What is a "Black Jersey"

[Homeschoolmom]

We are looking for a new family cow and I found one on Craigslist for $1000. She is 2 1/2 years old with an 8 week old calf on her and believed to have been bred last week but of course no way to know if she took up. The man milked her out for the first week and got a gallon a day and then put the calf on her and she has been nursing the calf for the past 7 weeks. I asked if she was a full blooded Jersey and he said she was a black Jersey (he considered her dark brown ????). What does this mean? I am sure this is a dumb question but I have never heard of a black Jersey before.

Also if a calf has been on her for 7 weeks is there any hope I could get her milk production up to something that would provide enough milk for our family?

Thanks

Rebecca
Homeschooling, Homesteading, Homebirthing Mama to 6 blessings with #7 due in Jan 09

[matt_man]

There are many different colors in jerseys. Some are nearly black, some are almost a cream color, some have white patches. I think it is a good price for a cow/calf pair. She should just be hitting peak milk production so if you got her and started milking, I'm sure you could get plenty for family. You could wean the calf in a few more weeks and have all the milk for yourself also.

Rachel

[myersfarm]

The man milked her out for the first week and got a gallon a day

thats strange maybe the first few days with the swelling but she should be giving lots more then a gallon ...... 2 1/2 years old should give close to 4 to 6 gallons...

I would think she was not feed right or he knows she will not produce no matter what she is feed


I would ask if I had the money to buy....... go look at cow ..... ask for him to pen up calf away form cow over night and then go milk next day see if she gives no more then a gallon ......I would pass .......she should give 2 to 3 at the very least and hopefully 4 to 6 a day milkimg twice a day

after thinking a second I bet she is a angus / jersey cross ...black jersey

plus some only give milk like the beef cow not the jersey cow side of the family

I would think beef price for a jersey is about 30 cents pound thats what the cow is worth if only giving a gallon a day

tjm

[gone-a-milkin]

If it is her first freshening, and she is half jersey (or more) she could still make a good milker.

I think you could bring her production up. Feed her right, get the calf off her, and remember also that she will do better NEXT lactation.

I would want to get a really good look at her before deciding.

Oh yeah, and jerseys do come in all shades of brown. Some bloodlines of darker colored jerseys are well know for their high casein content, which is a good thing for cheese-making.

[topside1]

Take this for what it's worth...I'm not a dairyman by any means. A cow being sold as a dairy product better be producing at least 4 gallons per day. That's all I should have to say, $1000 is a lot of money, even in Tennessee and I'm sure money needs to be spent smartly. Four gallons a day is an absolute minimum in my eyes....but that's me.

[Homeschoolmom]

Thank you all so much for your help.

I should have mentioned that he was milking her out the first week because he felt she was making more than the calf could handle. So he was getting a gallon a day and the calf was still nursing as usual. Not sure if that make a difference because I have no idea how much a small calf eats a day.

We are trying to decide what to do at this point. The cow is 3 hours away in VA and we are moving this weekend to our new farm. If we take a full day to go check her out and she is a good cow then all is great but if we spend the whole day checking her out and she inst a good cow we have lost a desperately needed day of moving :-(. I sure wish he had a way to send pictures. It would help us make a decision for sure.

Thanks again for your help!

Rebecca
Homeschooling, Homesteading, Homebirthing Mama to 6 blessings with #7 due in Jan 09.

[SHELBY]

She could very well be producing 3-4 gallons of milk by now, if not more, We have a 8 week old calf still on her Jersey mamma and we had to start seperating them overnight cause we weren't getting any milk anymore.
And last year at her peak she was giving 4 gallons a day with no calf on her and only being a 2 quarter first calf heifer at 2 yrs old.

[topside1]

I'd concentrate on moving, then cow hunting. Sounds to me like the seller is clearing his conscience by calling this cow a "Black Jersey". The cow is black because Angus are black. Keep hunting....JMO Topside

[northprairiegir]

My first thought was also that she might be crossed with an angus. We have some really good friends that have a 3 yr. old jersey/angus milk cow who is black and she doesn't give nearly the milk that a pure jersey would give. She is a good cow, but doesn't have the production. I would say keep looking - $1000 is a lot of money and there could be something else out there that would fit your needs as a family milker better.

[gone-a-milkin]

Sometimes a jersey/HOLSTEIN cross will come out nearly solid black too, with a little white around the feet...I am just saying that there is no way to know her breeding without looking at her.

[Madsaw]

We also have had Jersey/Holsteins come out black too. Most of the time they are small framed of a jersey and a tempermant of a she devil. This could be a cross and the reason for only being milked a week.
If anything else have the seller buy a disposable camera take the pics and send the camera too you. Then get it developed. From teh way cow prices have dropped she will not be going any where fast.
Bob

[wwubben]

Sometimes a pure jersey is black.You would have to see the cow.

[topside1]

Hello- I'm looking for Canadienne cattle (sometimes called black jerseys) for sale in the United States. The closer to Minnesota, the better, but I'm willing to travel if need be. Please let me know what you have available and when.

Found this to be interesting....Topside

They were aided by the government of Quebec who considers Canadienne Cattle to be part of the region's heritage. Canadienne Cattle have made a comeback today and are known as Black Canadians, Black Jerseys, Canadians, or French Canadians

[65284]

Yes there are solid black Jersey's, ask the seller if she is purebred. Also important is whether the calf is a bull or a heifer, and what sired it. If the cow is a purebred Jersey and the calf is a heifer sired by a Jersey bull they would be a steal at that price.

[dezeeuwgoats]

I have a jersey holstein heifer and she's black. A few nips of white about the feet. Saw some angus today - totally different looking and enjoyed the opportunity for a comparison. The bone density and shortness of leg were very obvious. Mine is smaller framed - like a jersey, and to put it nicely, a bit of a handful. Not mean, just spirited.

[chukashtamoa]

Maybe she's a black Dexter cross. I have a black Dexter cow I AI Jersey last and got a black heifer.Also for more info have her sold at 3 months for 400.00 as a milker.

[Jennifer L.]

Let's just say I've heard stories of more than one cattle dealer laughing about selling "Black Jerseys" when the cows are actually Holsteins with Angus blood in them several generations back. Around here BJs are considered some type of Jersey cross, usually with Holstein, and they are essentially solid black cows. This is where the cattle dealer slides in with a several generation back Angus cross and sells them as "Black Jerseys" to dairymen who want to improve the test in their bulk tank.

I have a Black Jersey now who truly is half Jersey, and she's a big cow with a nice udder. Big milker, too.

Jennifer

[Slev]

I was reading along and kept thinking what about those black jerseys from Canada, so I'm glad that Topside mentioned them. Everyone seems focused on "the cow" in this thread, but I think I'd be focusing on the man selling the cow. What is his definition of a "black jersey" I mean, (as pointed out) there is slang terms and there is the actual "black jersey" does this guy know what he's talking about? Is he a real dairyman? Check with other local dairies, see if they know him, (although that may not be a fair comparison if locals don't get along) but you can also check with the local farm bureau.

I'm do dairy farmer, but honestly, $1,000 for a bred cow and a calf at side, IS JUST TOO CHEAP (at least in my area) I had to pay $750 for a young jersey calf and a 4 hour drive because no one here sells them. I realize out east may be different, but.... And as everyone has mentioned, she's not putting out what she should in milk production, that's a big red flag IMO.

I'd spend the time making the move and worry about the next cow.

[Ronney]

Slev, I think I get the gist of what your saying because of a comment made by somebody about one of my cows. I milk a jet black Jersey/Friesian cross, she doesn't have a skerrick of white on her other than a couple of small pinkish spots on her udder. He made the comment that I had a black Jersey and I said no, I had a Jersey/Friesian cross - it turned out that's what he meant. The crosses that turn out completely black and have the small stature and bone structure of the Jersey are commonly called Black Jersey, not to be confused with the true black Jersey.

I don't feel able to comment further on the actual cow other than to say that you would have to go and have a look at her yourself Rebecca and meet the man selling her and then see how you felt.

I must say though that you people have to pay huge money to get a cow. Over here a single cow is not worth a great deal of money no matter what her history is. A person buying a herd could find themselves paying nearly $2,000 per cow, as a single cow they are worth no more than what they would fetch at the works as a boner so good cows can be picked up for between $450.00 and $700.00 depending on breed, age, in-calve, calf at foot.

Cheers,
Ronnie

[Jennifer L.]

I wouldn't be so concerned about the price asked right now. It's the traditional time of year for low prices are cows are going into the barns for the winter. If you don't have enough room, somebody goes down the road.

I know of someone who went to the Canandaigua NY sale barn two weeks ago and bought seven 350-400 pound Holstein heifers for around $300 each. That's dirt cheap. As day olds last spring they might have been going for $400-500. Just because someone decided they didn't want to hold them over the winter.