Dairy Cows

Fergienewbee · Sep 9, 2008

Went to the Allegan County fair last night. Walking through the cow barns, I realized how little I know about cattle breeds. Dad milked brown Swiss, Jerseys, guernseys, and holsteins 55 years ago. Man, that sounds like a long time ago. What breeds are dairy farmers milking now?

Larry in Michigan

El Toro · Sep 9, 2008

In 1953 my dad was still milking Guernseys and I was still helping with the morning milking until April of that year and I was drafted into the Army. I got married that year too, still have the same wife. Our daughter was born at Ft Bragg NC. My older brother had joined the Air Force in 1951. My late dad had to give up farming. Hal

phillip d · Sep 9, 2008

Pretty well all the origional breeds are still active to one extent or another.The vast majority of cattle being milked today are Holsteins.Jersey would probbably be next,than Ayrshire,followed by Brown Swiss.A few breeders are now mixing Holstein with Jersey claiming more trouble free cattle.There are still some Short Horns on some farms too

gitrib · Sep 9, 2008

Most of the big commercial dairies milk Holsteins.
Tjey give a lot of milk but it is a lot of water. When the old girls fold up after about three years they bring a good price from the packer for Hamburger. Jerseys are use a lot and are crossbred with the Holstein. Guernseys are the Queens the show cow. Used to raise the components in the milk. gitrib

El Toro · Sep 9, 2008

One of the men that post on here is the herdsman
in WI that are milking 1200 Holstein's 3 times a day. He stopped by for a visit several years ago. Hal

fregienewbee · Sep 9, 2008

Thanks, guys. I sure like the cattle and horse barns.

Larry in Michigan

Fordfarmer · Sep 9, 2008

Holsteins are by far the most common. As far as "a lot of water" in the milk, (meaning low butterfat or protein test), that is not always the case. I have one Swiss x holstein crossbred, the rest holstein, and my herd averages about 3.8-4% butterfat and 3-3.2% protien. Depends on how/what you feed, and what traits you select for in your breeding program. "Whole" milk from the store is 3.5%b.f. and 3%p.

phillip d · Sep 9, 2008

Not to try to argue,but we have some of our holsteins living over 13 years old with 10-12 lactations,the average one lives to have 3-4 or more calves though,usually culled for reproductive or somatic cell reasons.By the way,how many Guernsey's do you know of that bring over 1 million dollars at auction?I know of several holsteins,Lylehaven Lila Z,Brockview Tony Charrity,who i think was Supreme Champion at Madison several times,there was a red&white holstein who apparently topped the 1 million dollar mark this summer at the Arthuesa Designer Fashion sale in NY.I bet it would take ALOT more than 1 million to purchace Comestar Lutamie Titanic right now,pegged as the succesor to Comestar Laurie Shiek,probbably the most potent family of all times,all breeds.Cow war?LOL,pd.

dieseldoc · Sep 9, 2008

I milk 100 registered holsteins and our bf runs around 3.8 that doesnt sound like water to me.And as far as them folding up after 3 years how do we have some 10 year old cows around still pumping 80 to 100 lbs of milk per day. Please get your facts straight before comparing all holsteins to the ones raised on factory farms.They burn them out quick.We take care of our cows the very best we can, after all we would not be in business with out them.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 9, 2008

Gotta agree with you 100 percent in our northern climate the black and white is still the boss of milkers.

barnrat · Sep 9, 2008

I milk about 50 Jersey, Jersey Holstein crosses, and Holsteins. I average 55lbs of 4.5percent butterfat and 3.5percent protein milk a day per cow. I take care of my cows and they pay my bills. I have a neighbor that milks 68 Milking Shorthorn, and some friends that milk Lineback cattle. Lots of people like Holsteins I don't see anything special bout them. They certainly don't look as pretty as a Jersey standing out in a pasture.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 9, 2008

Holsteins predominate in my area -- 90% maybe?

Farm nearest me is all Guernsey, barn is sized for them.

I know one farm that buys a young Jersey bull each year that's used for the first breeding of their Holsteins, and I guess probably bats cleanup when subsequent breedings to Holstein bulls via AI fail. Jersey goes to the burger factory before he gets old and ornery, and another young bull is brought in.

And one farm that was all Jersey. They've migrated to what looks like a mix of about 1/4 Holstein, 1/2 mixed breeds, and 1/4 Jersey...and seem to be maintaining that mix.

Jimmy King · Sep 9, 2008

Nothing pretter that a field of good Jerseys. They eat 1/2 of what a Holstein eats and produce almost as much milk with a higher butterfat and protein test.

J.C.in AZ. · Sep 9, 2008

In July 1955 I decided that I was not going to spend another no pay summer putting up Feed for a bunch of sorry Gurnseys numbering 60 my Dad had in his Herd,so I decided to Join the Marine Corps. I was 17 looking to Sept to become 18,So I opted for their 8 year obligation program of 3 years active,5 years in active Service. By summer 1965 I had my own 360 acres and kept about 40 Holstiens in milk all year. I had a lot of Don Auger[any one remember that Bull from Curtiss Candy Herd?} Breeding and a lot of Wisconsin Foundation Stock,some from Moose Heart Herd too.Smart move,those Holstiens kept us afloat in the low price period of the late 1960's and the Corn blight period of the early 1970's.I was very proud of our Holstiens and even today a Herd of them will catch my eye sooner than a sight of Brittany Speers aunatural would.Sadly Dairy Farming is vertually no more in Northern Illinois.The Jerseys.Gurnseys, Swiss,Short Horn and especially the black and whites of the Holstiens Fresian no more abound in the Country Sides as they did in my Youth,JC

gitrib · Sep 9, 2008

It is not the cattle raised on a factory farm, They do not raise any replacements. They can take one of your heifers and in two or three lactations she will be gone. It is all about the dollar with no thought for the animal. Know that they are starting to pay for component in milk that percentage makes a difference.I have milked cows since 1942 and I love a good herd of any color as long as they are well taken care of. They sure do not do that in a factory dairy. We still milk in a tie stall barn with a waterer for each cow, rubber mattress and pipe linemilker. Yes it is old fashion but people like to buy our cows.
gitrib

gitrib · Sep 9, 2008

Cows are like women. "If we all liked the same one it would sure be a mess".

El Toro · Sep 9, 2008

They don't poop as much either. Hal

BLinWMI · Sep 9, 2008

Headed to Allegan myself later this week, in a hotel in PawPaw for work as I write this. Have a herd of Swiss and Jerseys at home, or a herd in waiting actually, all heifers I am raising to start my milking herd. I milked holsteins before, for 8 years but this time around I am looking for animals that are more successfull on grass. I still have two holsteins, one of which is the matriarch of my heifers. I have milked her thru 2 lactations and she provided milk for every calfs rearing.
At one time I had a tie stall barn with 102 cows on the pipeline. It was my dream and some day I will walk in a barn again and see them all lined up, quietly eating and waiting for the milker to come by.

RodinNS · Sep 10, 2008

102 cows under a line???? That would be my nightmare...
We've got 40 tied up and that's too many.

Rod

dieseldoc · Sep 10, 2008

I love my holsteins.probably would never milk anything else.Just personal preferance, not that we make any more money with them.But I have heard that jerseys dont have as many problems with feet and legs as the holsteins do. Is this true?

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