Dexter-Jersey Cross Cows - how much?

[kimmom]

We found a cow here who is for sale, she is pregnant with her 3rd calf, they are selling her for $800. I am trying to see if that is a decent deal? She has done really well with calving in the past and has nursed her calves no problem. Her feet are good etc, she is healthy. Does anyone have a dexter jersey cross for a family milk cow? We have seen them for sale here up to $1400 , my husband parents farm in ALberta where he said they are worth $150, but transport to the island here would be big $$! What have others paid for their cows?

[AJP]

Last year I paid $1800 (US) for a purebred, registered, tame, friendly, healthy Jersey heifer, pregnant with her first calf. That was a good deal at the time, I think prices have come down somewhat this year with so many dairies going out of business and selling their herds. The one we bought came from a family cow environment, not a commercial dairy. Is the cow you're looking at already trained to milk, or has she just been raising calves? I've heard some unfavorable things about the disposition of Jersey/Dexter crosses, generally blamed on the Dexter side. Is she disease tested (TB, brucellosis, Johnne's, BLV, BVD-PI, etc.)? Are all 4 quarters of her udder functional? It's probably a good deal if she's healthy and a cow you can just start milking, without a rodeo first.

[Tizzy]

Say what?! $1800 for a Jersey heifer?
Contact the breed association, they'll be able to find something for you for a lot less.

Personally I wouldn't go for a dexter, but that's just from unfavorable experiences with them.
Look into a brown swiss, very hardy, and even tempered. They also produce lovely high-protein milk

[kimmom]

She is healthy and is pregnant with her 3rd calf. She was originally a 4H project for the family who owned her so is quite tame. My husband was raised on a cattle farm so he checked her out and said she is great! She will be delivered here next weekend with a big red bow on her!

[MamaMonica]

Congratulations! Post pictures if you get a chance

[kimmom]

There is one picture on our website, it is kinda blurry though was taken on the phone! I will take more when she gets here
www.canadianfamilyrobinson.com

[MamaMonica]

She is really pretty!

[AJP]

Originally Posted by Tizzy

Say what?! $1800 for a Jersey heifer?
Contact the breed association, they'll be able to find something for you for a lot less.

Like I said, it was last year (early), before dairies were dumping large numbers of animals in this area. I'm in California where things are pretty expensive (including feed, which drives up the price of desirable animals because it costs so much to raise them), and at the time, that was a good deal, because most people were asking that much for an unbred, unregistered, untame heifer (I shopped around for a year first) or for older dairy culls with health problems or blind quarters. I know that now you can find them for less, and that other parts of the country or Canada would have had animals available for less, but I wasn't interested in buying one sight-unseen and having it shipped here, without meeting and handling the animal first.

[PreggieUBA2C]

Hi. I just finally have access to the internet after four months in the bush and came across this thread.

OP, how is your ladycow settling in? I wanted to say that I think I'd leap at that price for a calving, healthy cow! We considered buying a jersey this year for $1000 who had never calved, but was raised on a small organic family farm nearby. We were going to share her (cost and care) with our friends, who are farmers and who have been adoring her since she was born but weren't ready to incorporate a cow into their little farm (which is where we now live). So, since we didn't buy her, the farmer slaughtered her. I wish he could've waited until spring when it would be possible to build a barn space for her, but I don't know his situation, and it's been -30 and will be colder for the rest of the winter, so not suitable outdoor building weather.

Anyway, we spent so much more than that on milk in a time frame that I'm embarrassed to share...

[kimmom]

Thanks for the replies we were going to get her last Sunday but are held off until this weekend because we didn't quite get her shelter done. It still needs a 3rd side. I am trying to build it myself while DH is working but now need his help! So we will be spending Christmas as a family here on the farm finishing Annabelle's shelter. Word of mouth sounds like a good deal for prices out this way, if we had to resell her we could for what we paid. But we won't I am thrilled to be a cow mom too

[weliveintheforest]

that sounds great! We were looking at a pregnant dexter for 500 bucks, and thought that was a great deal, so I think 800 for a dexter/jersey is good.