Breeds of Dairy Cattle

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Breeds of Dairy Cattle

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• Largest Dairy Breed• Produces the most milk (volume)• Whitest milk• Lowest butterfat• 85%-90% of all Dairy cows in the USA

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Holstein

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• One of the oldest Dairy breeds• 2nd largest in size• Gentle, docile, and calm disposition• Very rugged – high heat tolerance• Lacks dairy character – “Beefy”

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Brown Swiss

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• Smallest of the dairy breeds• Nervous disposition… bulls are dangerous• 2nd most popular breed (in numbers)• Highest % butterfat• Highest protein content

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Jersey

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• ‘Aristocrat of the dairy breeds’• Known for udder quality• Excellent dairy type

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Ayrshire

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• Most popular when milk was packaged in glass bottles

• Known for golden milk• Lowest milk production

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Guernsey

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• Originally a recessive color in the Holstein breed

• Statistics just about the same as Holsteins

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Red and Whites (Holstein)

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• Developed from a dual-purpose breed• Lacks dairy character• High heat tolerance

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Milking Shorthorns