Thinking about AI'ing my heifers with Jersey semen

[farmergirl]

I want a family milk cow someday, but am finding the purchase price for a jersey cow to be prohibitive. I will be breeding my beef heifer crosses in about 6 mos (they're still growing) and had a thought: what if I get straws of Jersey semen and have both heifers AI'd. I might get a decent heifer calf to raise up as a family milk cow, if not I still get crossbreds that would make decent beef. Anyone have thoughts on this??

[glenn amolenaar]

We crossed our Jersey's with Black Angus. The heifer calves gave some of the best milk and the cross bred bull calves brought a good price at sale time. We enjoyed the beef not as much yellow fat. The heifer calves have all been excellent mothers. Glenn

[Up North]

farmergirl - Your plan is sensible enough and certainly could be done. My thoughts are that from the time you start breeding to Jersey to the time you have a family milk cow will be roughly 3 years.
Perhaps you would arrive at a family milk cow in your corral sooner by
expanding your quest to include any & all of the dairy cow breeds, or even consider a dairy crossbred cow.
They all eat grass or hay and turn it into milk.

[farmergirl]

Thanks for the input. One of my heifers is black angus and the other looks to have at least a little milking shorthorn in her, rest is some sort of beef blend (she's solid red with a swirl of white hairs above her eyes and little stubby horns). Maybe I could plan to AI them and if a milk cow walks into my life along the way it will be a pleasant surprise. I just have found that a decent milk cow cannot be found for less than $1200. Sometimes I feel like I should just stand by the side of the road with a sign that reads "Will provide loving home with good pasture and plenty of attention for inexpensive milk cow. Looks not important."

[farmergirl]

Originally Posted by Up North

farmergirl - Your plan is sensible enough and certainly could be done. My thoughts are that from the time you start breeding to Jersey to the time you have a family milk cow will be roughly 3 years.
Perhaps you would arrive at a family milk cow in your corral sooner by
expanding your quest to include any & all of the dairy cow breeds, or even consider a dairy crossbred cow.
They all eat grass or hay and turn it into milk.

Forgot to mention that even the crossbreds are expensive! I'm not in a big dairy area so there just isn't alot to choose from I would gladly bottle raise an orphaned calf if needbe just to get my darn milk cow!

[matt_man]

Why can't you train one of your heifers to be your milk cow. All cows give milk even the beef breeds. She may not give 5 or 6 gallons a day but might provide for your family needs.

[farmergirl]

Good question. I only have two beef heifers and plan to use those to raise calves off of. I'm not sure that they'll give enough milk for their calves and for us to use. I plan to feed excess milk from a milk cow to my growing pigs.

[dosthouhavemilk]

http://familycow.proboards32.com/ind...ead=1177779179

I don't know the person.