{"id":57382,"date":"2015-10-31T13:56:10","date_gmt":"2015-10-31T18:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oncubamagazine.com\/?p=57382"},"modified":"2015-10-31T13:56:10","modified_gmt":"2015-10-31T18:56:10","slug":"the-cuban-laboratory-where-mini-cows-are-bred","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/styles-trends\/technologies-of-communication-and-media\/the-cuban-laboratory-where-mini-cows-are-bred\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cuban laboratory where mini cows are bred"},"content":{"rendered":"

Raul Hernandez is a farmer who for 16 years has been experimenting to create a breed of dairy cattle no taller than 60 cm.<\/p>\n

Miniature cows \u2013 or garden cows, as he calls them \u2013 are so small that you can keep one on your rooftop if you want, he tells me.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are strong animals that feed on grass, and produce 5 to 7 liters of milk per day. They are small, and are therefore easy to handle and milk,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Hernandez, who lives in the western province of Pinar del Rio, in the municipality of San Juan y Martinez, thinks he may be close to succeeding: according to his calculations, the seventh crossing, between Mayo (steer, height 78 cm) and Rosita or Canela (cows, height 80 cm) should produce the height he\u2019s been looking for.<\/p>\n

\"enanas-02\"<\/a>
Photo: Ronald Suarez Rivas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Everything began in the mid 1970s, when he decided to adopt a semi-dwarf cow he found at La Guabina Farm. Soon after he found a mate for the cow.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost farmers discard animals when they are too small. They are sent to the slaughterhouse, in order to preserve the quality of the herd,\u201d says Hernandez. \u201cFarmers don\u2019t see there\u2019s potential there to develop something, but I always tried to keep them.\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t have time before to work on this personal project due to responsibilities he had as manager of a farm with several branches in Pinar del Rio, from which he was later promoted to head of cattle production in the province.<\/p>\n

But those jobs gave him the chance to scout for dwarf specimens that he continued to cross to keep the size going down.<\/p>\n

\"enanas-09\"<\/a>
Photo: Ronald Suarez Rivas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Retirement was the opportunity he was waiting for to devote all his time to create the breed he wanted, and keep the herd growing.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not difficult to find his \u201claboratory\u201d at Santa Isabela Farm: as we approach the area, cows and bulls smaller than usual signal the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been giving some specimens to fellow farmers in the area, bulls and cows that are of great use to them because they are small but tough.<\/p>\n

\"enanas-011\"<\/a>
Photo: Ronald Suarez Rivas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI started with animals that were 130 cm in height, and I have come to achieve heights as low as 97 cm (Mariposa) and even little under 80 cm (La India and Mayito).<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are all related, they share the same genes, but when we select the specimens that will parent the next generation, we look for a certain phenotype: the smallest, widest, toughest ones. Most farmers and scientists will say that it\u2019s a mistake, but that is the only way to achieve dwarfism. This herd is the proof that it\u2019s possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been doing this since the 1970s, crossing cousins with cousins, and I\u2019ve never gotten a freak as a result of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hernandez is sure that the next generation will be a winner. \u201cIt will be only 60 cm tall. It will be a new record, and anyone will be able to have one, because you barely need space to accommodate them.\u201d<\/p>\n

For many years, he thought that a possible use for his cows would be at the zoo, where in addition to be an attraction for the public, they would provide milk for orphan cubs.<\/p>\n

He also thought the animals could be a solution to the problem of developing traditional cattle production in mountain areas.<\/p>\n

But officials have little interest in his creation, which is also faced with rejection at the Provincial Scientific Veterinary Council, so he has decided to keep this as a personal project.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a personal interest. Nobody asked me to do it. It\u2019s an activity that has been respected here, and in other countries.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"enanas-012\"<\/a>
Photo: Ronald Suarez Rivas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Raul Hernandez is a farmer who for 16 years has been experimenting to create a breed of dairy cattle no taller than 60 cm. Miniature cows \u2013 or garden cows, as he calls them \u2013 are so small that you can keep one on your rooftop if you want, he tells me. \u201cThese are strong […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3194,"featured_media":57384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13930],"tags":[11856,11858,11860,11854,11862],"ppma_author":[33836,11378],"class_list":["post-57382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technologies-of-communication-and-media","tag-cattle","tag-cuban-cattle","tag-farming","tag-mini-cows","tag-raul-hernandez"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Cuban laboratory where mini cows are bred | OnCubaNews English<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/styles-trends\/technologies-of-communication-and-media\/the-cuban-laboratory-where-mini-cows-are-bred\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Cuban laboratory where mini cows are bred | OnCubaNews English\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Raul Hernandez is a farmer who for 16 years has been experimenting to create a breed of dairy cattle no taller than 60 cm. 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