Is this a good price?

[scrambledmess]

I saw an ad on craigslist for jerseyxholstein heifers newly weaned and on dry feed/hay. They were asking $250 for them. We are thinking of getting a milker. But it would be almost 2 years, right, before any milk? Would it be worth it at this price?

 

[jhm47]

That's a very good price for decent heifers. Yes, it will be nearly 2 years before you get any milk from them. Be sure that they are dehorned.

 

[PattySh]

I bought a 5 week old Jersey/Holstein from an organic farm for $150 christmastime. Put another bag of milk replacer in her so weaned she would have been about $250. I dehorned her. She is a doll, very gentle because we have worked with her so young. She leads easily etc. I did not want to start out with an older cow and get one I couldn't handle. I am happy to wait to breed her at 15 mos (more or less) and wait for milking. Meanwhile I have the goats to milk. I have read good things about the Jersey/HolsteinXs, great milk for drinking raw and lots of it, not as thick as pure Jersey but with enough cream to make good cheese, butter etc.

 

[farmgirljen]

How do you know these heifers were not freemartins? I can see th organic farm being honest,etc.. but buying one from an individual, auction,or ?? I was always taught hat any dairy heifers were kept on, and brought up to be replacement heifers(and around here that is true) so any dairy heifer calves for sale were most likely freemartins...

 

[Imissmygirls]

In this area, even a crossbred heifer is bringing $$. Dairy farmers who would not have been caught dead with a crossbred before, have a few now for various reasons.
I could see a farmer breeding small first calf heifers to jersey and then not want to keep the calves. You never know.
However, i would try to breed that jersey cross closer to 12 months than 15. Jerseys should be bred sooner rather than later.

 

[PattySh]

I haven't had her checked yet she's 5 months old. She better not be as I specifically asked if she was either a twin or checked and found to be freemartin. This guy advertised a couple of baby heifers as freemartin and not able to be bred so I tend to believe she's fine. He was scaling back and also had milking cows available as well as young calves and heifers.

 

[PattySh]

I've be told to breed this gal at 13-15 mos? Is 15 mos too late? This is our first cow and I have to figure out yet how to get her bred, either artifically or a local bull.

 

[jhm47]

13 months, 15 months, the most important thing is to be sure that the heifer is at least 65 - 70% of her mature weight (bigger is better), cycling regularly, and is healthy otherwise. You would be wise to get the opinion of someone who has a lot of experience before breeding her. AI is definitely the way to go. You can choose bulls that are proven calving ease. An unproven bull can sire extremely large calves that require a lot of assistance during delivery. Vets routinely charge $300.00 + to do a caesarian, and you still often lose the calf, and often the cow.

 

[Imissmygirls]

Jhm, If she were Holstein or other breed, I'd totally agree. In my experience raising jersey heifers, if they aren't bred BEFORE 15 months you have one heck of a time getting them to settle. I would chart cycles starting from the first heat and breed at 12 months to a jersey bull.
If the heifer is hand raised and tame you can just tie her with a halter to something solid and call the AI technician, no other confinement needed.
Hopefully you will have a small technician, because a big man will have one heck of a time AI breeding a Jersey. They are just physically small when at breeding age.
We actually had a 9 month old Jersey heifer jump the fence with a Holstein bull. We thought C-section for sure. Had a perfectly small Jersey/Holstein baby with no problem. Mama went to a family farm because she was just too small to produce profitably in a commercial herd.
Having said that, there are commercial Jerseys who start their first lactations at 18 months, according to their official DHIA records. 20 months is more common.

 

[jhm47]

I will take your word for it. Most of my expertise is in beef cattle, and I readily admit that I have absolutely no experience with Jerseys. Funny thing---In all the thousands of heifers I've bred over the years, I've never bred a Jerssy.

I will say that the 13 - 15 month thing is pretty much standard for beef and Holstein heifers.