# Help me understand how long you can milk a jersey



## kkweinb (Oct 17, 2011)

We are considering buying a jersey cow. We want to have milk and products for ourself and sell the rest. I'm getting conflicting information on the time frame for milking though. If I get a jersey that has a six month old calf how long will I be able to milk her? Is it really necessary to keep breeding them. I'm not looking for high volume but rather a modest supply for my family.


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## DJ in WA (Jan 28, 2005)

kkweinb said:


> We are considering buying a jersey cow. We want to have milk and products for ourself and sell the rest. I'm getting conflicting information on the time frame for milking though. If I get a jersey that has a six month old calf how long will I be able to milk her? Is it really necessary to keep breeding them. I'm not looking for high volume but rather a modest supply for my family.


I have to remind people that the original purpose of milk is to feed a calf. So, without a new calf, production eventually declines. Perhaps others have more detailed experience going a long time without rebreeding.

Some milk well over a year before having another calf. Just depends on how much you need. And it depends on how much she's giving now - production will go down if she wasn't milked regularly all these months.


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## MARYDVM (Jun 7, 2004)

I have a friend who milked her Jersey for two years before rebreeding. She was getting about a gallon a day at the end. You won't know if your cow is a forever milker until you try it. Some cows naturally decrease production, others keep plugging along. Odds of continuing long term production are best with a mature (3rd calf or older) cow.


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## scholtefamily (Feb 25, 2010)

We have one that we've been milking since Sept of 2010, she still gives us a little over a gallon a day(milking once a day)


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

I had a neighbor who had a milk cow that had problems calving when she had her first calf at 2 years old. She never came back in heat. She used her for a nurse cow. Kept 4 calves on her year round. When I moved away more than 10 years later the cow still was raising 4 calves year round. She never went dry.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

At 6 months, feeding one calf, it is likely her milk production is already way down. Should I assume she hasn't been hand milked and this will be a transition from nursing her calf to hand milking?
She could simply not let her milk down and you get very little milk. 
If you are getting some milk, say a 1/2 gallon morning and 1/2 gallon at night and you attempt to keep her "in the milk" without breeding her, at some point it is likely that she'll dry up or at least drop to a pint in the morning and a pint at night. Then to get her to be a milk cow once again, you'll have to breed her and wait nearly 10 months to get milk again.

Please explain why you don't want to breed her?


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## kkweinb (Oct 17, 2011)

Thank you for the responses. I didn't want to breed becasue I'm having a hard time finding a jersey so I'm assuming I'm even going to have a harder time finding a bull. Maybe thats not true though. Another question...If you were going to buy a jersey tell me what you would look for. For example whats the ideal age and length since her last birth? What else should I consider? Your help is greatly appreciated.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

The problem with keeping a cow in production is you have to breed her 9 months ahead her calving time. If you wait to know, you could end up with a cow dry for quite a while before she calves again. I would assume that any good cow could keep milking for 1 year to 18 months.....but each cow is different so you have to learn your cow. Ask your vet for any people around that do AI breedings.

As for your other questions about age, and time from birth.....Pretty much that is dependent on what's available for most of us. We can choose between a 5 year old that produces 2 gallons a day or a 8 yr old that produces 8 gallons. So you kind of take what you can find and evaluate each cow. Usually they have their first calf by 2 yrs and they calve about a year apart. I would use caution on a cow that has been milking for six months and hasn't been bred. Why not? She is hard to breed? If you are milking, you usually dry them off 2 months or so before their calving date. This gives them a rest period from having to produce milk and reserve the energy for the growth of the calf.

You need to consider udder attachment. A loose udder will only get more loose and sag more as time goes on. If you are hand milking, are the teats able to be hand milked easily. Some teat orifices are easier to squeeze milk from than others. Consider if she has been hand milked before or machine. Cows are habitual creatures. They like a routine. Switching how she is milked might throw her for a loop for a while, so expect it and don't judge her for it. 

Past milk production and possible problems such as mastitis. Sometimes the cow for sale from the dairy- is the one that causes the most problems. You don't get rid of your best milkers. If you can have the milk tested before you buy- that would be best.

I hope you find a cow that will suit you.


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## loislanefl (Nov 7, 2011)

If you are having a hard time finding a Jersey, what about looking for another dairy breed or a cross? We have had Guernsey, Brown Swiss, Ayrshire, and Jersey and the milk from all has been fabulous, some more so than others but all great. In fact I would put the Jersey at the bottom of the list even though her milk is excellent too. I've also heard really good things about dairy/beef crosses, in fact we just acquired a Jersey/Angus heifer calf to test that out eventually. 

As far as how long you can milk them it depends on the cow. We milked our Brown Swiss for more than 18 months and then sold her recently so as far as I know she is still milking. On the other hand when we bought our Ayrshire she was giving around 2-1/2 gallons a day and immediately dropped her production like a rock maybe due to the stress of moving, having a different food, different routine, etc. But other times we have bought a cow and not had any reduction in milk so you never know. 

Good luck!


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

If I knew nothing about buying a car, I'd find an expert to go with me or ask an expert to help me locate a good one. Same for buying a cow when you know nothing about cows.
A young cow that just had her calf would be worth more to a dairy farmer beecause he'd be getting milk for her whole lactation. Sometimes you can get a deal on a lower producing cow that is being culled from a productive dairy.

Most areas of the country, a person that can breed your cow artificially isn't to far away. They might know where the Jerseys are, too. Check out the Jersey Asso on line, they would know where the Registered Jerseys are nearest you.

The Univ of Nebraska Lincoln does work with jerseys, they might be a help locating a cow. But for a bull, stay with AI.


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## Tad (Apr 2, 2003)

We had a holstien we couldn't get bred back if we don't need the stall we milk them until they get below 30lbs, our break even point. Our record was a cow named Curley she milked for 1300+ days and gave 60,000 lbs, exception not the rule. She probably would have milked longer but she blew up a quarter and instead of messing with it on the truck she went. That being said she was not going to be rebred and if she was she would have dried up very fast and would have stood dry a long time. If you want to maintain a decent production I would not go past a 15-16 month calveing interval.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Andrew Sandeen, Curtis, Nebraska, has been named Northwest Area Representative for the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) and National All-Jersey Inc., effective March 14, 2005.


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## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

Unless you want to milk the offspring too, what difference does it make what she is bred to?

My Yo calved in March, and though she was in with the herd bull (Angus), she is only 3 months bred. So the vet said to keep milking her till May.

Now that I have Sissy, will see how that goes and may dry Yo up sooner. Think she needs a break--but then I think like me and not a cow.


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## kkweinb (Oct 17, 2011)

> If I knew nothing about buying a car, I'd find an expert to go with me or ask an expert to help me locate a good one.


I do plan on taking my FIL with me once I locate one or go to an auction. That makes feel better about the process. I've made a few inquiries and people just think I'm crazy for wanting to have a family milk cow!


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## kkweinb (Oct 17, 2011)

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If you are having a hard time finding a Jersey, what about looking for another dairy breed or a cross? We have had Guernsey, Brown Swiss, Ayrshire, and Jersey and the milk from all has been fabulous, some more so than others but all great. In fact I would put the Jersey at the bottom of the list even though her milk is excellent too
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I only have about 1.5 acres of grass so the recomendations I've gotten is to go with Jersey due the ratio of feed vs milk. I am open to other opinions however.


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Unless you want to milk the offspring too, what difference does it make what she is bred to?
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This is what is so wonderful about these forums, now that I think about it I'm not sure if it will matter. I suppose we could obviously sell the calf for more if it were not a cross but other than that I hadn't thought about it>:ashamed: Thanks


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Andrew Sandeen, Curtis, Nebraska, has been named Northwest Area Representative for the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) and National All-Jersey Inc., effective March 14, 2005.
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I will look into this. Thanks


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Karen in Alabam said:


> Unless you want to milk the offspring too, what difference does it make what she is bred to?
> 
> My Yo calved in March, and though she was in with the herd bull (Angus), she is only 3 months bred. So the vet said to keep milking her till May.
> 
> Now that I have Sissy, will see how that goes and may dry Yo up sooner. Think she needs a break--but then I think like me and not a cow.


The bull you use makes a huge difference, it is what cattle and dairy people refer to as "calving ease". If you end up with a Jersey, you'll want to use a bull from a breed that has small calves. 

If you aren't going to milk the off spring, then you are either going to eat the off spring or sell the off spring. If you breed the Jersey with a Jersey and you have a bull, that you'll soon castrate and you can eat him after 2 years. He won't be very "beefy", but there will still be lots of meat. If you get a Jersey heifer, she'll sell for more than a cross bred heifer. Jersey calves are sweet to have around.


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## BeeDaisyRabbit (Jun 12, 2009)

We have done "extended lactation" with our Jerseys. From what research that was done and subsequently experienced, the best time frame is to breed the cow so that she calves, AT THE MAXIMUM, every 24 months. 

That means, breed May 23 2012 for Mar 1 2013 calf. Breed back May 23 2014 for Mar 1 2015 calf.

Benefits: 1.) lessens the damaging risks of drying off and freshening via mastitis. 2.) lower your breed back costs.

Downside: 1.) reduction in milk output if you require a specific minimum of output (as in herdshares) and 2.) extending the time frame to get replacement heifers for your herd-we always seem to get bulls!

The best results we have had is an 18 to 20 month interval, meaning that if your cow calves in the Spring one year, have her calve in the Fall the next year.


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