Hi!

My husband and I have been lurking for quite a while now and really enjoy this forum. But now we turn to you for help.

We are still in the planning stages and hope that someone could offer some advice about livestock. Especially, hardy, multi-use animals (milk/meat/fiber/etc.) that are adaptable to harsher northern climates. We've been considering breeds such as Dexters or Highland cattle (maybe this is a dumb question - but can you milk the Highlands?); Icelandic or Shetland sheep; Pygora goats; etc. We also hope to raise a few hogs on a very limited basis but can't seem to find information on a modest breed (small in size and number of young).

I'm also wondering if the "multi-use" attribute is important to anyone else...

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jehn

-- Jehn Wolfe (drakkensdottir@hotmail.com), February 28, 2002

Answers

I have a friend with a herd of about 15 Highlands, and he will milk them on ocassion, mainly to keep a calf fed, but he says yes you could milk them for the house if you wanted to do it.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), February 28, 2002.

You can milk any cow for that matter. Choose your livestock with more thought to acheiving a particular goal. It sounds as if your worried about traditional stock surviving northern climates. Unless your talking about going very far north (Northern Prairie provinces, NWT North Quebec etc.) you shouldn't have to factor in a northern breed. You might want to avoid tropical species though! If selling isn't a factor then pick animals you like. You'll always do a better job with animals you enjoy working with. Multi use is very important on our farm, we raise sheep for meat milk and with a growing interest in processing fibre. I think sheep have to most to offer for sales, but there are lots of hidden marketable comodities too. A friend raises Bison. The meat is very expensive, but they also sell the hide for a premium and the skull after it's sunbleached. Long horn cattle skulls sell too.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), February 28, 2002.

Hi Jehn,

We chose Rabouillet sheep sheep when we lived in WIsconsin. They overwinter well with just a wind break. They are excellent, meat, fiber and milk breed. You aren't going to get as much milk as a pure dairy sheep but we have always enjoyed it.

We are trying Dexters for the first time this year. So far my feelings are mixed. One is truly sweet and the other is a grumpy old thing. I guess that is typical with cows. We will milk the 2 year old when she calves, I'm not sure the other will be tame enough. I have a friend who raised Dexters in Northern WI,

Kim

-- kim (fleece@eritter.net), February 28, 2002.

Yes, Highlands can be milked and were used for both milk and meat in Scotland. We just try to keep one that is especially tame, make a pet out of her and after she has calved, we just steal a little milk now and then. Highlands hav every rich milk, high in butterfat. After our steers are butchered, we also have the hides made into rugs and sell the skulls with the long horns. We find them a very econmical animal. Hope this helped. Jean

-- jean from ky. (dandrea@duo-county.comm), February 28, 2002.

Hello! We live in NW Minnesota and it gets pretty harsh around here LOL (like 0 degrees right now with a -21 windchill). We like the idea of multipurpose animals for our farm also. We raise dual purpose poultry and dairy and dual purpose goats (milk/meat). We also have a milk cow that not only provides us with milk but also supplements our goat kids with richer milk, allows us to have extra milk to raise a bottle calf or hogs or even extra broiler chickens if we would like. We raise Angus cattle and while most people wouldn't milk them there really isn't a reason why you couldn't milk them. I know there are Highland cattle around this area but I'm not familiar with them. There are also Dexters around but since we already had the Angus we decided not to go with Dexters. There are several bison herds and I believe that there is also someone in our state that raises Yaks. Good luck!

-- Trisha-MN (coldguinea@netscape.net), February 28, 2002.

dairy sheep!? you have my interest!What type of sheep are dairy sheep? I tired for a few years to bred a meat/milk/hair goat but the hair does not cross over. I like my Kinder/boer for meat size and quick growth but the milk did not cross over very well.If pygoras are anything like pygmye(sp)they are escapers.has any one else had any luck in breeding a multi-purpose goats?s.w. in Mo.

-- snow white (gawmonk@misn.com), February 28, 2002.

I think a crosss of cattle is better than a purebred strain. Of course, I am opinionated, just as most everyone else. lol

I have a jersey cow, who gives wonderful-tasting milk, with rich cream. But she is bred to give too much milk. She has to be fed grain to sustain her body condition. I have bred her AI to white- faced hereford, for many reasons. Herefords are known for their easy- handling temperament. Herefords are also known for their ability to convert even poorer pastures into body condition. If the calf is male, it will provide a decent meat animal. If female, she will be able to produce probably pretty good-tasting milk, and probably pretty good quantities of it, on grass alone.

You could milk a beef cow, I suppose. We used to live on a dairy farm where the herd was very diverse. Even an Angus in the herd. But I have no idea what the milk of that cow tasted like. Angus are more wild by nature.

I want a good conbination of a few traits. And one trait I want in my cow is the Channel Island breeds' inability to convert beta carotene into Vitamin A. This translates into yellower butter and cheeses.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), February 28, 2002.

Hey Hey Hey I own the most wonderful animal with some very real potential for making money...Icelandic sheep. The spring after this spring we plan to milk our entire flock. By then we should have over 100 ewes on the stand. Icelandic sheep were the sole source of dairy products for the country of Iceland up until about 40 years ago. These are very milky ewes with gourmet meat. Fiber...handspinners die for the wide range of natural colors and it is the best wool for felting that is known. Very hardy, I live in northern wisconsin and pasture lamb in early April. Best of all the should not be fed any grain just good quality hay. I will just come right out and say it I love them.

-- Calvin Kalmon (calvin@dwave.net), February 28, 2002.

Any sheep can be milked and there are probably mreo than I'll list here that are considered "dairy" sheep. East Freisans, Lancune, Awasi, British dairy sheep, and Rideau Arcott (though they weren't designed as "dairy sheep) Icelandics get called lots of things, some of them are even nice! :^) I'm looking forward to seeing some first hand, I prefer multipurpose breeds over-all.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), February 28, 2002.

Actually, according to a sheep dairy extension tour I went on in Vermont a couple years ago, Dorsets and Tunis are two of the most common dairy sheep in this county. The expensive fresians are great milkers, but lousy herding animals (they prefer to live in very small groups, not in flocks). The fresian dairy character is very inheritable...you get an increase in milk production for even small percentages of fresian blood in your ewes. However, having milked both sheep and goats, I personally find goats easier to milk and the milk is not so rich (which I prefer). These, however, are matters of personal taste which you should determine before you invest your life savings in the wrong livestock for your tastebuds!

-- Sheryl in ME (radams@sacoriver.net), March 01, 2002.

Thanks to everyone for some great suggestions. We really appreciate it.

Just real quick - any suggestions on a smallish sized breed of hog that when bred only births a limited number of offspring?

Thanks, Jehn

-- Jehn Wolfe (drakkensdottir@hotmail.com), March 03, 2002.