GENERAL INFORMATION

HOW, WHY, AND WHEN DID THIS BREED BEGIN?

This breed we fondly call "miniature Jerseys" is NOT a heritage breed, nor did it originate on the Isle of Jersey as some may claim. Do the research and you will find the truth.

About 40 years ago, several breeders here in the USA, began to use the standard Jerseys to breed with smaller beef bulls, hoping to bring the sizes of their offspring down to a smaller and more useful sizes for homesteads.
They were also hoping to retain most of the Jersey milking qualities...and some of the offspring do indeed milk like their Jersey predecessors. The resulting offspring were named "Miniature Jerseys", but even then, they were only 50% standard Jersey by genetics, with the other half of their genes donated by the smaller beef sires. Many types of smaller beef bulls were used for this purpose such as Belted and White Galloways, Lowline Angus, British White Parks, Dexter's, as well as other small beef breeds including Zebu's. Many of these small bulls did reduce offspring in height, while others remained pretty much the same as their larger Jersey parents.

Still today, we will see the genetic traits of these smaller beef breeds in our offspring in coat colors, heights, horns (or absence of horns), markings, stockiness/beefier confirmations and even the sometimes deadly Chondrodysplasia gene (donated by the Dexter breed). If these cattle were purebred as many claim, they would consistently produce other miniatures exactly like themselves, but this is not the case as all breeders know. One can breed two actual miniature cattle at or under 42" at maturity, and get a standard sized offspring from the pairing. The results are a simple flip of the genetic dice.

Genetics will always have the last say, regardless of our best efforts in breeding.

One particular early breeder called their Jersey crossed offspring "Belfairs", while another called theirs "Belmonts", but they were both the same: 50% standard Jersey and 50% of a Dexter or different smaller beef breed bull. Many names have been assigned to this breed over the years, but one thing remains clear: this breed is not going away anytime soon! Breeders all over this country and other countries where they have been imported, are enjoying the fruits of milking and owning these delightfully smaller dairy cattle. And here at White Star Farm, we enjoy them immensely as we milk twice daily, year round here. This is not a hobby for us, it is our lifestyle.

There are legends on the internet that can be easily located, which state that this breed originated on the Isle of Jersey, but this has proven to be false. (The ORIGINAL Jersey cow did originate there.) I personally contacted David Hambrook, (the Registrar at the time for over 35 years) for the Jersey island Herd Book, several times to get this story straight. He is adamant that this information that we hold dear here in the USA is fully incorrect. Per Mr. Hambrook, the only Jerseys that originated from there historically, are standard Jerseys in the 46" - 48" range in heights. They were first imported into America by the wealthy oil baron who owned Standard Oil at that time in the 1850's. He was a friend of the Queen's and she owned her own Jersey herd, which he greatly admired.

They were not then, nor have they ever been under 42" on the Isle of Jersey, nor do any there, carry the name "Miniature Jerseys". After further research, I found that this breed began here in America by crossing of the above mentioned cattle, plain and simple. There were a few throw backs from the Depression era that were smaller because of malnutrition, but those were few and far between. When bred, those also produced larger offspring most of the time. The mystery of the origins of our breed were settled permanently for me, after my research and for anyone seeking the truth, it can be found.

What about the BBR (Breed Base Representation)?

It has been stated by some that, by using the BBR standards it can be proven to show the purity of the "miniature" Jersey genetics. So some push for this testing. The ONLY thing that a BBR test on a mini Jersey can state with accuracy is the percentage of standard Jersey genes that may be in the animal...there is no such standard for "miniature" Jersey blood purity, because it does not exist!. The closest one can get to purity may be 15/16ths of standard Jersey genetics, certainly never 100% or purebred...the genes of the beef sire are always there no matter how far back in the lineage they are and can appear at any time in future offspring, as all breeders know. The cow may appear smaller in height and more standard Jersey in the BBR testing, yet it can and will still produce large offspring that can vary wildly in characteristics, because of the standard Jersey genes as well as the small beef influences of the past crossing.

Based on this, save your money on all these crazy testing methods that do not add value to the actual cattle and choose the cattle that appeal to you in personality, size, coat color, affordability and many other traits that will make them a great food producing companion for your family and farm. Other than disease testing, buy what you like that will work for your particular lifestyle, family and pocketbook.

WHY ALL THE HUBBUB OVER THE A2 GENE?

I have personally read any and all books and articles that I could find to understand what the A2 beta casein gene was all about. This subject can be as divisive as any political preference! And I encourage anyone to do this same research. I personally believe it is no more than a marketing scheme to make money for the A2 Corporation. A2 Corporation gets a kickback AND a copy of the results, on every single test performed to find out the gene status of every cow tested and they actually own the patent for the A2 name. They don't have to prove anything, and they still make money! A2 milk is not a panacea for our ill health as it is touted to be!

I have been a food/health researcher for over 47 years. I have also closely followed the results of our nation using Glyphosate (by brand, Round Up) practically everywhere! Please look up this noxious chemical and see what it does once it enters the human body. The exact same symptoms are what people tell me they have when drinking a1 milk...but is it the a1 milk or is it the damaged gut from glyphosate consumption/injury combined with what the cows eat that is typically also treated???

Raw milk from disease tested and negative cows is still the most perfectly nutritious food regardless of the beta casein gene!

Many years ago, when the Lord gave me standard Jersey cattle to farm and feed our family with, He failed to mention that this A2 gene would rise up one day in the future. So, when it became popular, I began to seriously look into it. Nowhere in the Holy Bible could I locate any info on this mysterious and newly discovered gene...yet all throughout His Word, I found that milk was associated with health and prosperity. Why would He leave this out if it were so important to our health? I wanted the very best for our family...was I missing something?

Back then the A2 Corporation boldly stated on their website that ALL cattle were once a2 and some big bang type thing happened to them and their DNA split off into a1a1, a1a2 while some remained a2a2. Huh? It's like the ape thing and humans (evolution)...if the big bang theory really happened, why are there still apes? Wouldn't it have changed all apes into humans? :-) I guess evolution is still not complete after all these years. And how does the A2 corporation know that all cattle began as a2? The testing for this gene is only about 20 years old...go figure. It is my assertion that God made cattle different, just as He made humans different...end of story.

Either way, I do not now, nor have I ever ascribed to the a2 hyperbole. The miniature Jerseys that we breed and raise here at our farm to milk are a1a1, a1a2 and a2a2, and we do not breed specifically for this trait. We do not separate the different caseins from the different cows when we milk. If anything, less than 1% of our population would benefit from this a2 theory, perhaps the people diagnosed with "leaky gut" and even that is a big maybe.

If we consider all of the pesticides (think Glyphosate here), chemicals, hormone/endocrine system disruptors, artificial colors and preservatives, etc that we consume daily, it is easy to see why we are all seeking help to gain better health, but a2 is not the only answer! It is my opinion based on all of the research that I have done over the years on this topic, that the beta casein of our cattle will not kill us, but the diseases certainly can. Please read on.

NOW, PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT THE DISEASES AND HOW TO PROTECT MY FAMILY.

There are many, many diseases that can and do affect our little cows. And I want to do my best to help them live long healthy lives, plus protect our investment in them. One way we do this is to have them tested at least once a year, by blood, at a reputable lab. Our lab of choice is Antel Bio (listed in our RESOURCES section). I'll explain why this lab over others further in this section.

I want to list the things that we test for in particular, so that you can do the research to educate yourself before you buy your first cattle. And if you already own cattle, you may want to look into this asap. There are four diseases that we test for without exception, that are now known to be "zoonotic" or can pass from species to species...ie: from cattle to humans. Only one of these is not yet known to be zoonotic, BVDv.

This testing is inexpensive...most of the tests are under $5 each...cheap insurance if you ask me!

CentralStar/Antel Bio gives a numerical value to each test result. From year to year, you can review the previous test results online, to see if those values change or numbers increase, indicating a possible problem. If they do change, you may have time to isolate the affected animal and retest in 45 days to be sure they are not in the early developing stage of disease. Other labs only give a "p" for positive or "n" for negative...no way to know until disaster hits!

Find one lab and stick with them, they all use different testing methods...so for consistent results, use only one lab for your testing needs.

1) BLV (Bovine Leukosis Virus)

This is cancer of the blood. Currently, by the stats at Central Star, up to 84+% of the dairy and/or beef cattle in our country today, are carriers of this blood cancer. It can lie dormant for years in any cow or bull, then a stressor occurs to their immune system, and the cow will test positive. (I wonder if it is also a cause of many cancers in humans, too...I have read that it is directly connected to breast cancer.) Here are two of many articles I located on this subject:

https://news.berkeley.edu/2015/09/15/bovine-leukemia-virus-breast-cancer/

nutritionfacts.org/video/the-role-of-bovine-leukemia-virus-in-breast-cancer/

You can do the research and read to see if you find it important to avoid, like we do. It is highly contagious through blood OR milk from an infected animal...or tools used by Vets that are not sterile. It can be transmitted to other cattle on the farm by blood and biting flies, also. Be sure your Vet uses a sterilizing solution on all tools used to contact blood in your cattle. For instance tattooing your cattle after coming from another farm where they tattooed with that same instrument or digits. Anything that contacts blood should be suspect and sterilized. We test every animal on our farm twice yearly, no exceptions and our herd remains negative to this date. If we were to have a positive results, we would isolate that animal, wait 45 days and retest to be sure it is not a faulty test, then put that animal down and bury it if the second test returns positive. Some may choose to feed their family from it as in table beef or to take them to the local sale barn, we choose not to do this.

It is our opinion that this keeps the problem persistent in herds for other unsuspecting families and is a reason we have to deal with it today...no one took it seriously or didn't want to lose the money for the animal, when it was first discovered back around 1969, and didn't cull the positives from their herd. Pasteurization does not kill this virus in all cases, which is why BLV is found in our public meat and dairy supply still today. As the cases rise of leukemia in our society, it makes me wonder if we are not infecting ourselves and families by even the handling of commercial red meat with the blood issues, and our porous skin when we pat out a burger for the grill....just something to think about.

2) JOHNE'S DISEASE
Johne's is transmitted through urine and feces of an infected animal. Goats that carry it, can and will transfer it to cattle and vice versa. One cannot tell by looking until the final stages of disease..so test to be sure. We have known of several farms who had goats, bought cattle only to find out later, that those cute little goats had infected their cute (and expensive!) little cows! It is stated that the bacteria that causes Johne's can be latent and stay on the soil for up to three years before becoming benign.

In humans, you'll recognize this bacteria (Mycoaviumparatuberculosis) in diseases like Crohn's, IBS and Colitis...yep, it's the same one found in infected cattle and goats. You may not die FROM it, but you will die WITH it, it cannot be cured in animals or humans.

3) TUBERCULOSIS

Tb has been around for hundreds if not thousands of years. It infects humans and cattle alike. Tb infects the lungs and can be deadly. Although many states declare that they are Tb free, it is still around today in some states. Purchase from states that are accredited to be Tb free or have the individual animals tested to be sure.

4) BVDV (Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus)

This is deadly and infectious only to cattle, at least from all the research that I can find today. It can wipe out herds of cattle in a few days. To date, I have never heard of a single case affecting our breed of cattle...but it is something we test for to be sure our cattle are the best that they can be. There is a vaccine for BVD but I am not sure of the efficacy of it...test to be sure. The ear notch is the most accurate method of testing, but a blood sample can also detect it and it does not disfigure the animal.

WHATEVER YOUR POSITION IS ON THE DISEASE ISSUE, EDUCATE YOURSELF PRIOR TO MAKING ANY PURCHASE. ASK FOR CURRENT TESTING RESULTS FROM THE SELLER. IF WE ASK FOR THIS TESTING PRIOR TO A PURCHASE, WE PAY FOR IT, REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME. TESTING IS CHEAP INSURANCE FOR PEACE OF MIND THAT YOU HAVE DONE YOUR BEST TO AVOID THE PITFALL OF DISEASE IN YOUR CATTLE COMPANION.