Contents
One of the most productive dairy breeds, taking into account the feed spent on the production of 1 liter, is the old island Jersey breed of cows. Jerseys are very economical to maintain and would be ideal for keeping in private estates, if not for some of their features that need to be considered. These features are a direct consequence of their origin.
History of the origin of the breed
Written sources, from where cattle appeared on the island of Jersey, have not been preserved. Presumably, the Normans brought cows there during their heyday. Most likely, the original Norman cattle crossed with the British. As a breed, Jersey cows are first mentioned in 1700. At the end of the 2008th century, the island authorities banned the crossing of jerseys with other breeds of cattle. Up until XNUMX, Jersey cattle were bred clean.
Like any island population of large mammals, Jersey cattle began to shrink after entering the island. Today, jerseys are considered one of the smallest breeds of cattle.
Description of the Jersey breed of cows
Jerseys from the very beginning were formed as a dairy breed of cows. The conditions of the island and the limited food supply left no other options. After calving, the farmers immediately slaughtered the calves so as not to feed the “parasites”, but to take the milk for themselves.
Before the zoo, the calves were slaughtered and buried.
Due to the strict dairy orientation, the Jersey breed of cows still has a very low slaughter meat yield today. Even in the photo of the bull above, it is noticeable that the Jersey bulls do not have special muscles.
The growth of a Jersey cow is 125 – 130 cm. On abundant feed, it often grows to the usual “cow” height of 140 – 145 cm. The average weight of cows is 400 – 500 kg, bulls – 540 – 820 kg. The upper values are hardly possible for an animal with a height of 130 cm.
Pictured is the original size of the Jersey cattle.
Weight of calves at birth 26 kg. Jerseys grow quickly and at 7 months they lag behind the calf of Holstein cattle by only 3 kg. For comparison: a Jersey at 7 months weighs 102,8 kg; Holsteiner 105,5 kg. But Holstein cattle should grow up to 150 – 160 cm!
Due to inbreeding, the body of the jersey is graceful and light. A distinctive feature of these cows is their large eyes with superciliary arches on a small head. The facial part of the skull is shortened.
Most likely, there is a Holstein breed in the genus of this cow. This is the most common type of interbreeding.
The body is flat with a deep chest. The back is straight, without depressions. But this breed is allowed to have an arched back. The udder is cup-shaped.
The color of modern jerseys is the so-called “deer”: fawn-brown of any shade.
Also, young cows often have a bright red color, but over time they bloom into a standard “deer”.
Productive features of jerseys
The milk characteristics of Jersey cows are higher than those of other dairy breeds. The average yield of jerseys during lactation is 3000 – 3500 liters. With properly organized feeding and care in the UK, 5000 liters of milk per year are achieved from jerseys. The record milk yield in this country is 9000 l.
Jersey milk is highly valued in the UK for its high fat, protein and calcium content. But contrary to -language advertising, the fat content of milk from jerseys is not 6 – 8%, but only 4,85%. But even this is 25% higher than the fat content in “average” milk. The protein in the milk of jerseys is also 18% more than in the “average” – 3,95%. Quarter more calcium. Accordingly, Jersey milk is much more useful and beneficial than milk from other breeds. Even with relatively small milk yields.
In addition, jerseys are distinguished by a good response to feed. A Jersey cow needs only 1 feed to produce 0,8 liter of milk. units.
Benefits of a Jersey Cow
Every breed has advantages and disadvantages. For Our Country, a jersey can be difficult to maintain due to the peculiarities of breeding. But a large number of advantages of the breed outweighs the disadvantages:
- milk is rich in nutrients;
- to obtain 1 liter of milk, less feed is required than for other breeds of cattle;
- productive longevity;
- precocity. Many Jersey cows give birth to their first calf at 19 months of age;
- light and fast hotels. Because of this quality, the Jersey is often crossed with other breeds of cows;
- strong hooves, making jerseys less prone to lameness;
- fewer cases of mastitis than other breeds;
- docile and calm nature.
The latter is especially important in machine milking, as a quarrelsome cow often breaks the milking machines by brushing them off with her feet.
The disadvantages of jerseys include weak resistance to diseases and an increased need for trace elements. Both are due to the fact that the breed was bred on a small island. Due to inbreeding and the lack of the need to fight diseases, the selection of jerseys for the strength of immunity did not go.
Features of feeding Jersey cows
On the island, livestock were often fed seaweed, plus the island’s land is saturated with trace elements found in the ocean water. The entry of these trace elements to the island occurs during storms and when sea water seeps into the base of the island. Over the millennia, the earth has been soaked through with sea water, even if at first glance it seems that this is not so.
On a note! The diet should be high in iodine.
The need for jerseys in iodine is due precisely to the eating of algae thrown ashore and feed grown on the sea coast.
Mini-farm with dwarf cows
Some breeding features of Jersey cows
Although Jersey cattle are often mixed with other breeds to improve productive characteristics, a bull usually acts as a producer on the Jersey side. Most Jersey cows are still much smaller than representatives of other dairy breeds. If the jersey is covered with a large bull, it may have problems at calving due to the calf being too large. On the other hand, you can also use a jersey that has grown up on mainland feed. But only on condition that its dimensions correspond to the size of the bull.
Feedback from owners of Jersey cows
Conclusion
Jersey cattle in conditions can be very profitable in the south, as the breed is quite thermophilic. This breed is also suitable for the most arid regions of Our Country, as it is able to get by with a minimum of feed. In the north, these cattle will have to build insulated cowsheds, which will immediately increase the cost of maintaining a dairy herd. However, in the north, Jersey cattle may well be replaced by the original Red-Humpback breed.