If you have read the blurb that accompanies this column each month, you know that my wife, Margaret, and I have a decent-sized menagerie: varying numbers of horses, goats, rabbits, chickens, dogs, cats and parakeets.Thatís enough to keep us busy ó and to keep us working so we can afford to feed them all.Still, we often flirt with the idea of getting some additions to that menagerie. If we had all the time, space and money in the world, here are some other critters weíd be interested in having join the family:Pigs. Not a full-sized farm pig, which can weigh in at 700 pounds or so, but a so-called micro pig. Also known as mini pigs or teacup pigs. And yes, they may be small enough that theyíre just a cuddly handful at birth, but even these pigs can get to be 100 to 200 pounds.The American Mini Pig Association, perhaps not the most neutral source on the subject, lists the pros and cons on its website of having a pig as a pet. Among the pros: pigs are intelligent, affectionate, hypoallergenic and clean, despite the common image of a pig wallowing in mud. Among the cons: that intelligence means they need lots of attention and stimulation to keep them out of trouble; theyíre highly motivated by food, which is helpful in terms of training but also means theyíre likely to try to get into cabinets, trash cans and wherever else they can find a snack, unless you do some baby proofing. And, if they bond to you, which would presumably be the goal, it may be tough to find someone who will care for it if you dare to go on a vacation.Margaret and I recently visited with Macon (yes, rhymes with bacon) and Rolo, two pigs that live with our neighbor Shirleyís daughter and her family in Pueblo. The daughter, Nichol, got Macon years ago as a birthday present for her husband, Martin; they got Rolo just a few months ago from the Humane Society, partly as a companion for Macon and partly just to give him a home.Rolo, at 100 pounds or so, is pretty much a couch potato; his favorite spot is on the couch in the living room. Heís the affectionate one and let out a series of squeals as Margaret petted him. Macon spends more time outside and is more standoffish, though he is quite bonded to Martin. Macon apparently was something of a jerk to Rolo early on, but Nichol says they now get along, though theyíre hardly best friends.Mini cows. Yes, in addition to mini pigs, there are mini cows. One breed is Zebus; we met a bunch when I did a story on them and JWís Mini Moos in Vineland, east of Pueblo, years ago, and Margaret fell in love with them.Zebus are the only naturally occurring miniature breed of cattle, according to the website for JWís Mini Moos. The mini Zebus are 34 to 42 inches tall at maturity; the bulls, typically bigger than female cows, reach 400 to 600 pounds. The male is known for a well-developed black shaded hump; the hump developed over centuries as a result of the bulls being used as a draft animal pulling carts and plowing fields, the JWís site states.An average mini Zebu can produce a gallon of easily digestible milk that is rich in butter fat, according to the site. And while Zebus arenít bred for meat production, its meat is low-calorie and low cholesterol.Plus, theyíre cute!Emus. Not sure why, but weíve long had an interest in emus. That interest was furthered by a story in The Colorado Springs Gazette last fall about a woman and her emu, Dennis, who draw crowds on their walks through Garden of the Gods.Emus, as explained on the National Geographic website, are members of the ratite family, which also includes ostriches and rheas. Theyíre among the largest birds in the world and are found in the wild primarily in Australia, but also in New Guinea, Indonesia, Solomon Islands and the Philippines. A flightless bird, it can run up to 30 mph.According to agdaily.com, emu ranching in the U.S. took off in the 1990s, with the tender meat of the emu hailed as ìthe nationís next red meat.î But the emu boom didnít last long. Emu oil, though, has drawn some attention for its benefit in fighting dry skin and inflammation. Rabbit Creek Emu Ranch in Livermore sells its emu oil products at the farmers market in Fort Collins.Emus can live to age 30 or so; thatís quite a commitment. They can also be pretty loud; since at least one neighbor wasnít keen on us getting guinea fowl, which are also quite noisy, she probably wouldnít be wild about an emu or two either.Turkeys. Blame Stephanie ìThe Chicken Ladyî Gagnepain, whose magnificent turkey kept faithfully following us during a tour of her land, for this choice.Bestfarmanimals.com states that turkeys make excellent pets: ìTurkeys are loyal, friendly, curious and very entertaining.î And since they only live to age 10 or so, theyíre not as much of a commitment as an emu. Tom the boy turkey and Sera the girl turkey were up for adoption recently at the Humane Society of the Pike Peak Region, but we resisted the urge. Maybe weíll just settle for an occasional glimpse of the wild turkeys that cross Jones Road near us.
