Found a Jersey Breeder...Now what??

Tam, I think the person to ask about a family cow is the farmer himself. If he's getting rid of a lot of cows at $800 each he really doesn't have any vested interest in misleading you. He very well might lead you to his favourite cow in the group that he'd like to see go to a good home.

Jennifer

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-Northern NYS

May not be one cow, but in your original post you said he was selling just a few cows. I don’t know how big his herd is, but if any size, there will always be a “few” cows with problems that need culling. Such was my experience, five or ten family cows for sale, with mastitis and other issues not clearly explained.

In the larger picture, for that kind of money, even if some problems, wouldn’t be the worst money spent, especially if you get a heifer calf out of her.

Tam - Buy her Quick...The Border is opening soon...LOL.

Go and have a look. Tour his facility and that's going to tell you all you need to know. If he's older and still in the dairy business in Alberta, I can assure you he didn't get there being dishonest. You have livestock experience so you're not going in blind. Look for dull eyes or signs of illness but if his facility is clean and looks fine, I would buy with as much confidence as one can have buying livestock. As to see health records but you won't be able to call the vet and ask too many questions because our privacy act prevents the vet from discussing someone else's business at any level. Maybe you'll get lucky and he has something that's been handmilked but if not, look into something nice and quiet and ask him if he's willing to coach you. The good ones usually are and enjoy mentoring new cattlemen. I can assure you, if she does not suit your needs, you can list her in the Bargain Finder and make your money back fairly quickly.

Thanks, I feel pretty confident! I am taking my Grandma with me, and she's a great cow person with years of experience hand milking.

This fellow sounds very warm and friendly on the phone. He just loves to chat and was giggling in a cute grandfatherly way about his cows and how he just loves to drink whole Jersey milk and his waistline. I have a good feeling so far...we shall see!

Wish me luck!

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Tam
Ravenwood Ranch
Purebred Berkshires, Nubian Goats, Savanna x Meat Goats, Jersey Family Cows and Sport Horses
~Where Quality Counts~

Tam319,
A wise decision on your part. Your Grandma will be able to give you sound advice and it will be fun for her .

TOTAL DISAPOINTMENT!!!!

The place was a disaster As soon as we drove in the yard we should have turned right around. The first impression was that it was a total falling down junk heap. We entered the barn through the milking parlour that was filthy, manure caked on everything, abundant flies. Even the milking equipment was gross. The guy told me on the phone that they would find me an experienced 3-5 yo cow. Upon arrival he told me they only had one first calver for sale. She'd freshened 60 days ago and was producing 35 lb per day. She had a huge patch of ringworm on her side, but was docile and quiet in the parlour. She hand milked easily. He doesn't do any testing on his cows. We went to see the calves and the lot of them were kept crowded and chained in a damp, dark room with manure so deep that it was in huge mounds and we were nearly bumping our heads on the roof. There were Muskovy ducks running everywhere, and one of the calves had eye damage from a duck attack, or so he said. A new baby bull calf was laying in a puddle of his own scours which covered most of his hindquarters. It was so filthy and disgusting. No thanks.

He said he was selling this one heifer because they are over quota and dumping 25% of production. It seems he is way over his head as far as what he can handle for work load. He should probably sell the whole herd and get out of the business!!

I am so discouraged I can't seem to find Jersey's locally at all. I am considering looking into another breed, or maybe I should just suck it up and drink goat milk.

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Tam
Ravenwood Ranch
Purebred Berkshires, Nubian Goats, Savanna x Meat Goats, Jersey Family Cows and Sport Horses
~Where Quality Counts~

Sorry to hear about your disappointment; but don't give up. There is surely a reliable breeder or farmer in your area with a cow that will fit your needs. You don't have to have a Jersey or Dexter. If you can't find one of these breeds start out with what is available. A crossbred cow will often make a good milk cow. I have just started drying off my little milk cow, a Jersey/Red Angus cross. I will be flooded with milk this spring, because she and one of my Dexters will calve within days of each other. Best of luck to you.

Have you checked out the American Jersey Cattle Club website? There are many reputable dairies listed there, probably some Canadian ones also.

I've found the secret to getting a Jersey of any age or condition is to be willing to pay a good price. Reputable people have a lot of love and money wrapped up in their investment, and it insults them when people expect to get a "bargain".

I suppose this goes for any livestock. It's just harder to find Jerseys than other breeds of cattle, at least around here.

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People are more important than things.

Tam, I'm sorry your adventure was nasty. Truly, the man should be reported. I would suggest that your next move might be contacting Independent Breeders and see if they can advise you on Jersey breeders in the province and perhaps contact Olds College. I do know that they have/had a dairy division and occasionally sell off cows when they have an appropriate amount of offspring but they are very well cared for. Keep an eye on the Western Seducer and the Bargain Finder (north and south editions). You might also want to contact the brand inspectors at the auction houses in Innisfail and Stettler. If you'd like, you can send me a pm and I can give you my ex's name and number, he's a land agent so he's in a lot of farms and does have access to cattle buyers and might know where there are some Jersey's hiding. I know he has one but I don't know if he'd sell her although she'd be wonderful for you and he is in a bit of a financial bind at the moment.

Well, that was a horrid experience. Atleast you know what to look for and recognize the ones to avoid.

If you're not in a big hurry, you might breed a few of your beef cows AI to a high quality Jersey bull and hopefully get a heifer. As Linn said, a Jersey/beef cross gives lots of milk with fewer problems. With just a toddler, you could probably survive on 3 to 4 gallons daily from a crossbred cow. You could keep breeding up to Jersey if you want more milk for more and bigger kids.

I figure buying used cows is a gamble, just like buying used cars. Every car I've bought had a secret I discovered in a month or two that probably led to their sale.

I spent years experimenting with junk animals, finally up and spent good money for a young beef/dairy heifer. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner, as my kids are older and leaving home.

my first cow was probably not the best milker in the world, she had not been trained well and 2 quarters had gone blind probably from not proper milking or drying. those quarters have suddenly started producing but the teats are so small they are impossible, so i dry them up.

but she was a good learning experience ( i know now i CAN milk anything if need be, training young things is a breeze compared to her lol), she is a great pet, and I am milking her grown daughters. She has wonderful calves and has great confirmation and milk production. So I have come out ahead. Any cow that can give birth to a good calf has value, and the calf can always be your milker in the long run.

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All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent. Jefferson
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Tam391,

Here is the name and address of the Province secretary for JerseyCanada, the Alberta Region:

Linda Rush
RR#1 Crossfield, AB T0M 0S0
Ph/Fax: (403) 946-5400
djrush@allstream.net

Why don't you contact her to see if there are any breeders in your area?

linn - that is where I got the contact info for this breeder in the first place I keep calling them and bugging them as the first two producers were a dead end, and producer #3 was this disasterous place! LOL I just can't win.

wr - Hmmmm, your ex's cow sounds very interesting. I will pm you.

As for AI-ing one of the beef gal's in hopes of a dairy heifer. I dunno. The expense of semen, then AI, then waiting the full gestation for *maybe* a heifer, then raising her up, and hoping she turns out is more hassle than I'd like. LOL I must be impatient.

Thanks all!

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Tam
Ravenwood Ranch
Purebred Berkshires, Nubian Goats, Savanna x Meat Goats, Jersey Family Cows and Sport Horses
~Where Quality Counts~

OH! And get this...turns out this farm is the same place my Dad bought that grouchy old Jersey nurse cow (who wouldn't take calves and had a blind quarter) back when I was a kid. Sounds like things haven't improved a whole lot since then. LOL

To top it off, the only cow this guy had for sale was the heifer I mentioned, and she was open. GRUMBLE.

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Tam
Ravenwood Ranch
Purebred Berkshires, Nubian Goats, Savanna x Meat Goats, Jersey Family Cows and Sport Horses
~Where Quality Counts~

Tam319,
Have you thought of Canadienne cattle? Here is the name and address of a breeder in Alberta:
Brenda J & R Brodie Cupples, Box 59, Thorsby, AB T0C 2P0 Tel.: (780) 789-3689
Etats-Unis

Sorry Tam319, I think I might try what linn suggests, they seem to be a great breed.

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A good dog may be hard to find, ...but a hard dog usually means it's been dead for a while

I would not get involved in the rare breeds and they are quite rare in Alberta. The only way you're going to make money off the calves is if you're breeding pure & papered and most of the problems you'll encounter are based on their lack of numbers & popularity. In order to breed pure, you need a decent sized gene pool, either by natural service or AI and AI will be even tougher since they tend to go to the one or two breeders in the area and cut them a deal on semen collection so you could have to consider some serious line breeding. Because their numbers are small, you're dealing with farmettes or acreage breeders and they don't make for a good market and they're worse to deal with if you want to increase herd size. Their little Sweetpea will be handled plenty but they darned sure want you to pay double for their efforts. I'd be more inclined to recommend a nice holstein instead of a Jersey if none were available rather than to get into the rare breeds. You need to invest so darned much money and be willing to do a lot of showing and socializing to get any money out of them. There are Jerseys to be found, it's just going to take a little digging. I know that one or two hutterite colonies keep a couple of them around and I'm wracking my brain trying to remember which one. Right at this moment, there are going to be very few nurse type cows available because it's calving season in sunny Alberta and that's part of the problem. Calves are not meant to be born in the dead of winter and it results in a surplus of orphans so in a matter of months, the handy nurse cow is no longer needed and thus for sale in the Western Seducer or the Bargain Finder.