The Jerseys
When we were looking for a family milk cow, we quickly realized that she was going to be very difficult to find. First off, most dairy calves are weaned extremely early, if they're even allowed to nurse at all. Because of this the replacement heifers are just poor doers. They didn't get what they needed when they were young and you have to prop them up. We learned this lesson the hard way.
Secondly, most dairy operations are run conventionally; they feed grain and the cows are kept up in small areas so that they are easier to milk several times a day. The lack of sunshine and grazing time, combined with close quarters is something that can cause sickness, so the animals end up being medicated. (Not to mention the hormones they are given to make them produce more milk.)
So, when we were told about a grassfed dairy that was relocating and needing to sell, we jumped at the chance. These Jersey cows were grassfed only, out on a large pasture and the calves were kept on the moms until they (the moms) decided to wean them. They came into the barn when called for milking time and stood there without being fed or tied while being milked!
According to the Oklahoma State University Animal Science Dept. cattle breed directory, "the Jersey breed originated on the Island of Jersey, a small British island off the coast of France. It is one of the oldest dairy breeds, reportedly being purebred for nearly six centuries. Jerseys were known in England as early as 1771 and were regarded favorably for their milk and butterfat production. They were brought to the United States in the 1850's."
Our Jerseys are very docile and easily trained to milk. They seem to actually enjoy the human contact. The milk is delicious and consistently has alot of cream, which makes wonderful, creamy butter. We're looking forward to learning to make cheese and hope to eventually build a new milking parlor complete with cheese room.
In the near future we plan to test these cows for the A2 milk gene. We are also very interested in working to increase the milkfat percentage. We have found some grassfed Jersey bulls out of New Zealand that have been tested to consistently produce heifers that have 6.4-6.6.% milkfat and plan to do some AI work in the fall. In the meantime, we are busy milking "Buttercup" and "Clara" and are looking forward to the new calves coming this Spring.
Take a look at our Jersey slideshow and see why we love them!
