HLM – Chapter 918 The Land of Small Animals

Koci had worked here for some time before, in charge of breeding and medical care for the mini livestock, so she was quite familiar with everything.

She explained, “Actually, boss, if possible, I suggest you raise more mini livestock. Take these mini donkeys, for example—they eat less than regular donkeys, but the input-output ratio is much higher.”

“That is to say, if you feed a hundred kilograms of fodder, a mini donkey grows faster and gains more meat than a normal donkey,” added Coreman.

Wang Bo looked at him in surprise. “My god… you raise these little animals to eat?”

Coreman was equally surprised. “Aren’t you?”

Wang Bo shook his head. “No. I want them for tourism—let them live naturally and show them to visitors.”

Coreman laughed heartily. “Very good, very good. Then I think we can make this deal. Go ahead, pick whichever you like.”

Wang Bo was confused. “What do you mean?”

Coreman smiled. “It’s simple. I don’t want to sell these breeds to meat farms. I study these breeds not to slaughter them for meat!”

Saying this, he put an arm around Wang Bo’s shoulders in a friendly gesture. “Koci called me about this issue, but I didn’t trust you fully. It’s better to hear it from your own mouth.”

Wang Bo: “……”

City dealings are tricky, but the wild is even trickier. Selling cows, sheep, or pigs—this guy can still use all these lines. Definitely a bit unhinged.

However, for many meat farms, raising mini livestock could be a good option. With the market in decline and feed prices soaring, ranchers need to be careful with their expenses.

Wang Bo asked, “If you’re not selling them to ranches, studying these animals doesn’t seem very practical. Isn’t raising cows, sheep, or pigs mainly for meat?”

Coreman said seriously, “Of course not. They can be our companions. If you can have a big dog as a pet, why not a horse or a goat?”

Bowen laughed. “That’s actually a good question. I think a lot of people raise horses as pets, but the cost makes it hard to popularize. As for goats—why keep goats as pets? Fatten them up to eat in hot pot?”

This slightly provoked Coreman, who glared at Bowen. “Animals are humans’ good friends. We can’t just think about eating them!”

Seeing the rancher getting worked up, Wang Bo quickly signaled Bowen to shut up—he didn’t want to provoke him. He thought this rancher might have some mental issues.

Mini livestock have long been promoted in New Zealand. People have realized that livestock doesn’t have to be huge. For example, in China, pigs are not raised to maximum size; they’re harvested at a certain critical point, after which feed increases but meat gain slows.

In the 1950s and 1960s, New Zealand ranchers didn’t focus much on the input-output ratio of raising cattle. Feed was cheap, pastures were plentiful, and ranchers could let cows and sheep grow as large as possible to get the most meat.

Now things are different. Ranchers first consider the input-output ratio. Wang Bo had thought about this when he planned to raise these animals.

Take the mini Zebu cattle he was currently breeding. They actually have higher economic value than normal Zebu cattle.

Mini Zebu cattle only grow to the height of a regular cow’s legs, but they weigh between 227 kg and 318 kg—almost a third of a normal cow. Yet, their feed intake is only a quarter or less of a normal cow. This means higher meat yield relative to feed.

Despite this advantage, the promotion of mini livestock hasn’t gone well. Their small size requires extra work for ranchers. For instance, ordinary farm fences can’t contain them, so the owners must build denser fences. Getting collars in the right size is also not easy.

Additionally, the smaller the animal, the weaker its immunity. Mini calves and lambs get sick more easily, and in New Zealand, livestock drugs are strictly regulated, making disease management tricky.

After introducing the mini donkeys, there were many other breeds in the pens.

For mini cattle alone, there were several types: miniature Sayaguesa, small Dexter, miniature Longhorns, and more.

Many of these breeds exist in other countries too. Unlike Niu Niu, they are not dwarfs or variants—they are natural breeds that haven’t been widely promoted due to limited meat production.

Coreman’s ranch also had a beautiful black-and-white mini cow that Wang Bo had never seen online. Others marveled at it too. Coreman proudly said, “This is my new type of mini cow. I call it the Panda Cow.”

“You know pandas, right? China’s national treasure, very popular. I hope this cow can become as loved as a household pet, just like pandas.”

Wang Bo shook his head. “Buddy, I admit you’re a genius, but keeping cows and sheep as pets at home is unlikely to become mainstream.”

Coreman argued, “Why not? Why do people like cats and dogs? Because they are small. These animals are small, eat little, and are equally suitable as pets.”

Wang Bo didn’t argue. He wasn’t planning to keep them as pets anyway.

Besides cows and donkeys, the ranch had mini sheep called Nigerian Dwarf Goats.

Even as adults, these goats only reach knee height. They descend from small West African sheep originally shipped to the US as food for big cats in zoos. Later, some people selectively bred smaller goats, turning them into pets.

Wang Bo was most interested in the mini horses. In the stables were newborn foals, living in areas like children’s nursery rooms, with staff dedicated to raising them.

These foals were tiny, about the size of small dogs. Wang Bo felt as if he had entered a land of dwarfs—everything was just one size smaller.

“Are these Falabella miniature horses?” Peterson asked in surprise.

Wang Bo gave him an inquiring look. Peterson explained, “Falabella is the world’s smallest horse breed, only about 70 cm tall as adults, sometimes even smaller.”

“They are light, delicate, and elegant, with smooth skin and shiny coats. Gentle in temperament, they can interact with children and are considered the perfect pet horse.”

“Raising them doesn’t require a full-scale ranch, but they are expensive. Only those who can afford a ranch can raise them. When US President John F. Kennedy visited Argentina in 1963, the most precious gift he received was a purebred Falabella foal.”