If you’re looking to add dairy to your farm, one option to get the best bang for your buck is the Jersey Cattle breed. But what exactly are Jersey Cattle, and are they the best choice for your farm?
We break down everything that you need to know about these cattle for you here, so you know exactly what you’re getting into if you do decide to bring some home!
Quick Facts About Jersey Cattle Breed
Breed Name:
Bos taurus taurus
Place of Origin:
Isle of Jersey and the British Isles
Uses:
Dairy
Bull (Male) Size:
1,200 to 1,800 pounds
Cow (Female) Size:
800 and 1,200 pounds
Color:
Fawn, cream, red-tinted, or dark brown
Lifespan:
25 to 30 years
Climate Tolerance:
Adapts well to different climates, has a high heat tolerance
Care Level:
Easy
Production:
10,000 to 17,500 pounds of milk per year
Jersey Cattle Breed Origins
Jersey Cattle originated from a small island off the coast of France known as the Isle of Jersey. Due to these cows’ small size and high milk yields, England pulled them off the island in the 1740s, and it wasn’t long after, in the 1850s, that they made their way to the Americas.
Today, Jersey Cattle are among the highest-yield milk cows out there, so they are highly sought after.
Image Credit: Cameron Watson, Shutterstock
Jersey Cattle Breed Characteristics
Jersey Cattle are smaller than most other cattle breeds out there, but that doesn’t mean they’re “small.” Bulls can reach an impressive 1,800 pounds. While the cows are lighter, they can still reach 1,200 pounds.
Jersey Cattle don’t have the stereotypical black-and-white pattern that most people think of when it comes to cows; instead, they have a fawn, cream, red-tinted, or dark shades of brown in their coloring.
They also don’t have a hunchback. They do have a black tail and black hooves. Jersey Cows typically have large udders, which makes sense because they’re high-producing dairy cows.
A purebred Jersey Cow will have a light band of color around their muzzle, but due to more relaxed breeding standards, you can find some Jersey Cattle that don’t have this coloring.
Generally, these cows are calm and docile, which are excellent characteristics for a dairy cow. However, the bulls are known for being unpredictable, and occasionally, they have aggressive tendencies that can make them challenging to handle.
Not only can Jersey Cattle be hard to breed simply because you have to deal with the bulls, but they’re also challenging because the calves tend to be a little frail and can’t handle cold temperatures.
Uses
Jersey Cattle are a small cattle variety, but they only have one purpose: to produce dairy. A single dairy Jersey Cow can produce 10 times their weight in milk during each lactation, making them one of the best-producing cows out there.
Moreover, the milk is high in fat, making it an excellent choice for different culinary recipes.
Image Credit: TfoxFoto, Shutterstock
Appearance & Varieties
The Jersey Cattle is one of three Channel Island cattle breeds. The Guernsey cow and the Alderney cow are a part of the same family, though the Alderney is now extinct.
Jersey Cows are a little smaller than most other cow varieties out there, and they don’t have the distinctive black and white colors that most people are used to. Instead, they have a brown, fawn, or red-tinted appearance, and they typically have large udders that excel at milk production.
Population/Distribution/Habitat
Today, most Jersey Cattle are in the United States; in 2018, there were over 132,000 reported. While you can find Jersey Cattle in other parts of the world, the American population is much larger.
Jersey Cattle are a hardy breed that can adapt to various conditions when fully grown, but they’re well known for their tolerance to warm conditions.
Are Jersey Cattle Good for Small-Scale Farming?
As long as you have somewhere to send the milk and a 2-acre pasture for each cow, there’s no reason that you can’t have a Jersey Cattle or two for small-scale farming. However, keep in mind that Jersey Cattle do require a good bit of work and resources, so if you’re looking for a mini-operation, they might not be the best choice.
If you’re serious about adding dairy to your farm, it’s hard to beat what a Jersey Cow offers. They have a phenomenally long lifespan, are smaller than typical cows, and produce a ton of milk.
So, if you’re a small-scale farmer looking to branch into the dairy business, a Jersey Cow might be in your future!
