Miniature Jerseys

So, my family an I have been looking at Jerseys for a little while, and I then stumbled across miniature Jerseys. Does anyone have experience with them? I found a breeder who raises them on all grass/hay, so I know that it's possible, but I don't know if I can believe the 2-2.5 gallons of milk per day, even if you aren't sharing with a calf. Since they take up less space, we thought it would be perfect instead of a larger breed (12 acres here, and a lot is taken up by horse pasture) we wouldn't be using them for beef, so the more dainty cattle is really okay, I'm really just wondering if anyone has experience with their milk output.

Thanks in advance!

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/raising-cattle/small-breed-milk-cows.aspx



I would contact others who actually milk and manage them.

http://www.minijerseyfarm.com/

http://www.southsidestables.com/Cattle.htm

i would get more specifics on the 2.5g per day.

my 1200-1400lbs brown swiss / jersey cross cow (dairy genetics) raised on all grass averages 3 gallons across a 275ish day lactation cycle. (5.5 in the beginning, just under 2g at the end)

milk production is directly related to animal size (which is partly why you see 1900+lb Holsteins)

You guys think there are actually miniature cattle but all they actually are the smallest cows get bred to the smallest framed
bulls and that's what makes a miniature

@ Patrick. Thank you for the references! I'd seen most of those, but actually had not even thought about looking for videos specifically about milking mini Jerseys before.

@ Kelly. I do plan to call/email the breeder who claims the 2-2.5 gallon a day, and ask a few questions, I'll let you know what I find out. And, yes, I'd always understood that weight/size contributes directly to how much milk is produced, which is honestly why I was a bit skeptical.

@ Hunter. And yes, I do get that they are just very small Jerseys, but since they have their own breed registry and own bloodlines, separate from the normal breed, I've just been calling them a separate breed.

Michaela Stone wrote:
@ Kelly. I do plan to call/email the breeder who claims the 2-2.5 gallon a day, and ask a few questions, I'll let you know what I find out. And, yes, I'd always understood that weight/size contributes directly to how much milk is produced, which is honestly why I was a bit skeptical.

i did notice this from the last website:

Miniature Jerseys require on average only a ½ acre of grass or about 10lbs of hay and a portion of grain every day.
Miniature Jersey cows are highly productive, producing an average of 2 - 2.5 gallons of milk per day!

certainly with enough grain a mini could produce 2.5g a day - though im not sure that is the best for the animal.

im interested to hear what you find out.