Who's Who
Faces Around the Ranch
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Mini Zebu
Cows, Only Smaller
These guys are the stars of Ranch Kildare.
After all it wouldn't be much of a ranch without the cows. Don't let their small stature fool you. They may only weigh a fraction of a full size cow but they are big on heart. And personality. Click the button to get to know the herd.
Domesticated Animals
Canines and Felines
Rescue dogs and shelter cats grace our home and our lives at the ranch. We love our cows but they're not well suited to going on walks, playing fetch, or curling up in front of the fire (or under the air conditioning vent depending on the season) with their favorite human.
Big Dreams
The Trainor story is much like any other family story. A guy. A girl. True love. A wedding. A couple of kids. A couple more kids. A big move. A few more kids. Another big move. Mini Zebu cattle. Normal, right?
When Brian and I started on this crazy adventure as newlyweds in Kalamazoo, MI we never would have imagined where life would lead us. Honestly, we have never had an abundance of foresight into the future, but we sure have an abundance of faith. Faith in each other, but mostly faith in God's superior plan.
We don't shy away from opportunities that challenge us. Whether it's buying a fixer upper off of 8 Mile in Detroit, or homeschooling our 7 children, or becoming amateur mini ranchers, we dream big.
Come along on our adventure.
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What on Earth is a Zebu Anyway?
It's not kind of like a cow. It is a cow. Kind of.
Ever since Archibald Aparagus so rudely interupted Larry's "Song of the Cebu" there has been a slight but real, increase in people asking, What on Earth is a Cebu Anyway? They have also been asking, is it cebu with a "C" or zebu with a "Z"? The spelling is merely a matter of language; cebu in Spanish and zebu in English. Also there is a province in the Phillipines named Cebu which makes matters more confusing.
Not your typical hereford or holstein, miniature zebu cattle are the only 'natural' mini breed of cow in the world. Other mini breeds have been developed by ranchers and farmers selecting to breed smaller and smaller versions of cattle. But zebu became miniaturized through natural selection.
Dating back to 3000 BC, mini zebu developed in Southern India and Sri Lanka amid harsh desert conditions. Without much grass or water, the cows adapted. They became accustomed to the dry, hot desert life with more efficient sweat glands and slower metabolism. They learned to forage, eating weeds and leaves.
Smaller animals survived longer and were able to produce more offspring. Some theorize that the miniature zebu's growth was stunted by inbreeding of small herds in isolated areas.
They also developed fast twitch muscles just below their skin to deter flies and ticks. Mini zebu are better converters of feed than their Western European cousins. Because of this and their small size you can raise them on smaller acreage.
As for the hump... well, the jury is still out on just what exactly that distinctive lump is doing there. Early theories that the hump was fat storage - much like a camel's - didn't hold water since the hump is mostly muscle and connective tissue.
If you want to know some science-y facts about mini zebu, they are a bos indicus breed and not bos taurus. Mini zebu live about 25 years and have their first calves almost a year later than full size cows. To be considered 'mini' they cannot be taller than 42" at the shoulder behind their hump. Typical coloring is steel grey but mini zebu can also be red, black, brown, cream, white, spotted, brindle or paint.
