White patches on Jersey - desirable or no?

[Cat]

The last little bull calf I got is the cutest thing - has a nice big white patch on both sides. He was the little squirt that, when I went to get them, got away from the dairyman's son and raced ALL over the place before we finally got him rounded up and put into the pickup. Feisty - I like it! Anyway, the first bull calf that I was wanting to keep doesn't have a symmetrical face. lol I know, I may be the only one who even notices crap like that. Anyway, I was thinking, this little white speckled one being so cute & actually being less tame as he was put on the nurse cow as soon as I got him and has never been bottle fed by me, that it might be better to keep him as a bull and castrate Dande.

Anyway, since the purpose in keeping him is so I can have purebred calves (he is from a registered herd), would there be any problem with him possibly throwing speckled calves? Will people be more inclined to think that there's holstein crossed in? Of course, this would only matter if I got heifer calves, but seeing how I'm not involved in the dairy business nor do I show, I don't know what he Jersey folk think of white. Personally, I love speckled animals!

[tyusclan]

I have some friends who have a Jersey dairy, and most of their cattle are registered. While most of them are solid, there are several with white on them, and I've owned a couple of cows that were registered and had white on them.

So, I know the white will not prevent registration, and as far as I know, it isn't considered a fault.

I don't know enough about Jersey genetics to know whether he would throw more calves with white or not. I would think that as few as there are with white, that the white patches would be a recessive gene, but I'm not sure.

[Teacupliz]

I have one purebred regsitered jersey with tons of white on her- i love her markings.
liz

[matt_man]

Our Jersey cow has a lot of white on her and her heifer calf does as well, she is registered. Color has nothing to do with their registration. Jerseys come in a variety of colors. I have seen people post specifically looking for jerseys with white on them on another forum.

Rachel

[glenn amolenaar]

My first question is how many cows/heifers do you keep? That cute bull is one of the most deadly kind to have. You want to sell the best so if you use A/I you have a larger selection and can try to breed for better traits. The reg. papers do not make him a better animal. Please be careful a 6 month old jersey bullcalf can hurt a child. Glenn

[Terry W]

Originally Posted by glenn amolenaar

Please be careful a 6 month old jersey bullcalf can hurt a child. Glenn

And SOME Jersey Bull calves turn into natural chiropractors-
Ralph sent his to Freezer Camp instead of to school, and right now, I sure could use an adjustment!!!

[Cat]

Yes, I'm well aware of the dangers of all animals. If he gets to be a little terrorist I have three options, eat him, sell him, or keep him penned away from everyone else, or four, I guess - share him with a friend's husband and his business partner who use Jersey on their first calf heifers & let them deal with him most of the year. I'm not afraid to do any of the above.

I didn't get papers on this little guy, I'm just wanting purebred calves so that if I do get heifers that they can be sold as family milkers. I actually like the white, Molly Moo has a slight bit on her, Aster hasn't got a bit.

[smpooh1]

There are many registered Jerseys with white markings. It's not a bad thing. One of our Registered Jersey cows has had 5 calves and 2 have been spotted. I recently saw an Ad on another forum with someone in TX wanting to buy a spotted Jersey. She did not want a solid color, spotted only.

[francismilker]

I've wondered about jerseys with white spots myself. Weren't the original jerseys that come over here all red with black outlines? It seems that there must be some lineage of crossbreeding done in the past. If this is so, how did someone register a calf supposed to be purebred? I may be totally wrong. But the thought has come to mind.
I realize that by crossbreeding, many new strains of bovines have come to existence and even have registrations of "purebred" status. But, the jerseys haven't taken on a new name like the others that have evolved over the years. (ie, black simmental, beefmaster, brangus.) Am I totally missing the point? Is white one of the original colors of jersey?

[Cat]

If white wasn't desirable and wasn't something found on the original Jerseys from long ago, it could be something as simple as people not culling those with white that popped up - because they thought it was cute! Even with the best breedings you get 'sports', I'm sure in mammals as you do in birds (what I'm more familiar with) and that could be all it was? I've not researched it so I haven't a clue really, just assumptions! I was just thinking not too long ago how interesting it'd be to have all white Jerseys. ha!

[IMContrary]

For EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about Jersey cattle, go to: http://www.jersey-dk.dk/index.php?page=index

Also has some great photographs! Enjoy, I know I can spend hours on this site.