Preparing for your mini
One of the biggest things you have to remember about your mini is that they are tiny, probably smaller than you are imagining. Depending on their age, they may be less than 40 pounds and 2 feet tall. Imagine a cow about the size of a border collie or Aussie. They can and will squeeze just about anywhere. They can lay down and roll under the lowest rung on the fence. So, you’ll need to secure a very safe enclosure for them with no openings larger than 8-10 inches. A good choice of material is to line your existing paddock or pen with hog panels or 2x4 horse panels from your local feed store. The panels are welded wire and fairly heavy gage, so it will hold up as the cows get bigger and push or lean on the fencing.
This type of fencing serves as a dual purpose. Not only will it keep your little guy inside, but it will also help keep predators out of the pen. One of the biggest threats for your newest, little addition is neighbor dogs. Second most common are coyotes. Remember, any larger predators such as bears, mountain lions and potentially bobcats can still get over the top of your fence. In most cases, it is safest to bring your mini cows into a locked, secured shed or barn over night. Another good idea is to use electric fencing on the outside of the enclosure to keep predators at bay. I like to use it at coyote nose height and then at bear hand height (the top) as well.
Your enclosure will also need to accommodate a place to keep free choice hay and water in front of your mini. A lot of owners will bed their mini on hay so they have a nice place to lay down and munch. Water should be at an easy to reach height (no more than 1 foot off the ground) and secured to the wall so they can’t knock it over. Most stock tanks are too tall to be used effectively for minis. Our minis have automatic horse waterers in the stalls and they can reach those. Be forewarned, as your mini grows they tend to scratch and itch and will push things around. We’ve had them dislodge the automatic waterers and need to reinforce they way in which the units were mounted to the ground.
In summary, it’s easy and boils down to two primary goals you’ll need to meet before your mini arrives:
A safe place to keep the mini in and predators out
A way to keep hay and water in front of them at all times