A simple answer - a Mini Jersey is just as its name implies - it is a smaller sized Jersey cow, bred down through generations focusing on smaller and smaller cows until perfection was reached. Now that doesn’t mean any smallish cow you come across is a Mini - no matter how much their owner wants to claim that they are. In order to be considered a true Mini Jersey - the cow needs to be 42” or smaller at 3yrs of age (the age they are considered fully mature) any taller and they fall into Mid size.
Now that might lead you to another question - if a mini jersey is just a small jersey then what exactly is a Jersey cow? Much like dogs, horses, or goats there are many different breeds of cow. Jersey cows, named after the Jersey island they first came from, are a docile breed of dairy cow with a high butterfat content. They easily adapt to a wide variety of climates making them ideal just about anywhere in the world. Already on the smaller end for dairy cows Jerseys are also praised for their great milk efficiency. Producing more lbs of milk per lbs of body weight than any other breed Jerseys are not to be overlooked when choosing a cow. Mini Jersey’s are even more feed efficient than their fullsize counterparts - doing well on intense grazing systems and allowing families on smaller parcels of land the chance to own their own milk cow.
