# For very small farm: Please compare Jersey with Brown Swiss



## Jimoutside (Jul 13, 2015)

It's probably a topic that comes up from time to time.

My question is, to compare all the pros and cons of Jerseys versus Brown Swiss for a small dairy in the USA. The idea is to actually be able to sell milk or dairy products, either through standard markets, organic, or direct-marketing.

Not wanting to get into the legalities of this (selling raw milk is legal in my state, for instance), just how the two breeds compare for a small farm of ten-twenty milking animals.

Compare everything from cost, easiness to care for, milk production and quality, beef steer considerations, reproductive efficiency, health, longevity (how many productive lactations per cow), feed conversion efficiency (to milk), etc.

Thanks!


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

The most obvious thing is Swiss are big cows, larger than Holsteins most of the time. They are going to eat more and take up more barn room, probably going to give more milk than Jerseys.

The other aspect of it is your market, and people may gravitate towards Jersey milk. 

But I think a lot of it would come down to personal preference for one breed over the other. 

I never had any Swiss here and always wish I had had some. I worked with them at other farms and really liked them as gentle, laid back cows.


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## KatieVT (Dec 22, 2014)

Beef steer considerations:

Brown Swiss grow slowly, so if you are raising purebreds, a Jersey will fill out faster (though be smaller) than a Brown Swiss. However, if you breed to a beef bull either one could make good steers. My family has purchased and raised Swangus calves (Angus/Swiss), as well as pure Jerseys. Currently they have a Jersey/Red Angus cross calf.


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## kycrawler (Sep 18, 2011)

Jerseys are smaller , eat less , easier on pasture as some weigh half what a brown swiss will . I have a 12 year old registered jersey cow bred back now for her 10th calf easy gentle milker have a few others in the 6-8 year range . The cows I have probably wouldn't make it in a mega dairy not enough production . On pasture and a couple pounds of 16 %feed a day they milk 30-50 lbs . We just raise calves on the milk so it is enough for what we do. Around here cows with good attitudes and personality make up for not running the milk bucket over .


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## rosefield (Mar 20, 2015)

> Compare everything from cost, easiness to care for, milk production and quality, beef steer considerations, reproductive efficiency, health, longevity (how many productive lactations per cow), feed conversion efficiency (to milk), etc.


With everything you are outlining here there other options: Fleckvieh, Montbeliarde, Viking Red, Normande and the ProCross Composite.

These breeds are gaining in popularity here is the US and around the globe. 

These breeds offer everything that you are looking for and produce milk equally as well or out produce many of their herdmates, even Holstein!

We have a member that had a 2yr old produce 106 lbs on test day. To learn more about these breeds visit our website http://www.dairycattleregistry.com


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