History of the Jersey
Jersey cattle originate from Jersey the largest Island in
the Channel Islands and just
some 14 miles away from the French coast.
There are fewer than 6000 Jerseys on
the Island in total with nearly 4000 of these being adult
milking cows. The purity of the breed on the Island is maintained
by a strict ban on imports. This ban has been in place for
some 150 years. There are no other breeds of the cattle on
the Island.
The Jersey shares a common ancestry
with not only the Guernsey breed but also those cattle found
on the Normandy and Brittany
coasts. This type of cattle is believed to have originally
travelled up across Europe
from the Middle East.
Jerseys are known to exist in the UK mainland
since 1741 and probably well before. At that time they were
known as Alderney's.
The Jersey Cattle Society was founded in 1878.
In 1999 there were 18,719 recorded lactations, averaging
4491kgs of milk @ 5.55 and 3.85%
Jersey milk is noted for its high quality rather than the
quantity, it is particularly rich in protein, minerals and
trace elements.
One of the oldest herds in the country is that of Her Majesty
the Queen at Windsor.
There is another herd at Osberton Notts
which is 100 years old and one of a similar age at Brighstone,
Isle of Wight.
Jersey milk is noted for its high quality - it is particularly
rich in protein, minerals and trace elements.
It is also rich in colour
which is naturally produced from carotene, an extract from
grasses (the cows natural food).
After the Holstein the Jersey is the second most popular
specialist Dairy breed in the world.
The Wheelbirk Herd in Northumberland was the first noted
by the Jersey Cattle Society in 1925 with the first recorded
birth on August 2nd - Miranda Vanity. This herd was recorded
from the start and records note one of the foundation
cows Merry Jest, yielding 5149 kgs @ 5.75% in 355 days, at
4
years of age, calving on 19th March 1926. 12 cows were recorded
by the Northumberland Milk Recording Society in 1926.
The Wheelbirk prefix was the first registered in 1927. The
current
owner has served on the Council of the Jersey Cattle
Society in many capacities and was President in 1984/85.
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