WANTED: Jersey Semen

[EllieJ]

I have a jersey heifer that will be AI'ed in the spring (1 year), and I really want one of the "old world" jersey bulls, that could improve her even furthur (she is already very solid). If anybody has a bull that they think might be able to do the job, could you please reply and attach a picture.
I have attached a picture of my jersey at a yearling.

 

[hopalong]

Select Sires has some good bulls, reasonably priced straws

 

[Chris H]

Nice heifer. You said you're going to AI her in the spring. We just entered summer in the northern hemisphere so are you in the southern hemisphere? Your location will determine availability of bulls.

 

[EllieJ]

I live in Texas, so in the Northern Hemisphere. So it is really about 10 1/2 months she will be AI'ed. She has already been bred by live cover from a 7/8 Murray Grey Bull. And we will AI most of out Murray Grey herd next year, and I want her to be AI'ed with them.

 

[EllieJ]

If you have a bull that is not "old world", but you think might be good, than you could also post a picutre, and price per straw of that animal.

 

[suzorse]

check Genex for Plus he is a good udder bull, I used him and ended up with a bull calf
Suzanne

 

[chippie]

I live in Texas also. We buy our Jersey semen from Bovine Elite in College Station.
Very nice people there. I wanted to breed to Milking Shorthorn and they ordered the semen for me.

 

[Lucky_P]

Don't know what 'old world' means, but personally, I'd be looking for a polled Jersey sire - they're out there, and there are a few that are homozygous polled.
http://www.polledjerseys.com/sires.htm

 

[EllieJ]

I know that several people are saying that they don't know what "old world" means. It is when an animal is very deep in her/his heart girth and flank and is really solid and chunky all over. I know that it is rare to have this in diary animals, but it is defintly possible, here is a heifer that I found online:

 

[regolith]

"old world" usually refers to Britain, or maybe Europe, so I did wonder... never heard any of the dairy breeds specifically referred to that way.

If you want a strong, capacious animal you're looking at grassfed genetics. Cow in my avatar is an ordinary NZ-bred Jersey; Australia and Denmark also have bulls that are less angular and more strength.

http://www.vikinggenetics.com/en/jersey/brugsplan.asp
http://www.jisexjerseys.com/showsire.as ... e=DJ%20May this is a bull that I'm using but I do think he throws longer legs with similar body depth to my NZ bred heifers.
I don't know much about Jersey Island genetics but if you really want "old world" that could be a place to look...

Any of the big dairy semen companies should point you in the right direction, but there may be a minimum order of ten straws. Till I got my AI bank, my semen providers stored the straws in their own units till I needed them. I guess most of them can do that if required.

 

[chippie]

I don't know where you are looking at Jersey cattle, but large capacity is desirable and easy to find.
Fat dairy cattle like the one pictured are not desirable and they are not "old world". If you look at vintage photographs and prints, the dairy cattle exhibit the same leanness as today's cattle. It has to do with the animals' metabolism. Dairy cattle put all of their energy into making milk whereas the beef breeds put their energy into making muscle.

The heifer in the photograph is not a good example of her breed. She is not feminine at all and has a bullish head. YMMV

I agree with looking for a polled bull. Horns are not always a good thing.

 

[EllieJ]

I want grass-fed genetics, so that they do not have to be fed on grain, most of the current day animals are NOT on grass, and even with being grain fed, they are NOT filled out. The jersey on top has NEVER tasted grain a single day in her life, and she shows pins, but it is not that obvious. I DO NOT want a really skinny animal that can not hold their condition well on grass.

 

[cow pollinater]

The fat little toad in the "old world" picture would be a metabolic disaster if you ever did get her in milk.
If I had to guess just from looking at the first picture I'd say you have a Sabre daughter or something bred pretty close and they are pretty framey for a jersey. They are pretty much Holsteins in a brown hide. Just off the top of my head Amity would be my pick to tone that down a little bit and the Amity daughters do tend to carry a few extra pounds.
FWIW, we've kept a few jerseys around for a home dairy in the past and they were all the same genetics that I sell to my customers(because I bought them from my customers) and I've never had any problem with them on grass.

 

[chippie]

You don't have to yell.
The heifer up at the top probably has not had a calf yet & it appears that you don't know much about dairy cattle.
Dairy cattle will lactate on a grass diet provided it is good grass. They just will not produce as much as when they are supplemented with a grain diet.
My family was in the dairy business from the 1900s to the 1940s and my husbands family has been in the business since the 1950s & still is.

 

[EllieJ]

We have over 800 acres and only 50 animals, so yes, I know that she will lactate on good grass since our place is way under stocked, and second I know that she has not had a calf yet since my brother gave her to me two Christmas's ago when she was about 3 months old.

 

[suzorse]

old world Jerseys are Mini Jerseys the one above is a Mini Jersey here is a website for semen
http://www.freewebs.com/arrowheadridge/ she has very good bulls
Suzanne