Dairy cattle

[PennsylvaniaFarmer2021]

Hello everyone! This might be the wrong place to put this but I have a question, I want to get some dairy cows in the future (maybe in 2-3 years I don't know yet) and I'd like to get a Holstein heifer or 2 and work my way up from there. But not too far from where we got our Herefords is a man selling Hereford/Simmental cross, would those be good for dairy or meat? If they are good for dairy then I would consider getting them because finding Holsteins in my area (north eastern pa) is like trying to find a a puddle of water in the dessert. I've heard Simmental's are good for both dairy and meat, but I'm not sure about the cross.

 

[Davemk]

They will not milk anywhere near a Holstein. What is the end goal? A dairy farm? Homesteading?

The long route would to be buy the Hereford/Simmy and breed to a Holstein using sexed semen.

 

[Rmc]

Hereford/sim croses are not commonly milked.any jersey nearby. They will produce less gallons of milk then a holstein but it will have a higher fat content.

 

[wbvs58]

Yes a lot depends on what you want to do with the milk. The traditional Simmental was a duel purpose cow but I think the Simmentals you see now have moved away from the dairy side of things.
For a house cow I suspect a Holstein will give too much milk to deal with.

Ken

 

[Anon A Mouse]

It depends on what you want to do with the milk. And are you crossing your dairy cow with a beef breed for a butcher calf?

My personal choice is the American Milking Devon. They're a heritage breed, and will give out about the same amount and quality of milk as a jersey, with the added benefit of being a rather meatier breed than today's dairy breed. A cow will average around 1k lbs and a bull 1500 lbs. They are exceptionally calm of temperament and do well on a good grass pasture with no grain supplement. They are hardy and need very little human intervention, even during calving. The only reason they have fallen by the wayside is the holstein produces more milk and the modern beef breeds have crowded them out of the market due to them being somewhat slower-growing.

The only downside I see is the fact that the AMD is not a naturally polled breed. They have some impressive horns!

 

[Redgully]

It depends on what you want to do with the milk. And are you crossing your dairy cow with a beef breed for a butcher calf?

My personal choice is the American Milking Devon. They're a heritage breed, and will give out about the same amount and quality of milk as a jersey, with the added benefit of being a rather meatier breed than today's dairy breed. A cow will average around 1k lbs and a bull 1500 lbs. They are exceptionally calm of temperament and do well on a good grass pasture with no grain supplement. They are hardy and need very little human intervention, even during calving. The only reason they have fallen by the wayside is the holstein produces more milk and the modern beef breeds have crowded them out of the market due to them being somewhat slower-growing.

The only downside I see is the fact that the AMD is not a naturally polled breed. They have some impressive horns!

I breed red polls and it is the same story, caught between milking and beef, kind of squeezed out of finding a place in modern herds even though they have lots of good qualities to offer.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Hello everyone! This might be the wrong place to put this but I have a question, I want to get some dairy cows in the future (maybe in 2-3 years I don't know yet) and I'd like to get a Holstein heifer or 2 and work my way up from there. But not too far from where we got our Herefords is a man selling Hereford/Simmental cross, would those be good for dairy or meat? If they are good for dairy then I would consider getting them because finding Holsteins in my area (north eastern pa) is like trying to find a a puddle of water in the dessert. I've heard Simmental's are good for both dairy and meat, but I'm not sure about the cross.

Your in PA. You should be able to find some Amish with some milk cows.
A milking Shorthorn might be about right. They will milk good, but not crazy like a modern Holstein.

 

[Ky hills]

I don't know know if its still the case or not but, several years ago there were some dairies in PA. I bought some from a trader that went there and got a trailer load. I would call around some of the county extension agents, to see if they knew of any dairies or areas where they might be.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

This is 10 days later and he never came back. Waste of time.