Stud Owners: Suzanne Baker & Pamela Robinson. These are our answers to your frequently asked questions. If you still have questions after reading this information please send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Question 1: How much do full blood or purebred small White Galloways cost?
Answer 1: All breeders must decide for themselves at what price they are willing to sell their miniautre cattle. There is no set price for stud Galloway cattle and no price-setting authority.
We cannot tell you what another breeder should or shouldn't charge you for their cattle (so please don't ask).
Being smaller, traditional Galloway cattle are more expensive than standard-sized cattle in most instances. Our purebred and full blood cattle are all registered as miniature Galloways. White Galloways are rare, generally difficult to find for sale, and therefore, can be costly to purchase. Different breeders pride themselves on different things. Therefore, they breed their cattle for different purposes and charge accordingly for their cattle. Drought, bushfires, and floods all have an impact on the capacity of breeders to meet demand; this all impacts prices. This is basic supply and demand.
To put it bluntly, you will probably find that the smaller the cattle, the bigger the price tag. You will also find tht the easier an animals is to handle the more expensive they become. It is the same with miniature horses, goats, and miniature pigs.
Our prices are not governed solely by size. Our cattle must be sweet-natured, hardy, and ready to reproduce; not the steers, of course! When we say quiet, we mean happy to be handle in the paddock, by complete strangers.
Generally speaking, the price of purebred White Galloway heifers that are very quiet, and small, starts at around the $6500 mark. That is a starting point of $6500 for a purebred black or dun solid coloured female (whites are usually more). For a full blood heifer, the starting point is $7000 for a small, quiet solid colour heifer. This is for one only, (a heifer, not a cow). Cows cost more. Most females cost more. The price depends on breeding, colour (white being the most prized), conformation, age, temperament (extremely quiet being preferable for most buyers), etc. All of our purebred and full blood females are registered.
We also breed smaller unregistered white Galloway composite female cattle. Many of these little heifers and cows are just as amazing as our registered herd members.
Expect to pay more for proven cows, cows in calf and cows with calves at foot (and more again for cows in calf and with a calf at foot). Proven cows are worth their weight gold - no sleepless nights worrying about them calving for the first time! Also, well-trained, docile cattle usually cost more than untrained, wary little grass eaters.
If you want to purchase our extra small and extremely docile Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) cattle, we will negotiate an individual price with the buyer, according to their circumstances. These AAT cattle are even quieter than the show cattle most other Galloway breeders take into the show ring. They have to be this quiet to do the work they do. It has taken many years of careful breeding and training to get these cattle ready for AAT work.
Our pet steers cost less than our breeding cattle. Steers are usually sold in pairs, as paddock pets. We do not sell them individually unless they are joining at least one other steer, heifer cow or bull. Usually, they cost over $7,500 a pair (two weaned, quiet, friendly, solid colour steers). Again, even with steers it is a case of the smaller, the whiter, the quieter, the more expensive they are to purchase. As a genral rule (white steers being more popular cost a little more - $4000+). There are always exceptions to every rule. Small, white and quiet being more expensive than black, average size, quiet steers. We don't sell steers as pets if they are not quiet (well handled).
The smaller traditional Galloway bulls are a whole other ball game, if you will pardon the pun. Again, it depends on age, size, colour, temperament, and conformation. Expect to pay whatever the asking price the breeder has set. You can always negotiate like crazy and hope for the best.
These two steers are firm friends. They now live with a lovely family near Putty, NSW.
We always sell pets in pairs because cattle are herd animals. Your pets will be on their own in the paddocks for more hours of the day than you will be with them - they need a friend.
Price is always dependent on the age, breed quality, colour, breeding performance (proven breeders are more expensive) and show performance of cattle being sold, so there will always be variations.
The bottom line on prices: Unless you are talking to a breeder about a particular animal, at a particular time, in a particular set of circumstances, it is hard to say what price may be agreed upon by the parties involved. It is a matter between you and the breeder. And as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Except in the occasional instance where you are very lucky (getting really good cattle for very little money) or extremely unlucky (paying too much for poor quality cattle).
TRANSPORT: Please factor in the cost of transporting cattle - unless you have a horse float. We can arrange transport for you (approx $3.20 or more a kilometre one way) with a trusted and well-qualified transporter (using a horse float). The hire of a cattle truck for larger numbers will be different.
Question 2: Can you explain the difference between full-blooded, purebred, and crossbred (graded) Galloway cattle?
Answer 2: Full blood Galloway cattle have only registered full-blood Galloway cattle in their breeding history and absolutely nothing else. If the paperwork is not all in order (five generations of registration papers), then cattle cannot be registered as full blood.
Purebred cattle have parentage from a breed other than Galloway, at least five generations back in their breeding history (on at least one side of the breeding, either sire or dam). Both full blood and purebred cattle that are registered can be taken into the show ring and compete on equal footing.
Graded Galloway cattle have a breed other than Galloway less than five generations back in their breeding history (on at least one side of the breeding - sire or dam). Graded cattle are 'listed' as opposed to being registered. They can't be taken into the show ring.
Choosing whether or not to crossbreed or grade up with Galloway cattle is a personal choice for all individual breeders. Grading up and cross-breeding with Galloway cattle is legitimate.
Full blood cow Lulu with her purebred bull calf GOLD CREEK Storm Chaser. Chaser is now our stud bull.
Purebred blood cow Hush is enjoying a brush. The young visitors were also enjoying the fun in the paddock.
Question 3: How much land do I need to own to have miniature cattle?
Answer 3: We think three hectares or seven acres of good pasture should be the minimum required for two small steers (in NSW).
In some instances (in the northern parts of Australia, for example), you can run two steers on a couple of hectares (approx. 5 acres), but it may require a lot of hand feeding and cleaning up. Cattle need to be kept in at least pairs. Cows and calves and cows in calf eat more pasture than steers. The rainfall, soil quality, and type of pasture in the paddock will also determine the stocking rate. Keep in mind that cattle defecate, urinate, and trample as much feed as they eat. Then the pasture needs to be rested until Mother Nature works her magic. So, it is not just about how much they eat.
In our opinion, it is better to work in a situation where you have too much food rather than not enough. Our feeling is that it is preferable to have to buy more cattle later on than it is to either sell the stock (heartbreaking) or buy feed (expensive).
We only sell our steers in pairs because they are herd animals and prey animals. They need a paddock pal, or they feel vulnerable and lonely.
The herd checking out the new calf ( the new calf is the black patch in front of the Mum).
Question 4: Do you lease bulls or sell semen straws?
Answer 4: No. We do store straws sourced from many good quality bulls for our own use. If you have purchased females from us, we will always help you with purchasing our straws or leasing an unrelated bull. Leasing our bulls or selling our semen straws is not something we are comfortable doing otherwise.
Question 5: Are your cattle suitable for people who have no experience with cattle - we've never owned livestock before?
Answer 5: Yes, our small Galloway cattle are bred and trained to make it easy for first-time livestock owners to enjoy owning them. If you are willing to learn, not afraid to ask questions, and you will ask for help if the need arises, then you should be quite capable of looking after livestock.
If you are a first-timer, look for miniature cattle that you can go up to in the paddock. This visitor is saying "Hello" for the first time to a pair of steers.
When you purchase our cattle, we are only ever an email or a phone call away. We want to ensure that the cattle are well looked after and that you are thoroughly enjoying having them on your property.
Question 6: How big are 'miniature' Galloway cattle?
Answer 6: Our smaller traditional Galloways are often described as middle-sized cattle on short legs. To be eligible to be shown, and registered as a miniature Galloway (as opposed to a standard Galloway), a female can mature at no more than 120 cm and a male at a maximum of 125 cm (usually at 4 - to 5 years old). The measurement is taken at the hip. Please note, miniature cattle are not tiny like the miniature goats and horses you see.
At 12 months old, to qualify to be registered as miniature, Galloway females must not be over 107.5 cm and 112.5 cm for males. The registration requirements can differ depending on where you register them.
All of our cattle qualify to be registered as miniature Galloways. Most of our cattle come in under these height requirements. The bulls we breed ourselves mature at between 110 - 115 cm at the hip. Our full grown cows range between 105cm and 118cm.
Full-grown, full blood cows tend to weigh between 350 - 650kg.
Question 7: Which parts of Australia are the best suited to Galloway cattle?
Answer 7: Galloway cattle originated in the Scottish Highlands in Scotland. Any environment similar to the Scottish Highlands is ideal for Galloway cattle. Galloways have a double coat to keep them warm in the coldest of winters. The shaggy, long outer coat is shed when the weather warms up. However, Galloway cattle are very adaptable.
Galloways can be found living in most parts of Australia, except for the Northern Territory (I could be wrong about that, but I don't know of any in the Territory). We started our herd in southeast Queensland. Then we brought them to southern New South Wales. We love how long and shaggy their coats are in winter here in Braidwood. So long as they have access to shade and plenty of cool clean water, they do well in the short hot summers here.
GOLD CREEK Galloway Stud - three minutes from the heritage-listed town of Braidwood in southern NSW.
Proud Stud Owners: Suzanne Baker & Pamela Robinson This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
