Press

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2023 SPRING ANNOUNCEMENT: All Homestead & Miniature cattle, of any breed, register FREE when our All Breed Cattle database comes online this spring. Why? Because you are going to do all the work, not me. The Catch? We don't have the exact date yet.

Do you have a calf crop due this spring; or a whole herd to register this year? Not in a rush? Download registration applications on the homepage and get started taking pictures, gathering records and filling the applications out now.

DETAILS: The All Breed Cattle database comes online soon (scheduled for Spring 2023). HCA membership includes 

• full access to all of the Homestead & Miniature Cattle Resource Directory (currently at http://miniature-cattle.com) 

• All HCA community members will enjoy unlimited registrations of all their cattle, any homestead or miniature breed, any age.

•  Members upload their cattle pedigrees, photos, traits, etc., all searchable by the public. 

• Cattle that meet breed standards are eligible for registration in their appropriate homestead or miniature cattle breed Herd Book. Go to BREEDS page for list of Herd Books available. Most Crossbreeds and Composites with pedigrees are also eligible.

•  HCA registered cattle are issued registration certificates with photos and proper Animal ID that is useful in all, and required by some, international sales, frozen genetics production, interstate and international transport, show classes, auctions and CVI (veterinary health certificates). 

• Members upload unlimited number of classified photo ads (cost of one sold animal is worth the annual membership) on a public searchable cattle sales page.

• Members enter an unlimited number of any breed bull(s) in the (public accessible) sire directory.

• Members upload documents to verify animal traits (also searchable by the public), including herd health practices disease testing, genetic disease tests, genetic milk trait tests, conformation or quality evaluations, etc.

• When the All Breed Cattle membership platform comes online, Homestead Cattle Association membership will be offered at $5/month. For current lifetime members and registrations already issued, all fees paid will be applied toward new membership & pricing platform, and all lifetimes will continue to be honored.

There may still be some confusion drifting around; below is the timeline and evolution of today's open miniature cattle registries, where the Homestead Cattle Association fits in, and what HCA provides.

The Homestead Cattle Association (HCA) (homesteadcattle.com) registers all breeds of homestead and miniature cattle. The Homestead Cattle Association is registered in Arizona, has been around since 2014, and is owned by Donna Grace Vickery. The HCA is the source of these major projects:

1) 2014 the http://Miniature-Cattle.com resource directory

2) 2016 the http://Heritage-Cattle.com breeder directory

3) 2021 the Belfair Registry (http://BelfairCattle.org)

4) 2022 the international Mini Cattle Registry (MCR, formerly at MiniCattleRegistry.com)

5) 2023 Homestead Cattle Association launches online membership platform

Here is the Rest of the Story...

July 2022: Already registering cattle in the Belfair Cattle Registry since 2021, the international Mini Cattle Registry (MCR) officially launched when the former IMCBR closed with the sudden death of Arlene Gradwohl. Suddenly miniature cattle breeders had no registry. Some had cattle sold that were headed over the border; and some had cattle entered in breed classes at shows. So, they came to Donna Vickery (who ran the Belfair Cattle Registry) and Dennis Russell (the registrar service), who set up the international Mini Cattle Registry at minicattleregistry.com for those breeders.

August 2022: Ben Yoder, a small miniature breeder in Virginia heard the news, and was able to afford to buy the old Gradwohl's former IMBCR registry records from the surviving family. He purchased their domain (minicattle.com) and had their filing cabinets shipped across the country from the west coast to the east coast, and re-started the IMBCR, using its same name.

October 2022: Unexpectedly, Donna Vickery had to sever business ties with Dennis Russell (who owns the international Dairy Cattle Registry). Dennis had been serving as the registrar for both the Belfair and the Mini Cattle Registries. He had opened the MCR website on behalf of, and with Donna. After the split, it took until January of 2023 to return the records for the Belfair and the international Mini Cattle Registries to Donna.

January 2023: Donna felt that "international Mini Cattle Registry" (set up by Dennis) was too similar to the old "International Miniature Cattle Breeders Registry & Society" (being revived now by Ben). So the new year was a good time to stop using the MCR brand, and just stick with the original Homestead Cattle Association HCA brand, which has been around since 2013 supporting all breeds of homestead and miniature cattle. Now, on to bigger and better things...

Spring 2023: Homestead Cattle Association launches online membership platform

online membership $5/month covers the following (all included, no extra charge):

register any breed of homestead or miniature cattle

unlimited online cattle registrations, any number, any age

online payments, receipts, reports

upload cattle pedigrees, photos, breeds, traits, documentation

sire directory

member & breeder directory

search animals, pedigrees, breeders

classified ads

office-issued sealed registration applications mailed to member (+S&H)

yes, lifetime memberships are still honored (please enquire)

The target date for HCA members online is Spring 2023. When it arrives, those who sign up online will be able to register all their cattle for no additional fees, as well as all the other services provided online, all for the cost of the annual membership.

As always, the HCA will continue to provide the option of office-issued certificates that are actually mailed out to members for those cattle that need sealed & stamped registrations for shows, producing frozen genetics or international transport or sales.

Permanent Registration Certificates have gold borders, which are issued to any homestead breeds. Miniature breeds, to be eligible for permanent registration papers, must measure in at a height no larger than Frame Score 1.

Temporary (Calf) Registration Certificates have green borders, which are issued to unproven young miniature cattle less than 5 months old.