The Jersey is a British breed of small dairy cattle from Jersey, in the British Channel Islands. It is one of three Channel Island cattle breeds, the others being the Alderney – now extinct – and the Guernsey. The milk is high in butterfat and has a characteristic yellowish tinge.
History: As its name implies, the Jersey was bred on the British Channel Island of Jersey. It apparently descended from cattle stock brought over from the nearby Norman mainland, and was first recorded as a separate breed around 1700. The breed was isolated from outside influence for over 200 years, from 1789 to 2008. Before 1789, cows would be given as dowry for inter-island marriages between Jersey and Guernsey. This was, however, not widespread. In 1789, imports of foreign cattle into Jersey were forbidden by law to maintain the purity of the breed, although exports of cattle and semen have been important economic resources for the island.
Scientific Name: Bos Primigenius Taurus
Characteristics: The Jersey is small. Cows in the island weigh some 350–400 kg and stand about 115–120 cm at the withers; bulls weigh some 600–700 kg. Factors contributing to the popularity of the breed have been their greater economy of production, due to: the ability to carry a larger number of effective milking cows per unit area due to lower body weight, hence lower maintenance requirements, and superior grazing ability, calving ease and a relatively lower rate of dystocia, leading to their popularity in crossbreeding with other dairy and even beef breeds to reduce calving related injuries, high fertility, high butterfat (4.84%) and protein (3.95%), and the ability to thrive on locally produced feed.
Size and Color: Jerseys occur in all shades of brown, from light tan to almost black. They are frequently fawn in colour. This Jersey Cow figure measures 12.5 cm in length and 7.5 cm in height.