Dairy Cattle Milk Production Differences

[Radi Cilo]

My Grandparents are going to let me raise a cow up on their farm.

I will be raising a dairy cow and just wanting to get some experience with a cow I was interested in.
I was thinking either Holstein or Jersey.

Just wondering a few things about milk-production:

1. Anyone know an average amount of milk both cows produce either per day or per year?
2. I understand Jersey's have a higher fat/protein level. Anyone know a percentage of fat/protein levels for both cows?


Thanks - sorry for all the questions, just wanna get an experience with a cow I think I may want to raise in the future.

 

[Brandonm2]

http://www.uark.edu/depts/anscposc/Note ... reeds.html

I thought your Grandparents had a beef cattle farm? Are they going to have to milk your cow two times a day for you (a lot of extra work for them) or are you close enough that you can milk your own cow two times a day (a lot of extra work for you)???

I have always had day dreams about having my own personal Jersey milk cow and this is a purchase I could make at ANY time; but then I look around and see all of the real work I don't get done, all the things I want to do, the daily hassle of just caring for my dogs, my cats, and my chickens and realize that $2.75 for milk and $1.70 for cheese a week at Wal-Mart is a better deal. You got high school and (possibly) college ahead of you and there will be time later to milk cows (if that is what you want to do). Your grandparents are VERY generous and I would take them up on their very kind offer; but I recommend getting the best Registered Beef heifer you can find and afford. The beef heifer will be worth more, will be cheaper to maintain, and will produce greater returns on your time and investment than an unmilked dairy cow and if you can't legally sell the surplus milk, there is not much you can do with it (my Grandfather actually fed his surplus Jersey milk to his hogs--- before I was born (THANK GOD!!)).


I am just asking question here.

 

[milkmaid]

Well...I have milked a milk cow twice a day by hand, and know what? that was last summer. This summer I decided I had better things to do with my time, put four calves on my cow, and put all five of them out to pasture. Makes everything a lot easier and gives me easily another 30-60 minutes of time morning & evening, or an hour or two each day.

Cow needs to be milked twice a day, every twelve hours or very close to it without fail. For me that meant 5-6am and 5-6pm after I came home from work...milking the boss's cows. LOL.

If the cow doesn't get milked out completely you're risking mastitis. You can't just take enough for a glassful to have with cookies.

Some cows aren't fond of having people so close - can't tell you the number of times I was/almost was kicked or had the cow step in or kick over the milk bucket. Ugh. Sure brings home the saying "no use crying over spilt milk". Esp when the bucket was almost full.

Cow is going to give 2-10 gallons or more per day. Too much for family - need to have calves to feed it to or some other animals. Pigs do like it. My cow last year gave 2 gallons/day, one I have now gives 6-8 gallons/day and she hasn't calved in over a year. Most dairies cull their cows at the point that they aren't paying their way - for one fellow near me that's 30-36lbs/day (gallon = ~8.8lbs), another it's 16-20lbs/day. Still a lot of milk.

A good milk cow or nurse cow is going to cost you $1000-$1500 easily (at least in my part of the country). That's rather expensive just for the experience of milking a cow by hand.

You could go with a heifer calf and raise it until it's a springer - close to calving - and then sell it. There's your college $$$. Good quality Holstein springers here, at least right now, are going $2000-$2500. Then you wouldn't have to deal with milking a cow, but you could have your own dairy animal around. Get to see the differences between dairy and beef firsthand. For starters, dairy animals don't grow near as quick as beef! That can be really frustrating.

Holstein heifer calves will run you $250 up to $800 or so, depending on age and quality. Not sure about Jerseys - everyone in my area has Holstein.

I've got chores to do outside now - hope that helps you.

 

[bigbull338]

a jersy will give you 4 gal of milk a day most days.holstein will give 5 or 6 gal or more a day.depending the amount of feed you give them.jersey bf is 3.8 to 4.8 protine 3.5 to 4.1 holstein 3.2 to 3.5 bf protine 2.8 to 3.3.feed holstein no more than 20lbs grain a day.jersey no more than 15lbs grain a day.scott

 

[Radi Cilo]

I thought your Grandparents had a beef cattle farm? Are they going to have to milk your cow two times a day for you (a lot of extra work for them) or are you close enough that you can milk your own cow two times a day (a lot of extra work for you)???

Yeah, they had a dairy farm in their earlier years - just got to old for it and wanted to visit their grandchildren more often. So they sold their dairy cows and got herefords. A bit easier for them to take care of.


Thanks for the link and info.

 

[glover36]

i have milking shorthorns on our farm we breed top[ of the line they are really calm animals IMG]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b154/glover296/Maple_Inn_Dairymaid_143_Small.jpg[/IMG]
this is on of our top cows