Re: [Homesteadingfamily] Farmstead animals

Deb,
Where are you? I would love a small Jersey, even if not actually miniature, for milk and breeding for meat. We have a mini-Hereford bull locally, for breeding her, but his calves are very expensive and aren't for milk!
Melody in NE IL

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 8, 2010, at 6:33 AM, "Deb" <debsbread@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I don't know anything about sheep, since I don't have time to learn
> about weaving or making yarns....but I would be interested in mini dairy
> cattle....particularly mini Jerseys. Most that we see on the internet
> are way overpriced and no guarantee that we won't get something which
> has been crossbred only to get smaller sizes and are genetically
> defective sometimes. I like them about 38" - 42" for milking. We have 5
> standards which are smaller and a bull and have purchased a reg mini
> bull to begin breeding smaller farmstead type dairy cattle for small
> acreage, but not have to pay those huge prices for them. I don't
> necessarily care about registries, either. I know that these
> should/could show the animals heritage, but if DNA is not done before
> registering, it is a person's word and that's all you have. And the mini
> assn allows all kinds of "percentage" cows to be entered, so who knows
> what has been crossed with what and how much, just to get smaller
> sizes?? The more they are messed with genetically, the more chances for
> breeding problems and defects, like stillbirths and not breeding at all
> (or the Bulldog gene).
> Why is it that when one has something like this, they charge thousands
> of dollars per animal? Don't they know that who they are
> designed/marketed for cannot pay such prices?? LOL Smaller farmsteaders
> usually don't have money like that for a single cow that one doesn't
> even know if it will breed successfully?
> We want to raise AFFORDABLE mini cattle to help people....it is not
> always about $$$. I want to not only raise them, but teach buyers how to
> care for a cow as well as how to milk...teach good husbandry. And we try
> to match personalities of the buyer with the animals, so both will be
> happy in their lives. Most nowadays are only in it for the big
> dollars..and that is sad for the animals.
> So, if anyone knows of any mini's for sale, we'd be in the market. And
> we appreciate anyone who takes the time to learn and raise animals for
> the farmstead to do it "right"....thanks!~deb
>
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