Favorite breed[s]

Karin L · #1 10/18/06, 01:26 PM

Just curious as to what everyone's favorite breed (or breeds) of cattle (dairy and/or beef) are.

commomsense · #2 10/18/06, 02:01 PM

Dairy:
Jerseys
Guernseys

Beef:
Angus
Herford

georgiarebel · #3 10/18/06, 03:44 PM

Haven't raised any others, but I'd have to brag on the Dexter. Very docile animals to be around. I feel more comfortable around them than other breeds. Found them to be a little hard to sell in my area, but I haven't been trying that hard either. Need to work on my website.

GR

montysky · #4 10/18/06, 04:34 PM

Diary:
Shorthorn
Dexter- just milk,cheese butter etc for you table good choice.

Beef:
Angus raised Black but red or grey* are good too.
hereford put a Angus on a Hereford super nice calf.

* like some others my view is a Murray Grey is a grey Angus

genebo · #5 10/18/06, 10:01 PM

I'm with Georgia Rebel! Dexters!

Genebo
Paradise Farm

Sher · #6 10/18/06, 10:08 PM

LOL..make that three of us...Dexters rule!

God's Homestead

Up North · #7 10/19/06, 12:01 AM

All Breeds with their origins in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales

We have a similar climate, so that's what works the best here.

arcticow · #8 10/19/06, 01:30 AM

Highlands, Galloways, or their crosses for beef; Jerseys or Shorthorns for dairy. We need double coats for out-wintering. Dairy cows need be really eficient to feed & house or make a really good beef calf here.

ozark_jewels · #9 10/19/06, 06:35 AM

Dairy: Jerseys then Milking Shorthorn. Beef....I'm a little attached to the Murrey Grey's. They were hardy beasts when we had them......

cindy04 · #10 10/19/06, 09:35 AM

We love our Jersey girls, and they seem to be pretty fond of us too!

Cindy, Sara, and Walker

JeffNY · #11 10/19/06, 11:19 AM

Holsteins. I have always loved holsteins, and I have better luck with holsteins. If they go to kick when first milking, simply by saying "EASY GIRL". They stop trying. Now Jerseys, different story. You can say easy girl, and they still will belt you. So far out of the Jerseys we have, the first one that freshened last December had a wicked attitude for 6 weeks, then she calmed down. The other Jerseys we have have had their share of problems. One has two dead teats, sisterns didn't form properly. The other had mastitis in her front right as a fresh heifer, and her teats are out to the edge of her udder. While one of the holsteins has the same deal, as far as teat placement. She does not kick, like the Jersey will. I can leave her unattended while I get another cow, and I can come back, the milkers will still be on.

Jerseys have their pluses, one big one and the only one I have found, is the way they can convert feed, IF they are good genetics wise to do so. We have a jerseyxholstein, and she can't convert feed well at all. She isn't ours, but nonetheless, not an animal I would keep her long if I owned her. Heck the two teated jersey produces more than her, and she has 4 quarters working.

The holstein breeds temperment I like, very laid back, they are also hardy from my own experience with them. Not only that, when you get into genetics, and production wise, they do bring more $$$ than the other breeds.

Jeff

lilsassafrass · #12 10/19/06, 12:40 PM

beef :
Highlands of coarse!
but I am patial to beef shorthorns as well

Dairy :
I do like the gurnesys but a highland cross I dont think you can beat for a family cow

Up North · #13 10/19/06, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffNY

Holsteins. I have always loved holsteins, and I have better luck with holsteins. If they go to kick when first milking, simply by saying "EASY GIRL". They stop trying. Now Jerseys, different story. You can say easy girl, and they still will belt you. So far out of the Jerseys we have, the first one that freshened last December had a wicked attitude for 6 weeks, then she calmed down. The other Jerseys we have have had their share of problems. One has two dead teats, sisterns didn't form properly. The other had mastitis in her front right as a fresh heifer, and her teats are out to the edge of her udder. While one of the holsteins has the same deal, as far as teat placement. She does not kick, like the Jersey will. I can leave her unattended while I get another cow, and I can come back, the milkers will still be on.

Jerseys have their pluses, one big one and the only one I have found, is the way they can convert feed, IF they are good genetics wise to do so. We have a jerseyxholstein, and she can't convert feed well at all. She isn't ours, but nonetheless, not an animal I would keep her long if I owned her. Heck the two teated jersey produces more than her, and she has 4 quarters working.

The holstein breeds temperment I like, very laid back, they are also hardy from my own experience with them. Not only that, when you get into genetics, and production wise, they do bring more $$$ than the other breeds.

Jeff

Three uses for a 2 teated cow:
1.) Let her raise a calf same as a beef brood cow.
2.) Put her in your freezer
3.) Put her on cull cow truck.

Your feed, labor and housing are better spent on a healthy 4 QTR cow, even if she is just a good grade. You talk in previous posts of having a herd where people ooh and ahh when they walk down the milking string- an admirable goal mind you. But If you want that and a good reputation for top dairy cattle, it starts by culling undesirables.

Razorback21 · #14 10/19/06, 01:16 PM

I, just as Ozark Jewel, like Murray Grey's. Easy keepers, docile, good feed conversion. Not too many around here, so we go with our next favorites, black baldys. Get the best price for them as well.

Razorback 21

Karin L · #15 10/19/06, 02:05 PM

I'll put mine:

Dairy: not much experience with them, but so far Holstein and Jersey are good for me.

Beef: Angus (black), Hereford, angusX, herfX, and black white-face.

Paula · #16 10/19/06, 04:02 PM

Dexters! They don't drown you in milk, the milk is better than Jersey milk, do great just on pasture/hay, docile, wonderful meat, trustworthy bulls.

farmerdan · #17 10/19/06, 06:05 PM

Jerseys and Red Polls. Hey Jeff, someone forgot to tell some of my Holstein heifers in the past that they were suppose to settle down with an "easy girl!" I've had some real Holstein vixons. The more white the more temper!

Dan

JeffNY · #18 10/19/06, 07:33 PM

I have a mostly white cow, she has a mind of her own, but is very good in the parlor. She will stand there, wont move a muscle while milking. Actually if she does lift her leg, it isn't to wack at you, she puts it back down.

True Heather, thing is, all but one aren't that great. The one that is good cost $75, and her calf would be GR, vs OA. She has more value as a OA animal, vs those registered. At this time though, as far as walking through the barn, right now isn't when that will happen. It will happen when my breeding starts to populate the herd. The Jerseys will drop to two, the swiss will stay. I will have mostly holsteins. So hopefully by 08 ill have the heifers born this year calved out, then by 09 next years calved out. I wont have the herd I am after till then, or 2010. Right a year before I hope to go to the WDE in 2011.

Jeff

willow_girl · #19 10/20/06, 08:44 AM

Quote:

The holstein breeds temperment I like, very laid back,

The phrase, "Dumb as a box of rocks ... " also comes to mind.

Now, I love my Holsteins, but they are none too bright.

Seems they are just smart enough to realize the lil Jersey who is half their age, and half their size, is smarter than they are ... and they follow her.

OK, so maybe they're not so dumb after all?

Quote:

Three uses for a 2 teated cow:
1.) Let her raise a calf same as a beef brood cow.
2.) Put her in your freezer
3.) Put her on cull cow truck.

One of the herds I test has a 2-teat cow who made something like 114# on the last test, about 3 or 4 months into her third lactation

Now, she is being milked 3x a day ... but STILL ... !!!

I have never seen anything like it in my life.

Her bag (or what's left of it) is HUGE ...

At the a.m. milking, she made close to 50# on those two teats ... UNREAL!

JeffNY · #20 10/20/06, 10:51 PM

I have to disagree with intelligence, with Jerseys and Holsteins, etc. Jerseys for being the smartest breed, do some pretty dumb things. For example, they will chew on things they aren't supposed to, like wood. They tend to get themselves into trouble more often, that IMO is not intelligence. What makes them appear "smart" is the fact they are curious. I have been able to lead a Jersey to just about anything, they go. Holsteins will go, wait a minute here. I am not going there, because it doesn't seem right. Jerseys also do give up easier than other breeds. While training Jerseys, I have had them fall over, they simply give up and keel over. When they get sick, they tend to go down quickly.

One other thing, comparing quality. It takes more research, more $$ to pickup a quality jersey. Holsteins with decent udders can be had for their average price. BUT a jersey can convert feed better than a holstein. Now as far as smart breeds. I have found that the swiss we have is smarter than those jerseys. She has one heck of a memory. The jerseys forget within a few minutes. Last winter we gave her a shot for warts, she had one on her teat. The shot was given in the neck, near the spine. She remembers that shot to this day, and its almost a year. The jerseys dont, or even the holsteins. I have heard some say swiss are "dumb". They have a very laid back approach to things, they have the same expression whether they are ticked, or not. Also, they listen quite well. The holsteins will listen, while the Jerseys simply kick even harder when you give them some of their own medicine.

Also remember, Jerseys are prone to milk fever. IMO the best, hardiest long lasting breed, is the Brown Swiss. Jerseys, Holsteins, Guernseys etc dont come close. Many swiss have been known to go to 15 yrs, and still milk 60lbs.

Jeff