Rick and I grew up in the Midwest in farming communities. We moved to Florida in 2007 after all of our kids had graduated from high school. We had purchased a house on an acre in a development outside of Eustis. After the move we had decided we didn’t want to have any pets so if we wanted to go on an adventure we were able to just pick up and go. That all changed in the Fall of 2010 after we had purchased our first pair of 7 month old miniature zebu. Rick was introduced to miniature zebu in the 90’s when he was hauling exotic animals. He had hauled a little heifer that was very tame and he had taken a liking to her. He had always said “I’m going to have me one of them.” After a month of working with Samson and Bailey to tame them down we purchased some bottle babies. Riley and Mercedes were welcomed into our family at that time. We leased 5 acres beside our house for them to graze on since the backyard was becoming smaller and smaller. Within a year we had purchased another bottle baby bull calf, a bred cow, and her calf that was still nursing on her. In 2012 we decided that we needed more property so we started looking. We found a 10 acre piece of property outside of Weirsdale, FL that was high and dry with beautiful pastures. The house was a bit smaller than I wanted but I made the sacrifice for our new found adventure in life. Rick had put in a lot of hours getting the paddocks the way he wanted them. You are never bored when you have a farm. There is always something to do. We have since purchased 3 more cows and a couple of heifers. One of the heifers came from Texas and one from Minnesota. We wanted to get some different bloodlines in our herd.
In 2012 we were approached to show our miniature zebu at the Florida State Fair. So we decided we would give it a shot. We were really impressed with how well we did, so we have continued showing. We now have two Master Champion miniature zebu bulls, Samson and Rocket, on our property and a Permanent Grand Champion cow, June Bug. We both enjoy showing and providing information to spectators about the miniature zebu breed.
Our goal was to have about 20 – 25 miniature zebu on our property, but we have surpassed that with 60. We want to be able to spend enough time with each one. They all have their own personalities and needs. We have one zebu cow that will follow Rick around everywhere. She doesn’t leave his side when she is out. No matter how stressful of a day we have we can venture out to the pastures and we’ll forget our worries after being with our miniature zebus. Now that we are Grandparents we enjoy sharing this experience with our Grandkids.
Now that you know a little bit about us we hope you can see we are down to earth people who love our miniature zebu like they are our own children. We hope we can help you make your decision about purchasing miniature zebu.
There are a few questions you should ask yourself when thinking about purchasing miniature zebu:
- Do I have the time to care for a couple of miniature zebu? Miniature zebu are herd animals and very social. They should have another zebu for cleaning and socializing with.
- Can I afford the expense?
- Do I have the proper facilities for miniature zebu? We recommend having shelter for them when it rains and gets cold. Even though it does not get as cold in the South as the North miniature zebu still appreciate the shelter in the winter months.
- Can I trust this person I’m dealing with?
- Do I feel I’m being given all the information about miniature zebu?
- Do I feel secure with my decision?
Give us a call anytime to schedule a visit to our miniature zebu farm or just to answer any questions you may have about miniature zebu.
Thank you for visiting our website.
Rick and Bobbi