Full size Jersey vs mini Jersey pros/cons?

rowegirl

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My husband and I are hoping to be buying a farm in the near future and we are wanting to get a milk cow. I know a little about Jerseys and really like the way their milk tastes and how much cream they give. I have not been around the mini Jersey yet and so was wondering what the differences are and why one is more desirable over the other?
 

farmerjan

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The "mini" jerseys are just a smaller jersey that is being bred for the smaller size. They are horribly expensive to buy, people seem to think they are made of gold. All the mini breeds are also known for reproductive problems. Jerseys in general are not that big. There is no reason to go to a mini if you are wanting milk for your homestead. There are lots of ways to use the milk. What you want is to find a jersey that is not making a ton of milk. If you know of a dairy with jerseys, ask about one that may not be making what they need as a minimum, to stay in the herd. Or an older cow that they are going to cull as they have new heifers coming fresh. Or of course, to be able to buy from a private individual. Don't rule out a jersey crossbred either. I have a couple of jersey/angus crossbreds that make good milk, but not overwhelming amounts.... and I have often milked them for the house over the years.
I am not saying that the minis are all bad. But you are also going to have to be more knowledgeable for when she comes fresh. Most all regular size jerseys do not have trouble calving unless bred to exceptionally large boned breed bulls. They can easily have a jersey or guernsey cross calf, many times I breed mine to angus and they have no problem having those calves. We have used other beef breeds but are careful to use an easy calving bull in other breeds. But after the first calf, they seldom have problems. We have not pulled calves from jerseys. The cow has alot of "control" over the size of the calf also.... but the mini's are also harder to get settled unless you use natural service. For one cow, you really don't want a bull, you will want to use AI to breed. My suggestion is to also have a 2nd animal....a steer to raise for meat and for company for the cow and to also help you to catch her in her heat cycles. It will also be tougher for you to find anyone having semen for mini breeds unless they special order it.
If you are in an area where mini's are popular, then you have some advantages in that respect. I am not trying to talk you out of them. But if you want to have a cow, a "regular" size jersey is more readily available. One more thing; when the time comes that you need to sell her, if she winds up going to slaughter, the salvage value of a normal sized animal is much greater than a mini size at the average stockyard. Just a fact of life. You can take any age animal, and have her killed for your own use.... hamburger and things like stew meat are just as good off an older animal as a younger animal. Sure it is hard to eat an animal that you have kept and milked for years. But it is a fact of life that sooner or later you are going to have to cull for some reason. So you have to look at the salvage value down the road. Sure you can eat a mini too.
 

rowegirl

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Thank you. That was very informative. I personally like the regular jersey and everything you said makes sense. We are wanting to have a small herd of beef cows too so I would prefer to be able to breed the milk cow to the beef bull so full size Jerseys makes more sense that way like you mentioned.
 

farmerjan

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You are welcome. I have several jerseys, a couple jersey/guernsey crosses, a couple jersey/holstein crosses and a few jersey/angus crosses. I use many of them as nurse cows and raise several calves on each cow. The jersey/angus females I mostly treat like a beef cow, and they raise only one. Normally they are bred back angus so the calf is then 3/4 angus and more saleable. Jersey's will give a more refined, "finer build" to the angus crosses and will be worth less than a straight angus calf, but they make great eating.
Not sure of what beef breed you are thinking of having.... but be careful of something that is large boned being bred to the jersey. A hereford makes a nice cross BUT you have to be careful as the herefords tend to be wider in the head and shoulders than an angus and can present problems with calving. Also, simmentals are bigger and can cause some difficulties. Limousin is not a bad cross, but the limi's can have attitude problems. They are VERY protective of their calves and tend to be overall higher strung than some others. They do throw a "longer" rather than "wider" calf though. And if you are handling the calf then the disposition will not be near as big a problem.
The thing with a herd of beef cattle.... you have 2 ways to go.. If you are just going to sell the calves in a commercial way, say at a stockyard/sale barn at weaning, then have a breed that is fairly common in the area as they will sell better than something real different. "Black" sells well here. Charolais with pink noses - purebreds - take a hit but a char/angus cross that is smokey colored or whitish with a BLACK nose will not get discounted as much because it has angus influence. Herefords and red cattle in general get discounted here; but they are very popular further up north and very common in Canada. Brahma influenced/crossed cattle do well in the deep south where the heat gets oppressive; and they resist ticks and such more than some of the other breeds. Charolais are popular in Maryland and again up north.
If you are going to try to mostly market beef for home use, sell direct to customers, then raise what you like. I love the belted galloways, & scottish highlands, but you will get slaughtered on prices here unless you have a direct market.
There are several other "minor breeds" that do well for different markets.
 
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