Meet the Cows, Pt. 2: The Jerseys

Good frozen morning!

We're in the middle of a cold snap this week, and my brain is taking longer to thaw out than the rest of me. Despite battling the frozen hellscape that is currently our farm, I promised you guys a Jerseycentric post, and here it is! These intros will be much shorter than the cows featured in the Holstein post since there are fewer Jerseys in the herd...for now. *laughs maniacally*

Jerseys are very different from their Holstein counterparts in nearly every way except for being dairy cows. The average Jersey on our farm weighs all of 1,000 lbs. compared to their much larger black-and-white herdmates. On top of that, their milk volume is about half to two-thirds that of the Holsteins - but their butterfat and protein percentages are far higher, making their milk highly desirable for making cheese, butter, and ice cream. They are also known for their inquisitive demeanors and are often too curious for their own good.

The first Jersey set foot on this farm in 2015 in the form of a wide-eyed and fawnlike calf named Heather (cow in the featured photo). I cried more when I got Heather than when Sam popped the question two days later. In all fairness, I knew the ring was coming anyway. A year later, I bought a Jersey heifer named Siri. While Siri and Heather are no longer with us, they each left us lasting legacies in the forms of daughters and granddaughters.

Here goes!

Sierra: Siri's oldest daughter. Dark brown in color and classified as Very Good by the American Jersey Cattle Association. Mother of Springsteen and due with her second calf at the end of March.

Hattie: Heather's only daughter. Copper colored and easygoing. Also classified as Very Good by the AJCA. Loves cameras. Mother of Hope and Heidi, and due with her third calf at the end of April.

Ocean: A cow I got from two of my favorite people as payment for their daughter's senior photos. Classified as Excellent by the AJCA. Absolute sweetheart of a cow. Mother of Brooke.

Signe: Sierra's younger sister. Dark brown, and missing half an ear due to frostbite. Mother of Solstice.

Hope: Light in color with white patches. Affectionately known as Blondie. Likes to eat paper towels. Mother of Harvest.

Iris: A calf I bought shortly after Heather died in early 2019. Just had her first calf, Irene, last week.

Between milking cows, heifers, and the itty bitties, I now have a total of 13 Jerseys running around the farm. It's wild to think that it all started with one calf and a guy that really wanted his best gal to marry him. I would have married him anyway, but when a dyed-in-the-wool Holstein guy makes such a romantic overture...consider it signed, sealed, and delivered. 

Stay warm out there, friends! Thanks for following along and getting to know us.