Jersey vs. Mini

[Small Owls Farm]

I am looking to find a good family milker and am curious about mini breeds. Is there a discernable difference in the taste/quality of mini milkers/standard Jerseys or other dairy breeds? I would imagine there's quite a difference in production... Any opinions would be appreciated. Thanks!

[francismilker]

I'm not sure that there's any difference in the quality and taste of mini\full size jersey milk, but there's definetely a difference in other large breed milk. Production also varies. I think most folks go for a Jersey breed for the family cow. Others like the Guernsey. (though they're harder to find in some areas) A milking shorthorn would be a good choice as they are considered a "dual purpose" cow and still have a have a high enough butterfat content to make products from your milk. If you want a lot of production, (and I mean lot's of it,) you can get a holstein which should be the easiest to find. But, most folks around the homestead environment just don't need that much milk for household use. It all depends of your intentions of milk use.

[Donna from Mo]

A mini-Jersey is nothing more than a small Jersey. So there's no difference in the milk or meat, just less of both.

[dosthouhavemilk]

Originally Posted by Donna from Mo

A mini-Jersey is nothing more than a small Jersey. So there's no difference in the milk or meat, just less of both.

And a higher price tag.....

[ebook]

A mini-jersey is nothing more than the original size of the historical jersey. Here is a quote from this website :

"Miniature Jerseys are not a new breed, nor a bred down replica of the Jersey cattle we see today. They are descendants of the original Jerseys imported from the Jersey islands and Britain many years ago with the same size and conformation of the original Jersey breed."

Also, you could think about the Milking Devon. It's an old breed, so you could get your milk (and meat because it is dual purpose) and help keep a neat breed of cattle going.

[dosthouhavemilk]

Most "Mini-Jerseys" being sold are crossbreeds...usually using Dexter, Zebu and White Park.....

Our Jerseys used to weigh closer to 650 at maturity...back in the 50s and earlier. Our herd can trace it's genetics back to the first herd of registered Jerseys brought West of the Appalachians by a relative of ours......When you increase health and breed for selective traits like production size will come with it.

[Small Owls Farm]

Thanks everybody! I have been quite interested in the "historical" breeds for exactly the reasons y'all brought up... But Roseanna is totally right - the minis, whether they are dexters, herefords, or other crosses are incredibly expensive (even from unproven dams). I just thought that a little gal might be easier for me to deal with because of their size. Plus I'm only 5'0 tall. However, the cost and rarity is making finding a high quality milker pretty tough (I live in MT)... I think I'll start looking for a nice Jersey. I don't know much about Guernseys...