Hi :D

[cowlady1123]

Welcome! I'm intrigued that you have a miniature Hereford, because my sister would get a miniature Jersey, but they are so expensive and there's a huge waiting list. I'm curious if that's the same for miniature beef breeds like Hereford as well. How did you acquire your cute little heifer? We purchase a lot of raw milk every week, so she wanted to milk her own cow, but thought a full-sized Jersey my be a bit much for us!

As the others mentioned I would strongly suggest AI. Having been very inexperienced myself with cattle birthing when I started breeding, it was very assuring to know that a bull that is being collected for semen is going to most likely be a high-quality bull with low birth weights, etc. I've had awesome results from AI'ed heifers. They dropped their first calf easily.
It will be interesting to follow Clementine's story!

i got Clem for about $300 from my uncle who keeps a small herd of miniature Herefords so i guess i was lucky! ive seen some miniature cattle for about $1000

 

[cowlady1123]

I'll ask some questions for you to consider. So things to start with are finding out how much you have in usable land for pasture. Timberland can provide protection from the elements but not a lot of grass. It's easy to run too many cattle on your property. Your agricultural extention office should be able to advise you on how many you can run per acre. It varies by location. Make sure you have a good type of grass on your fields if this is where she will graze. She'll only be as healthy as the grass she grazes. Besides vaccinations and water, that is.
You mentioned your fences may need repair. You may want to get that done before getting any more cattle, especially a bull. Check you local laws about livestock liability if Clementine escapes. In north Louisiana, the owner is responsible for injuries caused by loose cattle. Have you decided on a hay source for the winter? Good to know a good hay producer. Prices vary with the type of grass and the avaliablity. Is your area experiencing a drought at present? Do you have a reliable water source? These are just some things to consider. I know you want the best for her. BTW, she is a fine looking heifer. I'm assuming she is not a cow yet. Good luck!

definitely not a cow lol, and we do know a couple of hay producers. we are planning to hay our own fields as well as possibly purchase some. i'm not planning to own very many cattle, likely no more than 10 and definitely not until i have those pastures sorted. i have four large open fields for her to graze in on the lower part of the property as well as a very large yard and a smaller field next to the house. we have our well and we did just go through a small drought so i made sure she was well-hydrated lol.

 

[Cattlelow]

It sound like you've got some good resources. Clementine should do just fine. We love pics so share away. Lots of folks on here willing to offer advice as well.

 

[pleasantpasturesbeef]

It would probably be fine. As far as I know Jersey cows are the gentlest of all of them. Jersey bulls, on the other hand, are not.

All of the Jersey steers we've had have been big babies--Super sweet and gentle. Never had a female, tho. Ours were bottle-fed, tho, which most likely equates as to why they were so friendly and easy to work with. If they acted up, a good smack on the nose usually put them in their place lol

 

[tex452]

You came to the right place. Is your calf a pet or destined for the freezer? Will it be joined by others?

Dogs and cats are pets.
I raise mine to eat.
Welcome to the forum.

 

[TexasRancher]

Dogs and cats are pets.
I raise mine to eat.
Welcome to the forum.

I raise mine to eat too...but there's nothing left out in the fields...and they're eating me out of house and home. They sure are BIG Eaters. I'm going to have to transition over and make them my pets.

 

[Son of Butch]

I'm intrigued that you have a miniature Hereford, because my sister would get a miniature Jersey. We purchase a lot of raw milk every week, so she wanted to milk her own cow, but thought a full-sized Jersey my be a bit much for us!

20+ years ago a friend was milking 160 Jersey cows and he had the smallest mature Jersey cow I've ever seen in my life. She wasn't a miniature, but she couldn't have weighed more than 650-700 lbs and was perfectly put together, so not a defect product of dwarfism. Extra gentle, his wife's favorite and was named Toy Cow.
I remember thinking Toy Cow would be an ideal foundation cow for anyone interested in starting a line of miniatures. But that was long ago and they're out of the dairy business now.

 

[pleasantpasturesbeef]

20+ years ago a friend was milking 160 Jersey cows and he had the smallest mature Jersey cow I've ever seen in my life. She wasn't a miniature, but she couldn't have weighed more than 650-700 lbs and was perfectly put together, so not a defect product of dwarfism. Extra gentle, his wife's favorite and was named Toy Cow.
I remember thinking Toy Cow would be an ideal foundation cow for anyone interested in starting a line of miniatures. But that was long ago and they're out of the dairy business now.

Lol, love that

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

How old is your heifer?
Welcome to the boards!
Sounds like you have way too much "pasture" for 1 miniature calf. Good that you plan to hay it. I'm "assuming" you will have a neighbor hay your pastures?
I totally agree you do NOT want a bull around. You could bring your calf back to your uncles to be bred.