||||||||
Herd Management and Raising Healthy Cattle |
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| Animal ID: Basic principles of identifying cattle | |||||||||
| Beef Cattle Herd Health Vaccination Schedule University of Arkansas agriculture extension | |||||||||
| Beef Cow-Calf Management Guide, Oregon State University agriculture extension agency | |||||||||
| Beef Production for Small Farms, Oregon State University agriculture extension agency | |||||||||
| BioSecurity: Closed Herds & Quarantine (many healthy looking cattle carry disease) | |||||||||
| Bull Safety: Preventing Accidents by Temple Grandin, Colorado State University | |||||||||
| Calf Rearing: An Advanced Course... when to wean and whether to raise a calf on a bottle | |||||||||
| Calving: the first 15 minutes can affect a calf for its lifetime | |||||||||
| Calving: 5 Things to Know About Colostrum (info•graphic opens in new window) | |||||||||
| Calving: Management of the Bottle Calf, Oregon State University agriculture extension agency | |||||||||
| Calf Disease Natural Treatments; Cooperative Organic Farming Technical Bulletin | |||||||||
| Calving Season: Feed at Dusk to Calve During the Day (the calf determines what day it is born, the cow determines what time of day it is born.) | |||||||||
| Castration: Guildelines for Castrating Cattle American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) | |||||||||
| Casting a Cow (making her lie down for veterinary treatment or other reasons) University of Bristol | |||||||||
| Castration Guidelines, American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) 2019 | |||||||||
| Cattle Guards: What you don't know could hurt your livestock | |||||||||
| Cattle Herd Managament: Developing an Animal Health & Livestock Management Plan, ctlr.org | |||||||||
| Dehorning: Guildelines for Dehorning Cattle American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) | |||||||||
| Dehorning: Should You Dehorn Your Cattle? Youtube video, 7:10. This video addresses several aspects on whether horned or polled cattle might do better. This video might be a bit soppy, but the info and research is very helpful. How to Dehorn Newborn Calves Safely with Paste (pdf) How to Dehorn Newborn Calves with Paste, Oregon State University agriculture extension agency Dehorning Guidelines, American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) 2019 |
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| Drought: Livestock Water Management During a Drought, Oregon State University agriculture extension agency | |||||||||
| Efficiency: How Smaller Frame Cows Produce More with Less Input in Harsh Conditions.pdf | |||||||||
| Euthanasia: Guildelines for the Practical Euthanasia of Cattle American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) | |||||||||
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| Grassfed Beef: Producer's Guide to Pasture-Based Beef Finishing | |||||||||
| Grassfed Dairy: CRV Grass-Based Dairy Sire Directories | |||||||||
| Handling: Capture Myopathy or “Scared to Death” | |||||||||
| Handling: How Yelling at Livestock Helps Solve Problems by Kathy Voth August 19, 2024 | |||||||||
| Herd Health: Infectious Diseases (environmental caused health conditions; diagnosis, treatment, vaccinations, prevention) | |||||||||
| Managing Manure Guide, Oregon State University agriculture extension agency | |||||||||
| Manure Scoring... yep, it's a thing, and there's a free app for it: the Texas A&M Extension Service Cow Poop Analyzer | |||||||||
| Pasture Grazing Management: How Many Acres Per Cow Do You Need? By Victor Shelton — February 17, 2020 | |||||||||
| Pasture: Management of Healthy Soil & Pasture, Oregon State University agriculture extension agency | |||||||||
| Pasture: How to Support Long-Term Fertility of Your Soil, Dr. Mercola | |||||||||
| Processing: Frequently Asked Questions About Using Custom-exempt Slaughter & Processing Facilities, OSU extension | |||||||||
| Processing: Mobile on-farm slaughter units in the US: The saviour of local meat production? | |||||||||
| Processing: Beef and Pork Whole Animal Meat Buying Guide Iowa State University, 40 pages | |||||||||
Useful Form For Beef or Dairy Cattle Owners; fillable PDF documents to download for your farm in case of an unexpected or emergency situation. This 7 page guideline put out by University of Minnesota Extension Service can be filled out by you with information needed by someone if they come in and take over your herd care: |
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| Other Cattle Topics of Interest | |||||||||
| aAa: Animal Analysis Handbook developed by WA Weeks; a guide to linear analysis of dairy cattle conformation | |||||||||
| aAa: Linear Descriptive Traits, with illustrations of dairy conformation traits | |||||||||
| CattleFax herds of cattle facts & trivia (probably some you didn't know; surely more than you wanted to know) | |||||||||
| Cattlemen's Measurements Chart (conversion formulas, animal units, water, feed consumption, etc) | |||||||||
| From Big to Small to Big to Small: A Pictorial History of How We've Changed What Cattle Look Like, Dr. Harlan Richie, August 3, 1935 – April 27, 2016, a Distinguished Professor for 47 years at Michigan State University, by Kathy Voth, 2016. Part I Part II Part III |
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| Glossary of cattlemen terms (possibly the most annoyingly comprehensive bovine glossary on the internet) | |||||||||
| How to Order a Bull or Heifer Calf From Your Cow... Fact or Folklore? | |||||||||
| Names for Beeves (realistic pet names for beef cattle headed to Freezer Camp) | |||||||||
| Purity: What is the Difference between Purebred and Fullblood? (and who cares?) | |||||||||
| Raw Milk: Mother Howe's Raw (Cow's) Milk Recipes by Tracey Howe, September 2014 | |||||||||
| Raw Milk: Raw Milk Controversy If you've even thought twice about drinking raw milk, you're likely familiar with the controversy surrounding this natural, farm-based beverage. Local farmers and health advocates touting the benefits raw milk are up in arms against government food-regulating agencies that say it's dangerous to drink. We're not here to choose sides, but we do want you to be versed in this ongoing debate. (October 2014 hobbyfarms.com) | |||||||||
| Registries: What to Know About Them; (do secondary purposes rule over primary purposes in your breed registry?) | |||||||||
| Social Media: cattle groups for homestead & miniature cattle owners | |||||||||
| BIF Fact Sheets (Beef Improvement Federation) | |||||||||
| USDA Fact Sheet | |||||||||
Association & Registry Links |
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| The Homestead Cattle Association (HCA) is a registry and a resource for homestead and miniature cattle owners since 2014; offering marketing, education, networking, registration and certification. | |||||||||
| Belfair Cattle Registry. Cattle that are Dexter and Jersey composites are eligible to be registered as Belfairs or as Irish Jersey cattle. Belfairs are 50% Dexter x 50% Jersey, and Irish Jerseys are other (usually 3/4 or 7/8) crosses of Dexter and Jerseys. The Belfair and the Irish Jersey herd books opened in 2020 as Homestead Cattle Association herd books. | |||||||||
| Another HCA associate, U.S. Normande Organization is the only international registry for Normande cattle that holds a higher standard for internationally recognized identification when marketing cattle bred in North America. USNO was initially organized in 2014 to incorporate cattle breed codes in the registry-issued animal I.D. number prefixes, which were required to export cattle internationally and to properly identify exportable frozen genetics. The Normande is a dual purpose homestead breed that is one of the best kept secrets in North America, for grassfed genetics and producing milk and beef that beats taste tests with Angus and Wagyu cattle; on only forage & grass! | |||||||||
| Heritage Cattle Breeder Directory showcases unique, unusual, hard to find cattle. This is a directory sponsored by HCA, which registers and certifies rare breeds or populations of cattle not specifically recognized or adequately supported elsewhere. As a comparison, the Livestock Conservancy recognizes many old heritage breeds; however there are still several other breeds and unique cattle that are very rare that are not recognized or supported by it or any other specific registry in North America. Separate breeder directories for these unique cattle and their breeders can be found in this breeder directory. |
Homestead & Miniature Cattle Resource Directory
Homestead Cattle Association
Homestead & Miniature Cattle Directory
Homestead Cattle Registry
Miniature Cattle Registry
Heritage Cattle Registry
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