How much is she worth?

[southerngurl]

We're thinking about selling our Jersey, Elsie. She is about 8 years old, in great shape. She is a good sized Jersey, you can milk her anywhere from either side. She's been milked by 4 kids at the same time, one on each teat. Right now she is milking off of dwindling pasture (and stuff out in the woods), being milked once a day and milking about 5 quarts. She will milk more if you feed her concentrate and go back to twice day. In the past she'd peak about 4 gallons a day according to the previous owner. I just walk out in the pasture wherever she is and go to milking and she stands well. I head outside with my pot, come back in in about 15 minutes with milk. She never ever ever kicks. She freshened in September. May be bred back, I haven't had her tested but she haven't noticed her come back in heat. Would have been bred early April by a jersey/holstein cross bull. Oh, also has large, easy to milk teats.

So those are her pros
Cons: Has had a history of mastitis, all four quarters work but two work fully and the other two probably 50%. However, since we've had her and fed her more naturally she has been fine. Had her two years. She tried to get mastitis about 10 days after we got her and garlic cleared it up in a couple days. Then when we started drying her up she got a little clumpy in one teat and also cleared up with garlic in a couple days. She has had NO mastitis this second lactation with us. Excellent milk that keeps a long time in the fridge. In her previous home she was fed really poor hay and grain/sweet feed. On pasture she doesn't get mastitis. Has horns, but I sawed the ends off so they are blunt.

And of course, she's no spring chicken at 8 but is in great shape. I can get pics. She's on the big side for a Jersey.

Needs someone who knows how to be gentle and patient. If you handle her right all's well. But if you are in a bad mood it or -heaven forbid- yell at her/hit her, it will upset her and she will become afraid and stupid You'll keep getting angrier and she'll keep getting stupider...

She gave us a beautiful heifer we are keeping, otherwise we wouldn't consider selling her. Also, we are looking at a major hay shortage here.

[southerngurl]

Ok, here is a pic. You can see our sorry pasture in the background

[gone-a-milkin]

She is a pretty lady.

Not sure what you could get for her, but it will be more if you can confirm she is bred back and give a good estimate of her due date.
It may be worth having her preg checked.

Good luck finding her a happy home.
The forage situation is looking very BLEAK right now, isn't it?

[opportunity]

Originally Posted by gone-a-milkin

She is a pretty lady.

Not sure what you could get for her, but it will be more if you can confirm she is bred back and give a good estimate of her due date.
It may be worth having her preg checked.

Good luck finding her a happy home.
The forage situation is looking very BLEAK right now, isn't it?

confirmed breed about$1800 here non confirmed about$1500. sounds like a nice cow

[Creamers]

I'd say $1,500

[southerngurl]

Wow I would not have thought that much. Opportunity, where are you located?

She is actually 9, not 8 sorry.

[kycrawler]

she would bring 6-7 here 8-900 confirmed bred

[southerngurl]

Once again, where is "here"?

[Creamers]

she would bring 6-7 here 8-900 confirmed bred

I'm curious, too - it certainly isn't near Ohio, Ky, PA, WV or Va. . .have you tried posting her on the Keeping a Family Cow board?

[Judy in IN]

Here is Indiana. There must be more dairy in this state than where she would fetch $1500, as an unregistered cow with a history of mastitis and maybe bred.

I didn't see "where" the $1500 value was.

[southerngurl]

No I haven't put her up for sale yet. Was trying to figure out how much to ask for her.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

Unless you find someone who wants her because of her handle ability, and you can talk them up, because of her age, here in wisconsin she's worth slaughter price. Thats about 65-85 cents a pound live weight. I think if you can get 800 for her, I would take the money and run.

[dosthouhavemilk]

Originally Posted by Creamers

I'm curious, too - it certainly isn't near Ohio, Ky, PA, WV or Va. . .have you tried posting her on the Keeping a Family Cow board?

Actually his price is fairly on the nose for Ohio....she would be worth a bit more than slaughter price..
It really depends on your market though. If you can find someone wanting a nice trained family cow, they will sometimes pay more.
We used to sell really promising first calf heifers for $1,000-$1,500 to other dairy farms. We also sold a lot of crossbreeds (Jersey/Norwegian Reds) for less than that.
Right now, we sell our Dairy/Beef crosses for less than $1,000 usually with a calf at side. They milk almost as well as our straight Jersey heifers did (so around 40 pounds a day) if fed for it.
Of course, dad has a history of asking less than what a lot of places ask for better quality cows.

With the above cow you are limited on your market. You aren't going to find a dairy farm wanting to buy her at that age, so you have to market her well to a family cow home. Or she goes for slaughter.

[southerngurl]

We would not sell her for slaughter, we would keep her.

[opportunity]

There are not many dairys around here so anything that is a family milk cow is over prices. If I tames some of my jersys downs they would be worth quite a bit more but I mostly use them to make beef steers so mine are worth less being wild.

[dosthouhavemilk]

Originally Posted by southerngurl

We would not sell her for slaughter, we would keep her.

That came across wrong. I was dashing to work. If she had to be sold, that is what you would likely be limited to. If you don't have to sell, then it isn't an either or.