Looking for Brown Swiss

Does anyone know who to contact to buy a Brown Swiss cow in BC? I havent heard of any but that is what Im hoping to find. A nice big friendly, already milk trained cow. In BC.

Jaclyn

Here's a list of all the registered breeders in BC
http://www.clrc.ca/cgi-bin/list.cgi?_list=memberprov&_association=13&_province=BC

Ah, I have recently driven past a pasture with some Brown Swiss...where did I see it? Near the dump in Armstrong, if I recall. I remarked to Hub that you don't often see Brown Swiss anymore. I always thought they had the nicest temperaments. If I find out who has them, I will let you know.

How far would you travel for a cow? (that sounded funny)

Can I ask why the Jersey didn't work out? Temperament or training or something else? You did have a Jersey, right?

heda gobbler wrote:Can I ask why the Jersey didn't work out? Temperament or training or something else? You did have a Jersey, right?

I'm interested in your response as well HiddenAcres. My husband wants a Jersey mainly because of their high butterfat content but also he finds the Jersey beautiful.

Oh and if you don't mind me asking, why Swiss?

Honestly, I have no good reason to switch breeds. I love my Jersey. But I hear good things about Brown Swiss also, and I believe this will be Brendas last year with us. She got a mild case of milk fever we are still working on this week, as well as retained placenta. She is on some heavy duty antibiotics unfortunatly and I just feel that I would like to try a different breed with similair characteristics as Jersey, only maybe more hardy for our area and less prone to milk fever. She is 6 years old now. The time when milk fever is more likely to become a problem with each calving.
It is damp and bitter cold winds here in the winter and she just doesnt seem to appreciate that haha. Cant blame her. She has the most lovely personality. So calm and cool. Not aggrssive at all. But I will be putting her up for sale this summer once the antibiotics are worn off and the milk is drinkable again. I milked her for months last year on a once a day milk schedule and she hardly dropped in production at all. So I feel she will make someone a very good family milker that wont need to be rebred. I have heard of cows being milked for years and years without being rebred, as long as you are consistent. Unfortuntaly I am not consistent so she needs to go to a good home that will be.
So that is I guess my reasoning for trying a new breed. It is a toss up between a Dexter, small compact with decent milk, or a Swiss, large and robust and more milk. But if I dont find any for sale nearby I wont be getting anything!

Jaclyn

I also love the shades of the brown swiss. But to me the Jersey is defintely the most beautiful of cows It is why we picked that breed to begin with. The Swiss is suppose to have very compareable milk composition to Jerseys also. But like i said, just a bit hardier. And since we have no large animal vet here hardy and healthy is key.

HiddenAcres, back when my father was crossing domestic cattle with exotics (Chianina, Romagnola, Marchigianna) we found the Brown Swiss made an especially lovely cross. Since they are the most beef like of the dairy breeds, they cross easily to produce a more beef like calf. If you want to eat your calves, these will put on more heft and be better eating than a pure diary animal.

Yes, yes, I know lots of people eat dairy animals. But I like my beef to be beef and a Brown Swiss crossed with a beef breed makes a better animal for the freezer. (in my opinion)

Well Uno if you find me a Brown swiss in your area I will send you a steak or three

Jaclyn

I raised some jerseys for beef once and they were great, I really liked the size of the cuts.
What do people think of the dexter(the cereal killer, not the serial killer) as a good dual purpose cow?