Post by melwynnd on Mar 5, 2010 0:49:30 GMT -5
Up until now I've never really bred my cow with any intent but to have a calf so we could have milk and meat. The neighbors have an Angus bull and it was easy to let Daisy lead me there when she was ready and pick her up(waiting at the gate) to go home the next day.
The past year or so I've been researching different heritage farm animals. I've come to realize that our "improved" animals are not necessarily good from a small farm standpoint. Sure our commercial cows give lots of milk, but it is often at the expense of their own health. In a commercial situation, where the cows only stick around for a few years, that isn't a problem. But I want a healthy cow that lives a long time. One that doesn't require a truckload of feed either. The dairy/beef cross does some of this, but beef animals are also "improved" for a specific purpose, and you often lose a lot of that "dairy" look we all love in our cows.
Fate is often kind. My friends(who like to team rope for fun) decided to buy a small herd of Corriente cattle. I realize that most of you have probably not been exposed to these animals, but they are a small, hardy cow. They look quite dairy, but have not been improved at all. In fact, they are sort of a cow prototype..what you would see running out in the wild. The funny thing is, they're quite good natured and tame down quickly. I bred Daisy to their brown bull. This isn't a photo of him, but it's what he looks like. He's been throwing calves with their dam's coloring.
If it's a heifer, I'll keep her to see how she milks. If it's a bull, I'll use him on Rosebud and Daisy the next year. I think a 3/4 Jersey, 1/4 Corriente would make an excellent milk cow without any of these horrible health problems I'm so sadly listening to so many of you deal with.
Time will tell.....
Sherry
The past year or so I've been researching different heritage farm animals. I've come to realize that our "improved" animals are not necessarily good from a small farm standpoint. Sure our commercial cows give lots of milk, but it is often at the expense of their own health. In a commercial situation, where the cows only stick around for a few years, that isn't a problem. But I want a healthy cow that lives a long time. One that doesn't require a truckload of feed either. The dairy/beef cross does some of this, but beef animals are also "improved" for a specific purpose, and you often lose a lot of that "dairy" look we all love in our cows.
Fate is often kind. My friends(who like to team rope for fun) decided to buy a small herd of Corriente cattle. I realize that most of you have probably not been exposed to these animals, but they are a small, hardy cow. They look quite dairy, but have not been improved at all. In fact, they are sort of a cow prototype..what you would see running out in the wild. The funny thing is, they're quite good natured and tame down quickly. I bred Daisy to their brown bull. This isn't a photo of him, but it's what he looks like. He's been throwing calves with their dam's coloring.
If it's a heifer, I'll keep her to see how she milks. If it's a bull, I'll use him on Rosebud and Daisy the next year. I think a 3/4 Jersey, 1/4 Corriente would make an excellent milk cow without any of these horrible health problems I'm so sadly listening to so many of you deal with.
Time will tell.....
Sherry