06/15/2026
🚨 THE DIRTY STRAW REPORT – MONDAY 🚨
What is farming in 2026?
When I was growing up, farming meant three things:
🐄 Beef
🥛 Dairy
🌽 Crops
Today?
I think there's a fourth category.
Designer Farming.
Highlands. HighParks. Babydoll Sheep. Valais Blacknose. Mini Cattle. Mini Pigs. Fancy Chickens. Rare colors. Unique coats. Blue eyes. Extra hair. Tiny sizes.
Social media changed the game.
The prettier, fluffier, flashier, and smaller the animal is, the more attention it gets.
But here's the question...
Are we paying enough attention to what's underneath the fluff?
Let's talk genetics.
Many of today's most popular livestock breeds originated outside the United States. Some have only recently gained popularity here, meaning the available genetic pool can be relatively small compared to traditional livestock breeds.
Why does that matter?
Because every breeding program eventually runs into the same questions:
• Where are new genetics coming from?
• How closely related are these animals?
• What health concerns exist within the breed?
• How well are they adapted to our climate and parasite pressures?
These aren't glamorous questions.
But they're important ones.
I recently lost a ram, and it sent me down a rabbit hole of research.
Was it parasites?
Management?
Bad luck?
The more I dug, the more I kept coming back to genetics.
Not intentional inbreeding.
Not bad breeders.
Just a simple reality:
When demand explodes faster than population growth, genetic diversity becomes a challenge.
And genetic diversity matters.
It affects fertility.
It affects parasite resistance.
It affects longevity.
It affects overall herd health.
Now let's talk about size.
Miniature livestock is one of the hottest markets in agriculture today.
There are healthy ways to breed for smaller size through selective breeding over generations.
But there are also genetic traits that require careful management.
One example is the chondro gene found in Dexter cattle and now present in some miniature cattle programs.
Many buyers hear "chondro" and think:
✨ Mini.
Few understand what it actually means.
When managed correctly, breeders can use it responsibly.
When managed incorrectly, serious problems can occur.
That's why genetic testing matters.
That's why pedigrees matter.
That's why asking questions matters.
And here's something I've been paying a lot more attention to lately...
When you visit some of the larger livestock pages with thousands of followers and endless photos of adorable fluffy babies, ask yourself a few questions:
❓ Do they show the parents?
❓ Do they discuss lineage?
❓ Do they provide genetic testing?
❓ Do they talk about health beyond vaccines and deworming?
Many times, the answer is no.
What you often see instead is the selling point.
"Expected to stay tiny."
"Mini."
"Micro."
"Chondro."
"Won't get over ___ pounds."
Because let's be honest...
Smaller sells.
Fluffier sells.
Rarer sells.
And I get it.
I've been guilty of shopping with my eyes too.
But here's what I learned the hard way.
Chondro is often marketed as a feature.
What isn't always discussed is the responsibility that comes with it.
We're actually purchasing a chondro-positive bull for our own program.
Not because it's trendy, but because we have specific goals and we've spent a tremendous amount of time researching genetics, pedigrees, testing, and compatible pairings.
Ironically, one of my own cows taught me this lesson.
For years, I was told she couldn't possibly carry the chondro gene.
Multiple people said that breed wasn't commonly associated with it and that it wasn't something I needed to worry about.
But something about her build always made me wonder.
So I tested her.
She came back chondro-positive.
After owning her for five years.
My stomach dropped.
Not because chondro is inherently bad.
But because I had already bred her.
Thankfully, the calf was healthy.
Then I remembered I had bred her again through AI before discovering her status.
Immediately I had to research the bull's genetics and confirm he was chondro-negative.
Thankfully, he was.
Everything worked out.
But that experience taught me a valuable lesson:
We cannot assume. We have to test.
Nobody talks about that part.
The truly established miniature breeders can usually show you the herd, the parents, the lineage, the testing, and generations behind the animal.
They have a program—not just a sales page.
And one more thing...
If you see page after page of fluffy babies available year-round, ask questions.
Because seasonal breeding cycles, gestation lengths, herd size, and production numbers all matter.
An educated buyer doesn't just fall in love with the baby.
They learn about the program behind it.
Three years ago, I'll be honest...
I shopped with my eyes.
I wanted the fluffy one.
The tiny one.
The flashy one.
The one that looked amazing in pictures.
Today?
I want health records.
I want testing.
I want to understand the genetics behind the animal.
I want to know how that animal will fit into my goals—whether that's breeding, showing, homesteading, or simply being a beloved pet.
Because a pretty animal can still have expensive health issues.
A cute animal can still carry genetic risks.
And an expensive animal isn't automatically a quality animal.
Which brings me back to the livestock flip business.
So many animals today are bought and sold so quickly that buyers never get the full story.
Parentage gets assumed.
Future size gets guessed.
Health testing gets skipped.
Genetics never get discussed.
But if you're buying a breeding animal, genetics are part of the product.
And if you're buying a pet, health still matters.
Know your purpose before you purchase.
Ask questions.
Request testing.
Learn the genetics.
Understand the health risks.
Because in today's market, what you don't know can become very expensive later.
🌾 And that's your Dirty Straw Report for this Monday. 🌾
⚠️ Disclaimer: The Dirty Straw Report is for educational and informational purposes only. Opinions expressed are based on personal experience and industry observations. Always consult your veterinarian and other qualified professionals regarding livestock health, care, breeding, and management. Readers are encouraged to do their own research and form their own conclusions.
