What age to breed a Jersey

[livinzoo]

I have a Jersey Heifer. She is 11 months old. She is about 42 inches at the hip bones. The Coburn weight tape shows her at 490 lbs when looking at the section marked Jersey. It suggests to breed around 530 lbs. I know someone with a miniature Jersey Bull but they said they have always been told to breed at 15-24 months. What would you guys recommend? She is my first and only cow, she lives with goats and pigs. I'll try to post some pics.

[livinzoo]

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_cQJmnFLSwLA/TN...0/DSCN0905.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_cQJmnFLSwLA/TN...0/DSCN0913.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_cQJmnFLSwLA/TN...0/DSCN0907.JPG

[topside1]

14-16 months. Ideally you want her to be two years old when she freshens. Breed her with a small bull or angus...She's a bit light for her age....Topside

[topside1]

Send me the photos and I'll post them for you, that is if you get frustrated. My home e-mail account.

[BlackWillowFarm]

I bred my two Jersey heifers at 11.5 months based on their weight instead of age. They were both pushing 650/700lbs at 11 months. The lighter weight heifer is out of my Jersey cow who weighs 842lbs tops. The other heifer is from a commercial dairy and I don't know how big her momma was.

[65284]

I agree with topside1, she looks a little small and could use more growth and weight. If she were mine I would push some extra groceries to her and wait 3-4 months longer to breed her.

I firmly believe that rushing heifers to calve early can do them real harm that may negatively impact them for the rest of their lives. I never breed a heifer before they are at least 15 months old, and if they haven't developed the way I think they should at that age I wait until they look like I want them to.

[ozark_jewels]

I breed by size, not age, they usually end up breeding around 12-15 months of age.
I like to see a bit more body and size on my heifers than is exhibited by yours in the photos, before putting them under a bull. Give her a few more months and breed her for a late fall, early winter baby. Or if she still doesn't look ready, a spring calf.

[springvalley]

Your calf needs more time and more to eat, I would wait till next summer to breed her. > Thanks Marc

[agmantoo]

If you will go here you can read about body condition scoring
http://www.uaex.edu/other_Areas/Publ...F/FSA-4008.pdf

Your heifer to me would fall under number 2 and possibly less IMO. Further reading will tell you she is in poor condition and may have reproduction problems.

My observation from the pics is that you are feeding her by the looks of the gut but she is not benefiting from what you are feeding. Either the hay is of poor quality and possibly too low in volume or the heifer is wormy. With improvements in the quality and volume of feed and a thorough parasite control regimen you would see a great example of compensatory gain. I would not attempt to get this animal bred until after her general condition is significantly improved.

[Creamers]

I agree with Agmantoo, 100%

[cathleenc]

no comment on breeding/condition as it's not my skill set...

I did want to say I like the way your heifer and your chickens match!

[ozark_jewels]

Yes, very pretty young heifer, but could definately do with some more months and groceries.

[livinzoo]

Thanks guys!

We just started hay about a month ago. We haven't gotten all of our property fenced yet and the grass started getting thin. I know the pasture isn't the most nutritious. We just moved here this year and the pasture had been left to its own devices for years prior, as evidenced by all the trees. You would be amazed at how much better the pasture looks than it did. It was mostly blackberries and brush, now it is a mix of fescue and bermuda. I'm buying bermuda hay in round bales and feeding all they can eat. So hopefully that will help put some weight on her.

I wish Alfalfa was more readily available down here. If you can find it, it is always in squares and $10+ per square. I plan to seed some clover in. I also plan to do some chicken tractors with broilers in the spring to help fertilize. Don't know what else I should do to help improve the pasture. Any suggestions? We only have 7 acres and about 1/5 of which is woods.
Here is a pic. http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink It goes back to the black line (past the blue line).

Is Ivermectin the best type of wormer? Its what I use on the pigs. The goats get moxidectin because of the barber pole worms.

[cathleenc]

no advice on the wormer and such but a request -

could you please include your location in your user info - so that it shows up on your posts? That is always appreciated and good info when sharing advice.

thanks!

[livinzoo]

Originally Posted by cathleenc

no advice on the wormer and such but a request -

could you please include your location in your user info - so that it shows up on your posts? That is always appreciated and good info when sharing advice.

thanks!

Opps didn't realize it wasn't there.

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by livinzoo

Ivermectin the best type of wormer? Its what I use on the pigs. The goats get moxidectin because of the barber pole worms.

I prefer Cydectin for my cows and goats. If you have the Cydectin, thats what I'd reccomend.