# Can a Jersey Heifer handle a holstein calf?



## Shades of Gray (May 1, 2010)

Hi! I have been looking around for a bred Jersey and finally found one in the next town. The guy who has her is super nice and really helpful. He told us he would take $650 for her so she could have a good home, rather than sending her to a dairy, where he doesn't like how their treated, even though they would give him more for her. He told us she is two and is bred to calve sometime in December, she is already bagging up a little. Only problem is she was bred to a yearling Holstein bull. He only live covers and he said he couldn't find a Jersey bull at the time. She is a heifer and this is her first calf, I've heard Jersey's are very easy calvers, but holsteins can be huge! Should I be worried, or can she handle it? If it's too much of a risk I can pass her up, but I really don't want to. Not sure what to do.:shrug:


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## Patty0315 (Feb 1, 2004)

She will probally be OK . My Jersey just had a calf out of a Holestein bull with no problem . That being said I would not have bred her that way , I bought her already bred also.


Patty


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

I think she should be ok too. Not the ideal choice for a first calver but sometimes that choice isn't there. Just make sure you can be around when she does calve just in case there are any problems.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## Shades of Gray (May 1, 2010)

Thanks so much for your input, I'm really not wanting to have to pull a calf. We are just getting into cattle, and I thought Jerseys would be a good first time choice. Not to mention how adorable those big doe eyes are! Also does that seem like a fair price for her? She wasn't super friendly but wasn't skittish either, I could get almost close enough to touch her and then she would move off and start grazing, totally ignoring us. She also has a chopped off tail, supposedly all the dairys are milking them from behind now. It looks terrible, I want to go tape a fly swatter to the end of it.


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## Patty0315 (Feb 1, 2004)

My girl has her tail docked also ...hate it . 750.00 even more is a fair price around here . Here is a pic of are calf


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## Patty0315 (Feb 1, 2004)

BTW she is for sale in NY for 250.00 born 5-18-10 and tapes at# 260


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I am sure this is not what you want to hear, but I wouldn't breed a first-time Jersey calver to a Holstein. I would check with the local vet for advice before I bought her. The seller may be super nice, but it is my own sad experience that sellers are always nicer before the sale.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

Breeding to a larger breed bull carries some risk. So does a first birth. Since you have a first-time calver bred to a larger breed bull, you'll have to watch her closely.

Both the cow and the bull contribute to the size of the calf. You needn't expect a holstein-sized calf, for the Jersey in her will hold the size down. You *can* expect to have a calf bigger than normal for a Jersey.

If you ever want to do this cross on purpose, do it the other way round, with a Jersey bull and a Holstein cow. Works better.

Genebo
Paradise Farm


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

..what about feed requirements? would under-feeding just a little, do anything towards keeping the calf smaller? <just wondering>


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## Shades of Gray (May 1, 2010)

Thats kind of what I was wondering. If feeding too heavily during the last two months of pregnancy essentially super sizes the calf with the massive flow of nutrients, wouldn't reversing that have the opposite effect? 
Jersey's are already so hippy though. How much would be just enough, with the hay being 75% alfalfa 25% grass?


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

No, categorically NO, do NOT go down this track. It will have no impact on the size of the calf at all but could well impact on the health of the cow and you could end up with metabolic problems that could cost you the life of both the cow and the calf - not to mention a big vet bill.

There is more than one way to kill a cat. If you really want this cow and you are concerned about the calving, get a vet out and discuss the option of inducing. They should be able to tell from the size of the calf what the chances are of it calving normally. If they feel that it may be a struggle then you have the option of inducing. 

3 years ago I bought in a little Jersey heifer that had gone to a Simmental bull - a worse choice than a Holstein - and the problem was added to in that the previous owners had no idea when this mating had occured. I got the vet out and his opinion was that she was 6-8 weeks from calving and it was going to be a big calf. My call and I chose to induce. Two weeks later she spat out a beautiful heifer calf with no problems. Whether there was a need to induce I'll never know, I just played safe knowing that I ran the risk of losing the calf if it was too early in the pregnancy but also knowing that whatever happened, I would still have the cow. I now milk that calf and she towers above her diminutive little Jersey mother.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## randiliana (Feb 22, 2008)

Under feeding will just give you a cow that has less energy when the time to have the calf comes around, and a weak newborn calf on top of that. Over feeding can add to BW, but, mostly if you really increase the ration in the last trimester of pregnancy. Under feeding is just starving the cow. Better to have a well fed cow, that has the energy to push that calf out AND a healthy strong newborn. Just feed her normally, no need to grain, and hope for the best.


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

well there ya go, I'm glad I asked the question -if nothing else we all know NOT to go down that road now. thanks Ronnie for answering that.


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