Mini farm animals are adorable. There is also a growing demand for them

NEW YORK — They are adorable. They require less food and space. And without much persuasion, they could help mow the lawn.

Americans are showing more interest in owning miniature cows, goats, donkeys and other farm animals, a trend driven by hobby farmers looking for easy-to-handle livestock and by homesteaders who like the idea of ​​having a small pig or sheep on hand. smaller size. as a pet.

Animal breeders say sales of small farm animals have grown since the COVID-19 pandemic, when more people started raising chickens in the backyard for fun and fresh eggs. Like chickens, mini farm animals appeal to beginners who want to experience a rugged, agrarian lifestyle.

“A lot of people don’t have access to several acres, but if they have an acre of land, they can raise a miniature cow or some miniature goats,” said Brian Gazda, who has a small farm in East Idaho and with two friends runs a YouTube channel called “Hobby Farm Guys”.

Platforms like YouTube and especially TikTok have played an important role in raising the profile of mini farm animals, said Martin Fysh, vice president and division merchandising manager at rural lifestyle retailer Tractor Supply Co. with videos of tiny goats. with blue eyes and 2-foot-tall horses that received millions of views.

But Fysh believes the trend also reflects a natural progression among customers who started out with a backyard chicken coop. In response, Tractor Supply has increased its selection of treats for mini- and full-sized pigs and goats.

“They are seen as part of the extended family,” Fysh said.

While some people purchase small farm animals as a stepping stone to purchasing larger animals, others do not wish to expand. Some mini farm animal owners turn their hobbies into side hustles, offering tours to visitors, raising animals and blogging about their pastoral experiences.

But before playing Old Macdonald, newcomers need to weigh the pros and cons, Gazda and other amateur farmers said.

Among the challenges: the volatile nature of prices for each type of miniature farm animal. And although they are cute, they can also be aggressive.

Brittany Snow, a high school English teacher in Florida, owns several small Nigerian dwarf goats. She realized her dream of living on a farm three years ago when her family moved from the Jacksonville suburb of Middleburg to nearby Melrose.

She said her family wanted to be more self-sustainable after the pandemic and now sources its own dairy products, such as milk and eggs. She prefers miniature animals because they are easier to care for and cost less to purchase and feed.

Snow, 32, started with four Nigerian dwarf goats: Buttercup, Snowflake, Cash and Peanut. Since then, the herd has expanded to include Pancake and Oreo, children of Peanut and Buttercup.

Snow purchased the Nigerian dwarf goats with the intention of milking them to make cheese and products such as soap and lotion. But that hasn’t worked yet because goats only breastfeed after giving birth, and Buttercup only recently had kids.

“The last few years have been a learning curve,” Snow said.

Mini goats are one of the most popular basic mini animals. Last year, animal farmers registered about 8,330 mini goats with the Miniature Dairy Goat Association. That represents a 73% jump from the 12 months to July 2021, when registrations — mostly for newborn females sought by breeders — totaled just under 4,800, said Angelia Alden, business operations manager for the organization based in North Carolina.

Many people who prefer mini goats, however, tend to sell them after a few years because it can be challenging — and expensive — to care for them, Alden said. Rising animal feed costs can be a headache, as can finding adequate medical care due to a shortage of veterinarians on farms.

A farm animal can be small and powerful. Some of the four-legged stars on social media are furry cows that can weigh 500 to 600 pounds. The smallest ones, which are less than one meter tall, are known as microminiatures. Slightly larger thumbnails can be up to 42 inches tall, according to Allie Sine, a TikTok creator with more than 737,000 followers on the platform. Videos showing some of her mini cows have gotten millions of views.

Sine, 28, launched her own mini-cow breeding and selling business in 2020, after reselling a sick mini-cow that cost $350 for $5,000. Last year, she sold about 190 calves through her Missouri-based company, Mini Moos LLC. The calves were divided roughly between mini and micromini cows, which can cost $2,000 to $30,000.

“Everything took off,” Sine said.

Others report a similar boom.

Kim Furches, who owns a farm with her husband, Ken, in West Jefferson, North Carolina, said the couple raised mini donkeys for about 20 years and currently own dozens of miniature Mediterranean donkeys, which stand 3 feet tall or less.

Before the pandemic, they typically sold about eight donkeys a year and considered themselves lucky if they got a few thousand dollars for one. They now sell about 20 a year. The last mini donkey sold for $7,500, Furches said. There are some she is only willing to sell for $9,000 or more.

While some of his customers also plan to breed and sell mini animals, many say many are just looking for “exotic” pets, Gazda said.

Earlier this year, Jamie Campion, 41, and her husband, Jeff, purchased two Southdown Babydoll sheep from a local breeder near their home in Thompson’s Station, Tennessee, for $800 each. The couple moved from Chicago in March 2022 after the pandemic made them rethink their lifestyle. They now live in a modern-style farmhouse built on an acre of land.

Although Biscuit and Buttermilk have become excellent lawn mowers, Jamie Campion said he considers the animals — which weigh about 30 pounds and are 20 inches tall — similar to a dog or a cat.

“They eat grass, so we don’t even need to buy food (for the sheep) weekly,” said Campion, who discovered the breed on Instagram.

But it can be a challenge.

Jeff Campion once tried to inject one of the sheep with oral medication to treat parasites, and this ruptured his biceps.

But more often than not, the sheep bring him joy. Jamie Campion remembers taking them for walks around the neighborhood on a snowy day, off leash.

“They just followed right behind,” she said. “There is a whole relationship between sheep and shepherds. “

Others see therapeutic benefits.

Lisa Moad, who owns Seven Oaks Farm in Hamilton, Ohio, and has 13 miniature horses and three full-sized horses, runs a therapeutic farm for seniors and others. She also often took the miniature horses to local nursing homes and hospitals. But since the pandemic, she has spent most of her time conducting online training for those who want to embrace the same mission.

This includes teaching horses to maneuver in wheelchairs and enter hospital elevators. She said her miniature versions still weigh 175 to 200 pounds, although much less than her regular horses, which range from 1,200 to 1,500 pounds.

“They are docile but can get scared easily,” she said. “You just can’t walk into a hospital with a horse.”