Mini Jersey questions

[Chirpy]

I have just gotten our first cow... heifer calf actually. She is a miniature Jersey and is 9 months old. I have llamas, goats, chickens and have had horses but she's my first cow.

I generally do not give a lot of shots or medication for my animals unless it's necessary. I have no idea what, if any, shots are necessary for her? Can you please give me your thoughts (I know everyone feels differently but I would like all your input and reasons) on giving her shots. She will be our milk source when she's old enough to breed (which I'm planning on in July or August this summer).

I live in Colorado where it is dry. We live out in the country with other cattle on land around us (only part of the year though) if that makes any difference.

I am going to have her dehorned this week. My vet will be doing the procedure... I'd appreciate your thoughts on this also. We have children and grandchildren and, as is typical, she likes to use her head a lot so I am concerned about her accidentally hurting someone. She is very, very sweet but is still young and likes to jump around at times.

Any helpful advice, thoughts and input you can offer I would greatly appreciate.

 

[Latestarter]

@WildRoseBeef @jhm47 @greybeard Congrats on your latest herd addition. She's a cutie! I agree with the de-horning. Do you know what vaccinations if any she might have already received from the seller?

 

[TAH]

I would defiantly have de-horned. The best time to breed them is anywhere from 15-18 months old. She is a beautiful girl. Hope she settles in well for you.

 

[Chirpy]

She has not received any shots to date. I'm glad to hear you agree with the de-horning. I'm a little nervous about the procedure but feel it is the best thing for her/us.

 

[Latestarter]

Even a mini/dwarf cow will weigh 600-800 pounds, and one wrong move with horns could leave a kid blind or with a concussion. Just not worth the risk especially when kids are involved. <--all that spoken by a man who does NOT agree with seatbelt laws and kids bike helmet laws... But I DO believe in common sense

 

[WildRoseBeef]

Definitely dehorn, and check with your vet for vaccinations that she'll be needing.

 

[greybeard]

Definitely dehorn--mini or not, she is still a Jersey.

 

[Firemedichagy]

She's absolutely gorgeous!! Love her colors
I agree with the dehorning.
As big as she will be I couldn't imagine getting hit. Even in play, my guy can sure pack a punch. He's a goat though.
We use boxing gloves. It's fun for all and no one gets bruises
My goat weighs 90 lbs and is the sweetest but there are certain things that will cause him to swing around and you definitely don't want to be on the receiving end. I can't imagine what it would be like if he didn't hold back some. He has taken a chunk out of my calf the size of a nickel. I don't want to even think about if it was my head or eye... (It was totally my fault, ok 50/50)
I knew better than to reach for something in front of him without having ahold of his horns. He grabbed someone's cigarette pack and was going at it like it was the greatest thing he'd ever seen and I reached down to take it away. Everyone knows if he has something to hold his horns...
That's his only bad habit and it's rare. If I were to do it again, even as beautiful as he is with horns... I would remove them. Ahh, hindsight. Gotta love it

 

[raeleigh26]

There are many vaccines for cattle, especially breeding cattle, some people never vaccinate, I do. ...
But your vet can tell you what you should vaccinate for and when, for the area you are in. It varies depending on what diseases are prevalent where you are, and what she might be exposed to.
I have neighbors that buy and sell sale barn cattle, who knows where they come from, what they have, or where they're going, so I vaccinate for things that I otherwise wouldn't need to worry about, such as bangs, even though they'll never cross a state line or be sold.
Even if she isn't exposed to unknown cattle, consider whether she'll ever be taken to the vet and run through his chutes.... discuss your concerns with your vet.
Don't forget the booster shots!

 

[Chirpy]

Thought you all might like to see her after the de-horning: