Cattle - Raising Small Animals - page 443

the high milk-producing cow. The world record holder for milk production is the Holstein.
Top producing Holstein cows produce more than 65,000 pounds of milk — roughly 8,000 gal-
lons — a year. But an average herd cow produces about 22,000 pounds of milk a year and 836
pounds of butterfat. At maturity, the average Holstein cow weighs about 1,500 pounds. At
birth, a calf can weigh more than 90 pounds. Because of high-yields of milk and modern man-
agement strategies, the average productive life of a Holstein cow is about four years. They can
live longer, but many Holstein encounter health problems that shorten their life spans. This is
due to being confined to cement-floored buildings that are damaging to the feet and legs or
being fed high-concentrate diets, which leads to foot and stomach problems.
Jersey: The Jersey cow is the smallest breed of dairy cow that is commercially milked. Jer-
seys are generally brown, ranging from copper to dark brown with rich, chocolate eyes. Al-
though they are small in stature, their milk is high in butterfat. A mature Jersey will weigh
about 1,000 pounds or less. The Jersey was developed in the British channel on the island of
Jersey. They have small calves, weigh about 40 pounds when born, and have the added ad-
vantage of being known as a docile breed. Many Holstein herds will have a Jersey cow or two
in them to increase the butterfat content in the milk bulk tank.
Guernsey: The Guernsey breed is another island breed. The cow was developed on the Isle of
Guernsey, which is off the coast of France. They are a medium-sized, fawn and white dairy
cows, and an adult female will weigh around 1,100 pounds. The milk from a Guernsey is high
in butterfat and protein. It is also a rich golden color rather than white due to the higher con-
centration of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A.
Brown Swiss: The Brown Swiss breed originated in the mountains of Switzerland. It is a
large, brown breed that is second to Holsteins in milk production. A mature Brown Swiss cow
weighs 1,500 pounds. They produce milk rich in butterfat and protein, which makes their milk
prized for cheese production. A Brown Swiss herd will average more than 21,000 pounds of
milk per year. They are easy to take care of, do well in all weather conditions, and they have a
laid-back temperament.
Ayrshire: The red and white Ayrshire was developed in Scotland. On average, a mature cow
will weigh about 1,200 pounds. The breed is easy to keep and is not plagued by feet and udder
breakdown like other dairy breeds. There is also little difficulty when birthing calves, and the
calves are generally strong and healthy. Ayrshire cows are good for pasture grazing.