Guest guest Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Hey everyone, Help me out here. There are lots of posts denigrating Holsteins, and advocating milk from other breeds such as Jerseys. I'm partial to my 12 year old Brown Swiss. (She's five months into here lactation and producing 2.75 gallons per day with once a day milking. She grazes mixed grass and legume pasture. I skim off about 3 cups of cream/gallon.) Needless to say I like her a lot. However; I would like to hear from others how they would rank dairy breeds assuming all aspects of husbandry and nutrition (pasture based/non-industrial)are the same. Ayrshire Gurensey Jersey Holstein-Freisian Brown Swiss Milking Shorthorn Brahmanstein Dutch Belted Red Poll Devon Scotch Highland I'm just curious as to what others think and WHY. Another reason I'm partial to the Brown Swiss it that I am establishing a beef herd and hope to build it on a foundation of Brown Swiss * Black Angus. Jody Osmund Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm Northern Illinois Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Brown Swiss are awesome dairy cows ( milk producers ) all the breeds are fine, it's just that right now ~95% of the dairy cows are Holsteins and THAT is the part that's unsettling. Embrace diversity. ( & kiss your cow!) -sally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Brown Swiss are awesome dairy cows ( milk producers ) all the breeds are fine, it's just that right now ~95% of the dairy cows are Holsteins and THAT is the part that's unsettling. Embrace diversity. ( & kiss your cow!) -sally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 I have experiences with Brown Swiss, Holstien, Jersey, Milking Shorthorn, Scotch Highland, and Guernsey. I have been around a very few Ayrshire, but not enough to comment on them.=) The ones I have been around ranked below the Milking Shorthorns. I love the Brown Swiss for there size, gentleness, and ease of handling. The ones I have been around give good rich milk, and lots of it. We own Jerseys and I love them too. They are easier to handle because they are smaller but they are more fiesty than Brown Swiss. There milk is the best in my opinion. They are easy to raise and very friendly. Easy keepers in my opinion. And their meat is WONDERFUL! Holstiens rank as my least favorite easily. They give lots of milk, but it is thinner than the other breeds and tastes more watery in my opinion. They can be gentle and calm but as a rule seem to be easily freaked and harder to handle. Also harder to keep the weight on them. I personally love the Holstien/Jersey crosses much better than the pure Holstiens. The Milking Shorthorn are my newest experience and I LOVE THEM!!! They are closer to Jerseys in being very personable, yet they are big like a holstien. Calm, gentle and very sweet as a rule. Good milk and good Milking Shorthorn cows give lots of milk. They are the most beautiful color and I just love them!! Guernseys are a little odd. They give lots of milk but it has a different flavor to me. Not bad, just different. They seem to be a little more " stupid " than other breeds seems to be. Harder to raise, more delicate, though they are large. We owned ish Highlands for a couple years though we did not milk them. I did not like them though you might.=) They are harder to handle because of their beautiful long horns, and the ones we bought were not hardy. We sold the cows and butchered the calves. Their meat was delicious, about like Jerseys. Since the meat was like Jerseys, I'll stick with Jerseys.=) If I was going to have Highlanders again, I would disbudd the calves.LOL!! Sorry to ramble on, anyway, the way I would rank these breeds over-all is thus: Jerseys Brown Swiss Milking Shorthorns Holstiens Guernseys ish Highlanders But to tell the truth I also really like the Jersey/Holstien and the Jersey/Brown Swiss crosses. It just depends on the individual cow. You always have the exceptions in any breed.=) Dixon Ozark Jewels Boers & Nubians > > Hey everyone, > > Help me out here. There are lots of posts denigrating Holsteins, and > advocating milk from other breeds such as Jerseys. > > I'm partial to my 12 year old Brown Swiss. (She's five months into > here lactation and producing 2.75 gallons per day with once a day > milking. She grazes mixed grass and legume pasture. I skim off about > 3 cups of cream/gallon.) Needless to say I like her a lot. > > However; I would like to hear from others how they would rank dairy > breeds assuming all aspects of husbandry and nutrition (pasture > based/non-industrial)are the same. > > Ayrshire > Gurensey > Jersey > Holstein-Freisian > Brown Swiss > Milking Shorthorn > Brahmanstein > Dutch Belted > Red Poll > Devon > Scotch Highland > > I'm just curious as to what others think and WHY. > > Another reason I'm partial to the Brown Swiss it that I am > establishing a beef herd and hope to build it on a foundation of > Brown Swiss * Black Angus. > > Jody Osmund > Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm > Northern Illinois Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 I have experiences with Brown Swiss, Holstien, Jersey, Milking Shorthorn, Scotch Highland, and Guernsey. I have been around a very few Ayrshire, but not enough to comment on them.=) The ones I have been around ranked below the Milking Shorthorns. I love the Brown Swiss for there size, gentleness, and ease of handling. The ones I have been around give good rich milk, and lots of it. We own Jerseys and I love them too. They are easier to handle because they are smaller but they are more fiesty than Brown Swiss. There milk is the best in my opinion. They are easy to raise and very friendly. Easy keepers in my opinion. And their meat is WONDERFUL! Holstiens rank as my least favorite easily. They give lots of milk, but it is thinner than the other breeds and tastes more watery in my opinion. They can be gentle and calm but as a rule seem to be easily freaked and harder to handle. Also harder to keep the weight on them. I personally love the Holstien/Jersey crosses much better than the pure Holstiens. The Milking Shorthorn are my newest experience and I LOVE THEM!!! They are closer to Jerseys in being very personable, yet they are big like a holstien. Calm, gentle and very sweet as a rule. Good milk and good Milking Shorthorn cows give lots of milk. They are the most beautiful color and I just love them!! Guernseys are a little odd. They give lots of milk but it has a different flavor to me. Not bad, just different. They seem to be a little more " stupid " than other breeds seems to be. Harder to raise, more delicate, though they are large. We owned ish Highlands for a couple years though we did not milk them. I did not like them though you might.=) They are harder to handle because of their beautiful long horns, and the ones we bought were not hardy. We sold the cows and butchered the calves. Their meat was delicious, about like Jerseys. Since the meat was like Jerseys, I'll stick with Jerseys.=) If I was going to have Highlanders again, I would disbudd the calves.LOL!! Sorry to ramble on, anyway, the way I would rank these breeds over-all is thus: Jerseys Brown Swiss Milking Shorthorns Holstiens Guernseys ish Highlanders But to tell the truth I also really like the Jersey/Holstien and the Jersey/Brown Swiss crosses. It just depends on the individual cow. You always have the exceptions in any breed.=) Dixon Ozark Jewels Boers & Nubians > > Hey everyone, > > Help me out here. There are lots of posts denigrating Holsteins, and > advocating milk from other breeds such as Jerseys. > > I'm partial to my 12 year old Brown Swiss. (She's five months into > here lactation and producing 2.75 gallons per day with once a day > milking. She grazes mixed grass and legume pasture. I skim off about > 3 cups of cream/gallon.) Needless to say I like her a lot. > > However; I would like to hear from others how they would rank dairy > breeds assuming all aspects of husbandry and nutrition (pasture > based/non-industrial)are the same. > > Ayrshire > Gurensey > Jersey > Holstein-Freisian > Brown Swiss > Milking Shorthorn > Brahmanstein > Dutch Belted > Red Poll > Devon > Scotch Highland > > I'm just curious as to what others think and WHY. > > Another reason I'm partial to the Brown Swiss it that I am > establishing a beef herd and hope to build it on a foundation of > Brown Swiss * Black Angus. > > Jody Osmund > Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm > Northern Illinois Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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