Belvedere Farms

Farming for Flavor and Raising our Family on 47 Acres in NE Ohio

  • Our Story
  • On The Farm
    • Farm Goods
    • Farm Events
    • Farm Newsletter
    • Farm Institute
  • Milk Cow 101
  • On the Blog
    • The Family Milk Cow
    • Milk Cow Blog Posts
    • Farmhouse Recipes
    • Canning & Preserving
You are here: Home / Blog Post / Why I Bred My Jersey Milk Cow to a Maine-Anjou Bull

Why I Bred My Jersey Milk Cow to a Maine-Anjou Bull

07.03.2021 by Raelene Bradley // Leave a Comment

I’ve gotten so many questions since Sandy’s twin calves were born about their coloring. “How can a brown cow have black calves?” Well, it all comes down to genetics.

When it came time to breed Sandy (a cow has to have a calf in order to give milk so milk cows are generally bred once a year with 10 months lactation and a 2 month dry period just before the next calf is born), I had a decision to make: which breed of bull should I use?

I already had a heifer (Maude is 3/4 Jersey & 1/4 Dexter – Sandy is full Jersey and the bull was 1/2 Jersey & 1/2 Dexter) and wasn’t sure yet that I needed another milk cow. Plus – it’s never certain whether you’ll have a heifer calf (female) or a bull calf (male).

I wanted to choose a breed that would be good for milking (in case it was a heifer) or for beef (if it was a bull).

When I talked to our AI tech friend, he suggested Maine Anjou. I’d never heard of them, but he used to raise Maine Anjou for beef and had some bull semen on hand in his tank that we could use.

Side note: bull semen is kept frozen in a tank with liquid nitrogen. The nitrogen is refreshed every 6-8 weeks and the semen can stay frozen (and viable) almost indefinitely. This particular semen was several years old, but my AI friend recently purchased bull semen collected in the 1940s. Still viable. Pretty amazing, eh?

Maine Anjou Cattle

Maine Anjou are a dual-purpose French heritage breed, developed in the mid 1850s in northwestern France when Mancelle French cattle were crossed with Durham cattle from England. In the early 1900s, the breed name was changed to Maine Anjou after the two river valleys of the area.

Maine Anjou cattle breeders were mostly small farmers whose goals were to maximize the income from their small holdings and so the cattle were always intended as a dual purpose animal: cows for milking and bull calves to be raised for meat. In some herds, half the cows are milked while the other half raise two calves each.

In the US, the Maine Anjou genetics were selected primarily for beef production, and also for show cattle. In the 1970s, black cattle were prized in the show world and so though the French Maine Anjou are typically dark red with white markings, the American Maine Anjou have been bred and selected for black hides.

Gucci, Maine Anjou Bull via SEK Genetics

The bull we used to breed Sandy (pictured above) is an all-black Maine Anjou. His description is brief, but so interesting: “He is extremely hairy, structurally correct in his design and possesses muscle dimension from top to bottom in a stylish look.”*

Extremely hairy?! Apparently that’s a desirable trait – ha!

Why Maine Anjou?

There are several things I considered as I was deciding what kind of bull to use to breed my Jersey cow, and the Maine Anjou breed came up tops in each category.

First – Jersey cows are small. Mature cows average about 900lbs (whereas your typical Holstein cow averages 1200-1400lbs and mature Maine Anjou cows average 1500-1900lbs). It would tear her up to have a huge calf from a large breed like Limousin or Simmental. Even an Angus (if you don’t choose the bull carefully) could throw calves that are just too big (100lbs+ birth weight).

Maines on the other hand, (Maine Anjou cattle are typically known here in the US as “Maines”) are known for lower birth weight calves. This bull in particular has an average birth weight of about 75lbs. That’s good news for a Jersey and her small frame.

Sandy had twins so she was carrying more than 75lbs, but each calf turned out about 45-50lbs – a big, healthy size for twins, but small enough to not pose any problems at calving.

Second – you never know if you’ll get a bull or a heifer. But Maines are a dual purpose breed (originally raised for both beef and milk) so I figured that if Sandy gave us a heifer, I could still raise her as a milk cow and if we got a bull, he’d gain really well on grass and make great beef.

Just like the French farmers, we need to maximize our income on our plot of land and being able to use the calf either way was a huge incentive.

Third – we have a small farm and many kids. I wanted a calm, gentle breed to match Sandy’s temperament. Maines are a really docile, calm breed. They’re not flighty, spooky, wild, or aggressive.

Temperament is always at the top of the list of desirable traits for any animal on our farm. Raised alongside our Jersey milk cow with so many little kids in the mix, I knew the calm nature of the Maine Anjou would be a good fit.

Fourth – the calf’s growth potential. I didn’t wean Maude until she was 7 months old. She was big and fat, happy and healthy. So much so that everyone who visited thought she was a beef heifer!

Any calf raised on thick Jersey milk is going to grow well (which again maximizes our use of the calf since his growing potential will be boosted by such rich nutritious milk early on). Maine calves are vigorous and grow exceptionally well on pasture, but tend to be slow growers for the first 4-5 months so we figured that being raised by a Jersey cow would give a big boost to that growth potential and make for excellent eating later on.

Fifth – milking genetics and marbling. Breeds known for great milk production (be it cattle, sheep, or pigs) also produce some of the best marbling in their meat.

This is why many Jersey milk cow owners we know breed exclusively to Jersey bulls. Jersey steers may not grow as fast as a beef cross or get as big, but their meat is absolutely delicious and oh so tender because of the beautiful marbling. (Marbling describes the streaks of fat within the muscle/meat and fat = flavor.)

We hoped to get the best of both worlds by crossing our Jersey cow with a dual-purpose breed known for great growth potential so that we’d get the beefy, faster-maturing beef genetics alongside the milking breed meat marbling that makes for such delicious beef.

And there you have it – Maines are not a typical choice since they’re not all that well-known, but considering all the variables, it seemed like an excellent option and so far, so good!


Works Cited

*”Gucci.” SEK Genetics. http://sekgenetics.mybigcommerce.com/gucci/. Accessed June 27, 2021.

“Breeds of Livestock – Maine Anjou Cattle.” Oklahoma Sate University Division of Animal Science. http://afs.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/maineanjou/index.html/. Accessed July 8, 2021.

American Maine Anjou Association. https://maine-anjou.org. Accessed July 8, 2021.

Categories // Blog Post, MilkCow 101

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




belvederefarms

There’s nothing like the smell of fresh cut hay. There’s nothing like the smell of fresh cut hay.
.
.
.
#hayingseason #freshhay #hay #farmlife #summeronthefarm #hayfield #ohiofarm
Just like that, canning season has officially begu Just like that, canning season has officially begun.
.
I drove down to the vet’s to pick up meds for a sick heifer and since it takes me right through Amish country, I couldn’t resist stopping at a farm just off the road to pick up 10 quarts of small but luscious berries (the small ones are sweetest, I think).
.
Harvested rhubarb from the garden and a couple hours later : strawberry rhubarb jam.
.
When you’re filling shelves for the winter, every little bit counts.
.
Are you making jam this year? What’s your favorite fruit to use for jam? I loooove apricot jam, but have a hard time finding local apricots here in Ohio. If you know of a source - spill the beans!🤣
.
.
.
#canningseason #strawberryjam #homesteadmama #homesteadskills #oldfashionedonpurpose #preservingtheharvest
Eleven brand spankin’ new piglets born on the fa Eleven brand spankin’ new piglets born on the farm yesterday afternoon/evening.
.
It never gets old this farming thing. There’s always something to work on, look forward to, get better at, learn from, grow into, and try again.
.
I’m here for it and doing my darndest.
.
#farmlifebestlife #babypigs #piglets #iamyourfarmer #supportlocalfarmers #berkshirepigs #farmher
Morning milking is a balm to the soul. . I used to Morning milking is a balm to the soul.
.
I used to be a die hard night owl and use the quiet of a dark house late at night to get all the things done. I’d put the kids to bed and start a whole ‘nother shift of work into the wee hours.
.
Having a milk cow changed all that. 
.
Now I can hardly get the kids to bed soon enough so I can crawl between the sheets myself. Sometimes I even curse the chickens who won’t go to bed until dark (and we can’t go to bed until they’re shut up).
.
And I’m up before the sun, relishing the quiet of a dark house, and soaking up those first golden rays of light as I call in the cows for milking.
.
It’s a whole new way of living, of navigating the hours, of participating in the day, and I’m not mad about it at all.
.
.
.
#milkcowlife #dawn #ohiofarm #sunriseonthefarm #farmlife  #milkcow #modernmilkmaid #homesteadmama #morningmilking
It’s been unseasonably hot the last few days, wi It’s been unseasonably hot the last few days, with high humidity and thunderstorms in the afternoons. 
.
It’s ideal growing weather - you can almost hear the grass growing.
.
One thing I love so much about farm life is the connection to the earth- her patterns and her subtle changes week to week over the season.
.
It makes me feel connected and reminds me of my responsibility as a steward - to do the best I can to help each system and species in our farm ecosystem connect to and benefit the next.
.
Everything works together for one common goal: feeding our families and community in ways that honor and respect the land and each animal.
.
.
.
#thisisfarming #ohiofarm #iamyourfarmer #farmlife #grassfedbeef #grassfed #regenerativeagriculture
You want to make real honest-to-goodness cheese at You want to make real honest-to-goodness cheese at home. Make the most use of that liquid gold you’ve got coming in by the pailful. Fill your family’s bellies with nutrient-dense protein-packed cheeses grown right in your backyard, stirred by your own hands, aged in your own home.
.
But cheese? That sounds/feels/looks so intimidating, am I right?
.
Here I am, standing on my box, to tell you that it does. not. have. to be that way. Our great-grands didn’t have sterile kitchens. Or commercial supplies. Or a degree in biochemical engineering. But they made cheese. And fed families. And thrived.
.
My friend Kate’s ( @venisonfordinner ) new course “Cheesemaking Without the BS” will get you where you want to be in your Cheesemaking journey. She’s got a houseful of kids, a homestead to run, and cows to milk. Making cheese is just one of the things because she’s learned how to make it work, without overwhelm, and she’ll teach you to do the same.
.
In fact, despite the VERY many fancy Cheesemaking books and guides and articles I’d read over many years, it was following Kate’s methods that gave me the confidence to finally make things like Asiago, Gouda, and Butterkaeser.
.
Now’s the time. This weekend is a special sale ($57!) and for the next month she’s got a hand-holding mentorship option to walk you through step by step. Once you purchase, the course material is available to you always.
.
If you’ve been thinking, dreaming, wondering if maybe YOU could learn to make cheese, yes. The answer is yes. And Kate’s the gal to get you there.
.
Other than rennet and cheese culture, this is hands-down the best investment you’ll make in yourself on your Cheesemaking journey.
.
Go forth, friends. Learn. Make. Eat. Thrive.
.
Click the link in my bio for Kate’s Cheesemaking Course. Sale is good through this weekend!
.
.
.
#cheesemakingathome #homedairy #learntomakecheese #cheese #homemadecheese #milkcowlife #homesteadskills
“It isn’t the great big pleasures that count t “It isn’t the great big pleasures that count the most; it’s making a great deal out of the little ones.”

- Jean Webster (American author)
.
.
.
#ohiofarm #morningmilking #milkcowlife #modernmilkmaid #milkcowlife #morningchores #springonthefarm #farmmornings #sunrise #goldenhour #ohiohomesteaders
This time of year I worry about too much grass gro This time of year I worry about too much grass growing too fast before I can get the cows over to eat it down and make the most of it.
.
As a grass farmer, it’s the very best kind of problem to have: grass tall enough to get lost in.
.
Speaking of which: can you find the baby? Comment with a 👍 when you do!
.
.
.
#grassfarmer #grassfedbeef #iamyourfarmer #farmraisedkids #intensiverotationalgrazing #grassfed #grassfedbutter #farmlife #homesteadlife #supportlocalfarmers
That milk pail foam tho 🤩🤩🤩. . Those firs That milk pail foam tho 🤩🤩🤩.
.
Those first few weeks hand milking can be disheartening. Dribbles and squirts, milk running down your wrist, sticky fingers, and sore forearms. 
.
Milking is a skill. No one is good at it right away. It takes practice. The more you practice, the better you get. The faster you get, the more sure and even your squirts.
.
And then one day, there will be foam in the bucket and you’ll know you’ve arrived. Your squirts are fast and firm and sure and the sustained pressure of all that milk hitting the pail makes the most gloriously frothy foam.
.
Keep at it friend. Whatever skill you’re working on now. Just because you’re not that great at it right now doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing or that you won’t get better.
.
Keep working. Keep trying. Keep learning. The foam will come.
.
.
.
#farmlife #milkmaid #modernmilkmaid #milkmaidlife #milkcowlife #handmilking #rawmilk #homesteadskills #traditionalskills
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • Tacos de Lengua – Beef Tongue Tacos
  • All About Cream : Part 1
  • How to help your milk cow adjust to Daylight Savings Time
  • What is A2A2 Milk?
  • Farmer’s Oxtail Stew

Categories

  • Blog Post
  • Canning
  • MilkCow 101
  • Recipes

Copyright © 2022 · Modern Studio Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in