Miniature Jerseys are just like any other Jersey, but less than 42 inches tall, and always polled (hornless). Their small size is desirable to small-holders because they eat less, produce less manure, and are easier to handle than a full size cow, but produce quite a bit of milk in spite of their small stature. Our first miniature jersey heifer - Anina came from the wonderful sisters from Holy Annunciation Monastery, Sugarloaf PA. Mini Galloways - Galloways are small, hornless, and have a thick shaggy coat, making these cattle well adapted to harsh climates like ours. They originated in the Galloway region of Scotland. They are available in many colors, (many people are familiar with Belted Galloways, which are very popular right now.) We are focusing on the white park markings, which are white cows with black points. Our heifers will be bred with the semen from miniature bulls in order to produce small and manageable offspring. Although they are not a dairy breed, galloways are milked on occasion, and we intend to select for dairy character in our breeding program. Teeka, pictured above and left, is a standard, registered galloway of small stature. We will be breeding her with miniature galloway semen. She is sweet-natured, intelligent, and adorably huggable! Many thanks to her breeder, Mark Seamans - of Bunker Hill Farm in PA. Locate contact info for Mark on the AGBA website: http://www.americangalloway.com/members.php | Traditional Jerseys - Jersey cows are considered small compared to other dairy breeds in the US. But the Jersey's of today have been bred to be far larger than they were originally. Our breeding goal is produce a locally adapted line of polled, small stature jerseys, which we will call "Traditionals", and we will strive for offspring that grow to be 46" or less, consistently. We are using mini- bull semen on full size cows to produce smaller, more manageable offspring, like they were years ago. Ginger is a full size jersey who has been bred with the semen from a Miniature Jersey Bull. Douglas' art depicts the Jersey's of yore COMING SOON: Jersey X Galloway- Whether you call them Dairy Galloways or Hardy Jerseys, we have seen how this cross can capture the best of both worlds: small, polled, wooly in winter and sweet tempered milk cows. Small-Statured Oxen- This year we are taking the first steps in learning to train and utilize oxen for small jobs around the farm. So far this project is proving to be a lot of fun. I will be sharing the experience on our blog - so check back on our progress! |