duel purpose cattle.

[akashia26]

are there any breeds of duel purpose cattle? we have limited space, and would like to get a cow or 2 that produces enough milk for 2 growing boys and a husband that will drink about a half gallon a day. would also like to be able to slaughter our own beef. i know you can eat milk cows and milk beef cows but what are some nice in between breeds?

 

[chickenzoo]

You can consider mini cattle. They take up less space and feed and they can produce enough milk and meat for a family I would think. I have mini zebu, but we don't eat ours.... Hehe

 

[Oregon Blues]

It's common to breed a Holstein to an Angus. Then you get milk from the Holstein and eat the calf, which should be, perhaps not as beefy as an Angus, but a lot meatier than the Holstein.

That's also done with Jersey cows bred to a beef type Dexter.

Milking Shorthorns are better muscled than a lot of other dairy breeds.

You are using 1/2 a gallon a day..... a milk cow is going to give you 5-6 gallons a day if she is well fed and well bred. You will have a lot of milk to figure out what to do with.

I don't keep milk cows because I don't want to do all that work and to be tied down to such a precise schedule. But if i did, I'd buy a quality jersey and have her AI'ed to a top of the line Jersey bull for a purebred jersey calf. A bull calf would be worth nothing, but Jersey is exceptionally good to eat, just small. A heifer calf would be worth a packet as a purebred milk cow. Train her to halter and get her ready to be hand milked and she will sell for enough to buy a beef feeder steer.

 

[akashia26]

we would be leaving the calf with he mother so it would get quite a bit of the milk and we use close to a gallon a day. also have family that drinks a lot of milk soo getting rid of the extra wouldn't be a problem. milk products is also a option for the extra.

was doing some research and thinking about jersey, milking shorthorn, or devon.