Jerseys - ADG?

[milkmaid]

I picked up some Jersey crosses this spring and this is really the first time I've had anything but straight Holstein or dairy/beef crosses. For those of you familiar with Jerseys... what kind of ADG can I expect from a Jersey? how about a Jersey/Holstein cross?

I'm trying to set some breeding/calving goals for my girls and need to know what they should gain.

Thanks-

 

[bigbull338]

MM the jersey cross heifers will be at breeding size at 600 to 650.an gain 1.5lbs a day for the next 9 months.so their calving weight should be 1050 to 1100lbs.your used to breeding holsteins at 750 to 850.an calving them at 1250 to 1350.

 

[milkmaid]

600-650lbs is certainly doable... what kind of ADG can I expect from birth until breeding? The heifers are about 2 months old right now, guessing 150-250lbs. One of them might be pushing 300lbs, but she appears to have more Holstein influence.

If I can get them to gain 2 to 2.5lbs per day they could be bred in Dec/Jan at 600-700lbs and they could be sold by next fall....

will they gain that much?

 

[bigbull338]

i know this you cant push jersey crosses like you do holsteins.but you should be able to get them to gain 1.5 to 2lb a day gain.an be ready to breed in 7 to 8 months.you should be able to breed then mar or april of 09.

 

[milkmaid]

Even March/April would be okay... I just want to push them fast enough that I don't have to keep them through two whole winters. Kinda eliminates my profit if I have to feed hay two winters (esp now that hay is $200/ton!).

We'll see how it goes I guess.

 

[FarmGirl10]

If I can get them to gain 2 to 2.5lbs per day they could be bred in Dec/Jan at 600-700lbs and they could be sold by next fall....

will they gain that much?

I really doubt they'll gain that much, but if they do, you might be damaging the amount of milk they give they're first lactation.

 

[milkmaid]

If I can get them to gain 2 to 2.5lbs per day they could be bred in Dec/Jan at 600-700lbs and they could be sold by next fall....

will they gain that much?

I really doubt they'll gain that much, but if they do, you might be damaging the amount of milk they give they're first lactation.

Possibly, but since they get sold as springers I'm not concerned. At worst, they'll produce slightly less than they would have first lactation and then second lactation they'll reach their full potential.

 

[larryshoat]

600-650lbs is certainly doable... what kind of ADG can I expect from birth until breeding? The heifers are about 2 months old right now, guessing 150-250lbs. One of them might be pushing 300lbs, but she appears to have more Holstein influence.

If I can get them to gain 2 to 2.5lbs per day they could be bred in Dec/Jan at 600-700lbs and they could be sold by next fall....

will they gain that much?

If you've got them weighing 150-250 lbs at 8 weeks you've got them moving pretty good .As a contract grower my biggest complaint was that they didn't weigh much to start with, but it never seemed that the daily gain was all that bad . Sounds like you have a good start .

Larry

 

[TexasBred]

If I were growing them out to sell as springers and to be used in a dairy operation I wouldn't push them hard at all. Let them grow out and mature naturally without so much pressure. You want good steady growth but not excess weight gain. It will take a little longer but you'll end up with a better looking product and the buyer will definitely get a cow with more potential for milk production, breeding and calving.

 

[FarmGirl10]

If I can get them to gain 2 to 2.5lbs per day they could be bred in Dec/Jan at 600-700lbs and they could be sold by next fall....

will they gain that much?

I really doubt they'll gain that much, but if they do, you might be damaging the amount of milk they give they're first lactation.

Possibly, but since they get sold as springers I'm not concerned. At worst, they'll produce slightly less than they would have first lactation and then second lactation they'll reach their full potential.

That is true, it depends a lot on who your selling to. One of the breed associations surveyed they're members (I forget the association it was either brown swiss or holstein) and from their responces the best gain for them to get heifers in the herd quicker and still produce good was a ADG of 1.9 lbs. So the 2 pound would be good but, 2.5 pounds would be pushing it a little too hard.

 

[TexasBred]

Holsteins and and especiallty Swiss can make "huge" cows....Jersey's seldom get much over 2/3 as big (there are some exceptions) so I'd probably cut my expectations by 1/3.