djinwa
Well-known member
Back to the original topic.....
I've fiddled with various breeds for small acreage over the years.
For milk, I would avoid a pure dairy cow unless you are good at dealing with problems associated with higher production - milk fever, mastitis, etc. Not affecting all cows, but you never know what you're getting for genetics. I've also gotten cows from dairies that end up with chronic mastitis recurring. Usually a reason they're selling them. Not to mention too much milk is a pain. And one cow needs dried up to have a calf so a few months will have no milk. As Nesikep mentioned, many dairy cows have too small teats for hand milking. And if you start by hand milking a dairy cow, better have good forearms and technique. Better to ease into it with lower production.
So I liked a Jersey/beef cross for milking. And bred to a beef bull, get a nice beefy calf. My favorite was a Jersey/Lowline cross. Also had a jersey/Hereford cross I liked, but even she gave more milk than we needed. Some dairies breed their jerseys to beef bulls so you can find a crossbred heifer.
If you milk two crossbreeds that calve different times of year, will have milk all year long (unless you want a break).
As for standard vs mini. Standard breeds vary widely in frame size, so you can go smaller. I have around frame 2 to 3 where many go 5 to 7. Guys like Pharo Cattle Co. have smaller standard bulls where I got semen to breed AI.
Not a fan of long hair and black cattle due to more heat issues and matted mud, manure, etc. Red angus good way to go. I'm also experimenting breeding British White cows to black angus bulls and getting white calves. Which are pretty by the way. Why have ugly cows? Just don't haul white calves to sale barn. The major breeds have better quality selection for semen.
And I'm now milking a British White beef cow a couple times a week for milk for just me and my wife. Advantage of milking beef or beef/dairy cross is the calf can take it all when you don't want to milk.
I've fiddled with various breeds for small acreage over the years.
For milk, I would avoid a pure dairy cow unless you are good at dealing with problems associated with higher production - milk fever, mastitis, etc. Not affecting all cows, but you never know what you're getting for genetics. I've also gotten cows from dairies that end up with chronic mastitis recurring. Usually a reason they're selling them. Not to mention too much milk is a pain. And one cow needs dried up to have a calf so a few months will have no milk. As Nesikep mentioned, many dairy cows have too small teats for hand milking. And if you start by hand milking a dairy cow, better have good forearms and technique. Better to ease into it with lower production.
So I liked a Jersey/beef cross for milking. And bred to a beef bull, get a nice beefy calf. My favorite was a Jersey/Lowline cross. Also had a jersey/Hereford cross I liked, but even she gave more milk than we needed. Some dairies breed their jerseys to beef bulls so you can find a crossbred heifer.
If you milk two crossbreeds that calve different times of year, will have milk all year long (unless you want a break).
As for standard vs mini. Standard breeds vary widely in frame size, so you can go smaller. I have around frame 2 to 3 where many go 5 to 7. Guys like Pharo Cattle Co. have smaller standard bulls where I got semen to breed AI.
Not a fan of long hair and black cattle due to more heat issues and matted mud, manure, etc. Red angus good way to go. I'm also experimenting breeding British White cows to black angus bulls and getting white calves. Which are pretty by the way. Why have ugly cows? Just don't haul white calves to sale barn. The major breeds have better quality selection for semen.
And I'm now milking a British White beef cow a couple times a week for milk for just me and my wife. Advantage of milking beef or beef/dairy cross is the calf can take it all when you don't want to milk.