Jersey. It is the most widespread of the English dairy breeds, originated on the small island of Jersey, in the English Channel, it is a breed exclusively oriented towards milk production and is considered the second dairy breed in the world. Isle of Man comprehensive information can be found on itypejob.

Jersey cattle are native to the island of Jersey, located in the English Channel.

There is no certainty as to which were the original breeds but the small black cattle from Great Britain and the large red from Normandy are accepted as the most probable original base breeds. This theory coincides with the fact that the island of the Jersey channel, Guersney and Alderney were part of the Duchy of Normandy and became the domain of Great Britain.

In 1734, the islanders motivated by the interest that their small cows aroused decided to preserve the characteristics of the breed and prohibited the introduction to the island of bovines that were not destined for slaughter, in this way and from this date, purity is ensured. genetics of the breed and an explanation is given to the denomination in the crosses.

Worldwide distribution

The demand for the Jersey cow was on the rise and during the 18th century many specimens reached South Africa, Australia, Tasmania and especially New Zealand.

The temperate zones of South America also incorporate it, Argentina in 1909, Uruguay in 1910 and in Brazil where it was later introduced.

Physical characteristics

The Jersey is a breed exclusively oriented towards milk production, it is considered the second dairy breed in the world.

The Jersey cow stands out for its small size and femininity. It is the best for producing milk anywhere in the world, under special conditions, including those in the tropics.

In addition to this, the typical concave profile, with a broad forehead, short and gaunt face, prominent orbital arches, wide snout and incomparable vivacity make up its traditional head.

Its femininity, its affection and meekness and the silky characteristic of its fine and loose skin, distinguish it from all dairy breeds, which indicates its high efficiency in transforming food into milk.

The colors range from light brown, through brown, to almost black, accepting the stains.

The color of the udder, belly, and inner thighs are lighter than the rest of the body and all cows have a black muzzle and black eyelashes.

It is an animal of small size, 1.25 m tall and average weight at maturity between 350 and 430 kg; of fine bone and excellent legs, which gives it the possibility of adapting very easily to any type of topography, including the hillside area. Jersey calves are born with an approximate weight of 25 kg.

Functional Characteristics

However, their milk yield in relation to their weight competes side by side with that of the Holstein Friesian breed. Regarding their milk, it is the richest in fat and total solids of all breeds: 3.7% protein and 4.7% average fat. Non-fat solids (protein, sugars and minerals), total 9.7% for an average of 14.1% of total solids

Although the breed average is 5,265 kg / lactation in the USA and 4,580 kg / lactation for Canadian cattle, the DHIR registry that enrolls 1% of top breeders gives an updated average of 6,170 kg per cow. by breastfeeding.

Its cheese yield per 45 kg of milk is said to be as follows: 5.6 kg of cheddar, 7.4 kg of cottage (dry) or 4.28 kg of skim milk powder.

Climate adaptation

The Jersey breed has shown a climatic adaptation in different parts of the world, where it is currently exploited as a pure breed.

It works well in the tropics, reporting high yields: 2 151 kg / lactation, in Central America and under grazing regimen, which is a good average for this breed under these conditions. In India it has also demonstrated its ability to adapt to the tropics, better than other breeds.

Breed Advantages

• Precocity

At 14 months on average, with an approximate weight of 250 kilograms, they are suitable for the first service, giving birth for the first time around 24 months.

• Fertility and Longevity

Their few reproductive problems mean that they present shorter intervals between calvings, translating this into more offspring for the farmer throughout the useful life of the cow. The conformation of its udder and legs makes it a dairy cow that easily reaches ten lactations or more.

• Rusticity

It adapts quickly and easily to different types of climate and soils. It is very resistant to heat stress; They resist up to 5 degrees Celsius more than other breeds before excess heat affects production.

• Ease of Delivery

Due to its fairly wide and easily dilatable birth canal and a low birth weight baby (25kg), cases of dystocic deliveries are quite rare.

• Crosses

Because of its heat tolerance and resistance to tropical diseases, Jersey is very attractive as a cross-breeding component in tropical and subtropical countries. Among all the temperate dairy breeds used to improve tropical livestock, only Jersey contributed to the creation of highly valued breeds.