Government Regulations - Go Figure!?

[nightskyfarm]

Just received my permit from the Commonwealth of Virginia allowing me to milk my cow! It's a Grade A Dairy permit, of course they don't just add the word cow to my goat permit. They have to issue a whole new permit, a new piece of paper, and a new permit number just to milk a different species! They must think we are all idiots. Then, you have to frame the paper and post next to your other 2 pieces of paper: the Grade A Goat permit and the Manufacturing Permit. Maybe, I'll milk water buffalo next.......Jennifer   

BTW. Now I am making COW CHEESE!! Cheddar, Havarti and Fresh Cream Cheese. Plus, those kids are growing great on Emily milk (Emily, is the Jersey milking 7 gallons a day!) 

[linuxboy]

We have to remember, milk is a biohazard.  Have to regulate it for our own good.

I love Jersey milk. Happy cheesemaking

[Sondra]

I am so jealous!!   I want a jersey

[nightskyfarm]

Can't have her ~ She's mine.   Anyway, Emily walks into the center aisle of the parlor to be milked and takes up pretty much most of the space, but she is all the way into the parlor which is where she needed to be. She gets milked into the bucket, "they" do not want the two milks to mix unless I do that in the cheese room. Then, when she is done with her 14 lbs!!! of grain she backs out sweet as can be and turns around in the aisle of the barn and goes either out or back into her stall if it's night. It is good to have a good-natured cow in a goat barn. Emily is a sweetheart and knows a good thing when it's put in front of her. She came from a 300 cow farm south of Wytheville, VA and no one ever handled her the way I do. She now knows her name, wears a halter, leads, backs with a voice command and is a genuine doll. Plus, she makes a ton of milk! She is bred to Reg. Jersey and due to calve in November and my heifer, bred to a Reg. mini Jersey is due in August.  Jennifer

[Sondra]

You are just crule you know

[Bernice]

I'd love to get another Jersey cow too.  Maybe someday! 

[hsmomof4]

If I ever get a cow, I want a Jersey (or a mini-Jersey). She sounds wonderful.

[nightskyfarm]

I was so happy to get Annabelle Clover, bred to the mini Jersey. Her calf if a heifer acn be registered as a mini Jersey. She is small herself, so I should have a nice sized animal. Emily on the other hand is a LARGE Jersey, about 8" longer than she should average. She is a registered Jersey and is dark, the coloring is called mulberry. Dark, almost black with a lighter brown dorsal stripe, lighter brown ears and a white ring around her muzzle.  I'll try to upload a couple pics to my PhotoBucket. She almost looks like a Canadienne the "Black Jersey", but I know she is a Reg. Jersey, I have her papers. As much as I adore my goats and I really do - I LOVE my 2 Jerseys! Depending on what they have for calves this year, I may well have one to sell. I would keep a heifer out of Annabelle Clover, but if Emily has a heifer too, I may well sell her calf. I never thought I would have a cow let alone 2 of them! I will tell you Emily cheese is fab!!! Way different from what I am used to, eating goat cheese for 30 years. Jennifer

[buckrun]

That must be quite a change! Congrats-Do you use your goat set up to milk them?
Jennifer~When we had a Guernsey I could never keep the fats from dropping out when I was making cheese.
What was I doing wrong? I don't have that problem with the goat milk but I was super novice when I was trying to learn on this cow's milk and haven't worked with any since. 
Lee

[Dacaree]

I have a mini jersey I am thinking about selling. She has a mini jersey/dexter heifer on her side. Will probably sell as a pair. I just do not have the time to devote to milking her along with all the goats. She is gentle and leads. She is not to keen on being caught, but once you catch her she is very sweet.

[nightskyfarm]

Have you listed her on the Keeping The Family Cow Forum? There are some very fine folks on the forum who would jump at the chance to own a cow such as yours! Jennifer

[Dacaree]

I had thought about that. I am not 100% sure I want to sell her, close though. I have some things I need to take care of first and will probably make a final decision next week.

[nightskyfarm]

Talk about the mentality of a dairy animal; be it a goat or a cow, they just know that they are for milking. I just got a 3 yr old 1/2 Jersey, 1/4 Holstien and 1/4 Simental, 2nd calf heifer, she had a dead calf 36 hrs ago and farmer didn't want her. So, she came to me. She needs groceries, but she is calm and level. Anyway, going back to the dairy mentality - this heifer had never been milked or handled came into my goat parlor same as the LARGE Jersey, let me wash and dry her udder, strip her, and put on the milker without a kick or flinch! She stood and ate alfalfa hay (she has never had grain). Never kicked off the milker and let me take it off and dip her and still didn't pick up a foot. I then spent another 10 minutes brushing her and letting her relax eating her hay in the parlor. This heifer just came out of a pasture with 20 beef cows!. I swear that dairy mentality is why this first session went so well! She had a bit of trouble backing out of the parlor and returning to her stall. Repetition will cure that. Her name is Eirinne and she looks very Jersey and standing 44" she is small, the perfect size and all black with white horns and black tips and a lovely, balanced mammary. Jennifer

[Ashley]

7 gallons of jersey milk every day, heaven!

[Linda Myers, SALTCREEK NUBIANS]

Huh.  Full blood Simentals are a beef breed.  Husband's father used to have a herd of cows and bulls.  If I had a PB Jersey I'd find someone with an Angus bull to breed her to.  Angus usually produce smaller birthweight calves, yet they then grow out to be good beef.  You could have your milk and home grown beef.  Until you need a replacement heifer for your cow.  Then you'd naturally want a dairy bull.