cross breeding question

[neal68]

we have a holstein/jersey cross heifer and we would like to have her bred to a highlander or a jersey bull.
my question is: has anyone done this and what was the outcome? breeding with a highlander bull that is.
she will not be ready to breed for a couple of months so we have time to figure out what to do.

[genebo]

I just went to visit a Highland/Dexter cross that I had bred some years ago. The Highland horns showed their influence by making the cross's horns grow extra long. They curled back toward her face. Her horns had to be cut to keep them away from her face. She is a great cow in all other respects. She just looks weird.

[springvalley]

Originally Posted by genebo

She just looks weird.

I`m not one much for crossing everything every which way, I think I would go back with the jersey bull, that way you will have a 3/4 jersey calf and might amount to something. It is your heifer, do what you like, this is my opinion. > Thanks Marc

[MO_cows]

I just don't see the purpose of crossing the highland with the dairy breeds. Two totally different types. Hairy dairy?? 3/4 Jersey offspring sounds a lot more marketable to sell and a lot more predictable if you are keeping it.

[tinknal]

What Mark and Mo cows said.

[genebo]

One good reason for crossing a dairy breed with a Dexter or Highland is to improve the quality and quantity of the beef you get from the calves.

Mark Schotzky picked Highland beef as the best steak he ever ate (but he never tasted Dexter). Both breeds score among the top ranks in taste tests.

I have to agree, though, that I wouldn't want to milk one with Highland ancestry. Udders can be hairy enough without adding the long coats of Highlands.

I think that most of the dairy cows that are outcrossed are for one of two reasons. Either it's to boost the beef of the calf or because the dairy bulls are cranky and no fun to keep, so there's not many of them around.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

I can tell you exactly why its a good reason to cross highland with dairy. we have done it, do it now, and are happy with the results.

Highlands are smaller, eat way less, calve small, don't need specialty feed and are extremely weather hardy.

Crossing with dairy produces a medium-large framed animal, that can withstand the weather, eats less, will have more meat on them and aren't fussy.
All the good attributes of a highland except bigger frame.

For milking, highland milk is very high in butterfat. So if you wanted to milk one, you would get good quality milk, just less of it since they are a beef animal, however, many of our highland babies are still nursing at 7 months old, so if you milk one, they won't dry up super fast, especially if they are half dairy.

So if the baby is a heifer, I think you would be very happy. If the baby is a bull, you would be safer, because dairy bulls tend to get nasty as they get older, even castrated. I guess part of your decision should reflect what you want the baby for.

As far as the hairy udder goes, shave it, no different than a dairy goat.