BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE Animal Science 1 Dairy Unit

Ayrshire  Originated in the country of Ayr  Developed during the last part of the 18 th century  First imported to the US in 1822  Greatest numbers are found in Northeastern US  Breed association is the Ayrshire Breeders’ Association

Ayrshire  May be any shade of cherry red, other colors are mahogany, brown, or white  White may be mixed with any other color but each color should be clearly defined.  Preferred color is a distinctive red and white  Objectionable colors are black and brindle  Straight lines  Well balanced udders that are attached high behind and extend forward.  Teats are medium in size  Vigorous and strong, have excellent grazing ability  Mature cows 1,200 pounds, Mature bulls about 1,800 pounds

Milk Production  Rank 3 rd in average milk produced per cow at 11,700 pounds  Average 4% milk fat  Rank 4 th in average milk fat produced per cow

Brown Swiss  Originated in Switzerland  One of the oldest dairy breeds  First imported into the US in 1869  Only 25 bulls and 130 cows were imported into the US  The approximately 820,000 registered Brown Swiss in the US are descendants of those importations  Breed association is the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeder’s Association of the USA, organized in 1880

Brown Swiss  Solid brown, ranging from light to dark  White and off-color spots are objectionable  Nose and tongue are black  Large framed  Mature cows 1500 lbs, Mature bulls 2,000 lbs  Quiet, docile temperament  Longest lived  High heat tolerance

Milk Production  Rank second among dairy breeds in average milk production per cow at 12,100 pounds  Average 4.1% milk fat  Rank 3 rd among the dairy breeds in average milk fat produced per cow

Guernsey  Originated on the Isle of Guernsey  Developed by Monks through crossbreeding  First imported into the US in 1831  Breed association is the American Guernsey Association  Organized in 1877  Rank 2 nd in total number of dairy cattle registered in the US

Guernsey  May be any shade of fawn with white markings  Black and brindle are objectionable  Clear or buff muzzle is preferred over smoky or black  Skin is yellow  Early maturing  Adaptable  Gentle  Mature weight  Cows 1100 lbs, Bulls 1800 lbs

Milk Production  Rank 4 th in average milk production per cow at 10,600 lbs  Average 5% milk fat  Rank 2 nd in average milk fat produced per cow  Produce milk that is golden in color

Holstein-Friesian  Originated in the Netherlands  Called the Holstein in the US and Canada and the Friesian elsewhere in the world  First imported into the US by the Dutch settlers in 1621 and 1664  There have been no imports since 1905  Breed Association-Holstein-Friesian Association of America  90% of all Dairy Cattle in the US  About 1,500,000 registered Holstein cattle in the US

Holstein-Friesian  Black and white  Solid animals are not acceptable or registered  Recessive gene occasionally causes red and white animals to appear  Largest  Mature cows-1500 lbs, Mature bulls 2200 lbs  Large udders  Cows are quiet but bulls can be mean and dangerous  Adaptable

Milk Production  1 st among dairy breeds in average milk production per cow at 14,500 lbs  Average about 3.5% milk fat  5 th among dairy breeds in average milk fat production per cow

Jersey  Originated on the Isle of Jersey  Imported into the US in about 1815 with major importations occurring between  Breed association is the American Jersey Cattle Association

Jersey  Cream to a light fawn to almost black in color  Some may have white markings  Switch and tongue may be black or white  Smallest  Mature cows weigh about 1,000 pounds, mature bulls weight about 1600 pounds  Excellent udders that are well attached  Adaptable and efficient users of feed  Somewhat nervous and bulls can be mean and very aggressive  Early maturing

Milk Production  Rank 5 th among dairy breeds in average milk production per cow at 10,000 pounds  Average about 5.4% milk fat  Rank 1 st among dairy breeds in average milk fat produced per cow