How To Choose The Right Family Milk Cow Breed

Sharing is caring!

Selling a family milk cow is fairly easy these days—at least in my area. Local marketplace boards often feature milk cows that are sold within hours. While the available options vary, they typically include popular dairy cow breeds like Jerseys, Holsteins, and the occasional Brown Swiss.

I don’t live in traditional dairy country, and the limited number of dairy farms around here reflects in the choices available. Depending on where you live, though, you might see a much wider variety of breeds—which can feel overwhelming if you’re trying to choose the right family milk cow for your homestead or small farm. Here is an example list of some of the dairy breeds out there;

Quite a list hey?! Add in mixed breeds like dairy/beef crosses, and you might be wondering, how do I choose a breed of milk cow that is right for my family? In this blog post, we’ll look at some key starting points and the most common breeds available to help you choose a family milk cow that meets your needs.

Write a wish list!

The first thing to consider when choosing a breed of milk cow is what your needs/wants are. Sit down and write a wish list. How much milk are you looking for? Is butterfat a priority? What are you going to be using the milk for? Mostly personal use, cheesemaking, or are you planning on starting a herd share? What type of feed do you have available to you and what hardiness of cow are you going to need? Sit down and really look at what your priorities are, in terms of keeping a milk cow. Being clear on your goals will help you to make more informed decisions later on.

Get this free printable wish list by in my FREE Buying a Milk Cow Email Masterclass

Research breeds in your area

I have a very simple way to pare down that long list of dairy cow breeds: start by looking at which breeds are actually available in your area. I can tell you with confidence that only five or six breeds live within driving distance of me. Just because you’ve chosen a particular dairy breed doesn’t mean it will be available for sale near you—or that it will thrive in your climate. Breeds are often regionally selected because they perform well in those specific conditions.

For this reason, it’s a good idea to do some research on which breeds are common in your area. You can start by browsing local marketplace boards or talking to nearby dairy farms. Figure out which breeds are most available to you, and focus your research on those. Look into general traits such as size, milk production, butterfat, protein content, and hardiness. While individual cows can vary, having a basic idea of what traits matter most to you will make the buying process much smoother.

Some Popular Dairy Breeds to Consider

Holstein

My very first milk cows were Holsteins. We originally got them to help feed any extra beef calves we ended up with on our ranch. Beef cows don’t always do well raising twins, and having the option to pop extra calves onto a milk cow—rather than bottle-feeding them—was incredibly helpful. It’s been over 10 years now since our first Holstein came home, and in between feeding calves, I would often take milk for cheesemaking or drinking.

Most Holsteins are incredible milk producers. On average, a Holstein can produce between 8–9 gallons of milk per day at peak lactation. The trade-off, however, is often lower butterfat content; most Holsteins don’t exceed 4%. Of course, diet, individual genetics, and lactation stage all influence those numbers.

If you’re considering a Holstein as a family milk cow, be prepared to supplement her diet with grain and high-quality feed. Holsteins are large-framed cows, which means they need plenty of nutrition—not only to support milk production, but also to maintain their body condition.

P.S. Don’t forget to buy some extra milk jars… you’re going to need them!

Jersey

My favourite milk cow was my late Jersey, Sukey. I loved her for her high butterfat content and very respectable production—but also for her sassy personality. “Jersey sass” is a common term in the dairy community, because these little cows pack a lot of attitude into their small, compact bodies. I often called Sukey my pocket cow because, compared to my big Holsteins, she felt like she could fit in my pocket. I also called her pleasantly naughty because she was always up to some kind of mischief!

Jerseys are known for producing high-butterfat milk. On average, they give about 4–6 gallons of milk per day during peak lactation (though there are some individual cows out there that can rival Holsteins in production). Their butterfat content typically ranges between 4–6%. These cows are excellent cream producers, and if you’re planning to make butter or use a lot of cream, Jerseys are a fantastic option.

Guernsey

My oldest milk cow, Annabelle, who has, over time, become one of the easiest cows for me to handle, is half Guernsey. The other half is a mix of Brown Swiss and Holstein, but the cream Annabelle gives me is characteristically Guernsey. It is thick, deep yellow, and when blended, it churns into butter within a minute. I’m not promising all Guernseys will boast this kind of cream, but Guernseys are known for their beautiful, creamy milk—a sort of middle ground between Holsteins and Jerseys.

On average, Guernseys produce 4.5 to 6.5 gallons of milk per day during peak lactation and have an average butterfat content of 4.5% to 5%. I find drinking Guernsey milk more pleasing than Jersey milk. Jersey milk is almost too creamy and can sometimes leave a film on the mouth. Guernsey milk strikes a nice balance—creamy, yet light.

Brown Swiss

My little Brown Swiss heifer, Brie, isn’t so little anymore. She’s now 3 years old and has become the biggest baby on the farm. I guess I can’t really call her a baby anymore, especially since she just finished her first lactation, raised a giant steer, and produced so much milk that I often couldn’t keep up! Brie isn’t a full Brown Swiss; she’s ¾ Brown Swiss, to be exact. The other ¼ is Jersey, and—as I saw in my old Jersey cow, Sukey—she’s often “pleasantly naughty.” She’s also extremely friendly and would quite literally let me do anything to her. I’m pretty sure I could do a tail blood draw while she stands at the feeder because every time I do it in the head gate, she barely seems to notice. I could trim her feet while she’s lying down and even lie down with her without worrying about getting squished. She might not fit in my pocket like Sukey, but if she were small enough, she’d crawl right in.

On average, Brown Swiss cows produce 6 to 9 gallons of milk a day during peak lactation and have a butterfat content of 4 to 4.5%. They tend to be hardier than Holsteins but do require a large amount of food since they are a larger breed of dairy cow.

Ayrshire

What’s that milk cow over there?” I asked during a preschool farm tour I was attending with my son. I don’t know who was more excited to visit a working dairy farm—him or me—but standing a few feet away was a pretty cow that looked like a mix between a Holstein and a Guernsey. It turned out she was an Ayrshire, and although I’m familiar with the breed, she was the first one I had seen in real life.

Slightly smaller than a Holstein, Ayrshires average 5 to 7 gallons of milk a day during peak lactation and have a respectable butterfat percentage of about 4%. I have no hands-on experience with Ayrshires, but they are a semi-popular breed and would suit many different needs.

Dexter

Again, I have no hands-on experience with Dexters, but if you think standard-size Jerseys are small, you haven’t met a Dexter. If Jerseys are pocket cows, these little guys would fit in the tiny inner pocket of your jeans—you know, the one that sits inside your main jean pocket? Up until now, it hasn’t really seemed to have a use, but now you know it’s for storing Dexters 😉.

They are tiny, averaging between 600 and 800 pounds. Their small stature means they eat less and could be a great choice if you’re working with limited space. With a tiny cow, you can also expect tiny milk production, averaging 1.5 to 2.5 gallons per day, with a healthy butterfat content of 4 to 5.5%.

Mixed Breeds

You’ve probably gathered that most of my current milk cows aren’t all one breed. I have a curated selection of “mutts.” My older milk cow, Annabelle, is what I like to call a “dairy mutt”—she’s ¼ Brown Swiss, ¼ Holstein, and ½ Guernsey. My younger milk cow, Brie (like the cheese 😉), is ¾ Brown Swiss and ¼ Jersey. In the last few years, we’ve been breeding them to Normande sires, further solidifying our “mutt” status. I also have an Angus-Holstein cross that brings hardiness and milk production to the table.

I like mixed-breed milk cows. Sure, purebreds have often been bred specifically for certain traits—whether it’s adaptation to a particular climate, production, butterfat, or more—and a lot of work has gone into maintaining and advancing dairy breeds. On the other hand, I’m a homesteader, and breeding in specific traits that work for us while breeding out those that don’t is exciting. On my wish list, I want production but also hardiness, butterfat, cheesemaking ability, and an ability to calf-share. Breeding forward is a great way to improve your herd and, one day, find that “unicorn” milk cow that hits every spot on your list. For me, mixing and matching breeds is helping me accomplish this goal.

Breeds Are Not Everything

Cows are individuals. A dairy farm might cull a Jersey from its herd because she only produces a few gallons of milk a day, while a Holstein might have a tiny cream line but could also have the most impressive cream line you’ve ever seen. Factors like diet, the individuality of the cow, and the stage of lactation can all play a part in milk production and butterfat. The best thing you can do is research, ask questions, and make sure you are truly ready and set up before you buy. If you would like to learn more about buying a milk cow, check out my FREE Buying a Milk Cow Email Masterclass.

Sharing is caring!