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By E. E. ORMISTON, Associate in Dairy Production

ANY DAIRY farmers have never seriously faced the question of choosing one breed of cattle with which to work. Conse M quently great numbers of dairy herds are made up of animals 9f more than one breed or of mixed breeding- and this despite the fact that such mixed herds are seldom productive enough to be profit able. Unless a dairyman confines his efforts to a single breed and strives to improve the herd thru better management and breeding prac tices, he will not consistently develop animals that are capable of high production. Farmers who have mixed herds and are interested in grading them up, and others who are just starting in the business of dairy farming, need to know the relative merits of the different dairy-cattle. breeds. They want to know which breed is best adapted to their particular con ditions, what is the average test of the milk of the different breeds, how much milk average individuals of the different breeds yield, and the relative merits of purebred and grade herds of a given breed. They also often inquire whether it is possible to develop superior animals by crossing breeds. The purpose of this circular is to answer such questions. In order that the characteristics and adaptations of the five major dairy breeds may be better understood, their origin and development are also described. The improved breeds of livestock, dairy cattle among them, which we accept today as a matter of course are in reality a priceless heritage. Only a few hundred years ago there were no recognized breeds; even within the memory of many present-day breeders remarkable improve ments have been made. The untiring efforts, the triumphs, disappoint ments, and painstaking care of the master stockmen have developed and molded the breeds generation after generation. The results of all of these efforts are now at our disposal. In accepting the steward ship of a breed, a herd owner should accept also the challenge to con tinue its improvement. Only three alternatives are open in the course a breed will take: mere perpetuation of numbers, decadence, or Im provement. The choice must be made by the breeders.

3 4 CIRCULAR No. 543

HERD DEVELOPMENT IS A LONG-TIME JOB To develop a uniform herd of animals which will breed true, so that each new generation may be regarded with confidence, is a long-time even a lifetime-undertaking; and one who is setting out to build up a dairy herd, either grade or registered, should undertake the job with full realization of that fact. He should decide on one breed, and then stay with it. If he has a herd of no particular breeding and wishes to "grade it up," he should select a registered sire and follow him with another of the same breed, and so on. Success is not likely to be at tained by frequent changing of breeds or by crossing breeds. Not necessarily a "purebred" business. That a dairy farmer, in order to make his business more profitable, should choose a definite breed and then confine his efforts to it, does not mean necessarily that he should go into the purebred business. As a matter of fact, he prob ably should not try to develop a registered herd unless ( 1 ) he is financially able to take the greater risk involved in owning the more expensive animals, and (2) he has some reasonable assurance that he has the interest and the skill necessary to select and develop superior animals that will further improve the breed. At present less than 5 percent of the cows that may be classed as representatives of one or the other of the major dairy breeds are registered in the various breed associations. That grade cows are not losing favor with dairymen is evident from the fact that while the total number of dairy cows in the country as a whole has increased about 4 million head since 1920, the total number of annual registra tions in the various breeds was less in 1940 than in 1920. Grade cows will undoubtedly continue to produce most of the nation's milk. They are cheaper to own than registered animals and thus involve less financial risk, and they can be graded up until they will produce milk practically as economically as the purebred animals. In dairy herd improvement associations in Illinois grade cows produced in 1939-40 an average of 796 pounds (8.8 percent) less milk an nually than the purebred cows, and 23 pounds (6.3 percent) less butter fat. 1 Part of this advantage was no doubt due to the better feeding and care given the registered herds; tho care and feeding are much the same among the herds in dairy herd improvement associations, and many of these herds, selected at random, contained both grade and T F. Kendrick. State summary report of dairy herd improvement associa tions for the testing year 1939-40. Bureau of Dairy Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture. BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE . 5 registered cows. There was in fact very little difference in the profit ableness of milk and butterfat pro,duction in the grade and in the registered herds. Special function of registered herds. While it is true that many grade herds are practically as economical producers of milk and butter fat as registered herds, and a registry certificate is 'no guarantee of high production, it is also true that high-producing grade herds have become high producers only thru the influence of registered bulls. Most high-producing grade cows are descended from registered bulls for the two or three preceding generations at least. Since purebred cattle are more homozygous (less variable) in their characters than are grade cattle, and therefore breed truer, there is little cause for fear that grade herds will ever entirely replace reg istered cattle. Purebred animals have an undisputed place in the hands of breeders who seek to develop superior strains for seed stock for the further improvement of both registered herds and grade herds. As grade herds improve and the spread between them and registered herds becomes narrower, still better registered bulls are needed in order to continue the improvement. The day is past when an animal in a commercial herd is to be looked upon with special favor and considered more valuable than another merely because it is registered. Since the improvement of dairy cattle depends upon the use that is made of superior purebred sires, the breeder of registered animals is at once faced with a challenge and a serious responsibility. He should be willing to accept both; or in fairness to his customers and to his own interests he should not engage in the purebred business.

WHAT TO CONSIDER IN CHOOSING A BREED Five major dairy breeds-Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Hol stein-Friesian, and Jersey-constitute about two-thirds of the approxi mately 36 million cattle of all ages being kept for dairy purposes in the United States in registered or grade herds. The other one-third of the dairy-cattle population includes mixed or scrub cattle of no particular breed, a larger number of dual-purpose or beef animals that are milked only part of the year or when prices are more favorable to dairy products than to beef, and some numerically minor dairy breeds." The major breeds are much alike in average productive capacity and general body conformation. All possess marked development of the mammary gland, with the rest of the body subordinate to it or de signed to contribute to its maximum functioning. But there are various 6 CIRCULAR No. 543 other important differences among them. In temperament and adapt ability to various environments they show quite wide differences. And in quantity and color of milk and percentage of butterfat there exists a wide range-from the characteristic white milk of the Holstein, with its relatively low fat content, to the rich golden-yellow milk of the Guernsey or the well-known high-butterfat milk of the Jersey. Thus the different breeds are adapted to meet somewhat different market demands and preferences. Adaptability to farm and region. Each breed of dairy cattle is the product of the environment of a restricted area, usually isolated by natural barriers so that there was during the time of development of the breed very little exchange of cattle from the outside. Within these restricted areas, generation after generation of men, earning their livelihood with dairy cattle, succeeded in selecting and breeding animals suited to the conditions of the area and meeting the require ments of the breeders in the area. As a result each breed has its unique characteristics and special adaptations and is perhaps by nature better fitted than any other for certain conditions. For that reason the best breed for a given farmer is the one which lends itself most advantage ously to the conditions of his farm and the region in which it is located. Tho all the dairy breeds are widely adapted and have demonstrated that when properly handled they can be grown successfully thruout the United States, their geographical distribution is influenced partly at least by climate and topography. Jerseys, Holsteins, and Ayrshires, while found thruout the country and becoming more generally dis tributed, are largely concentrated in certain areas. Brown Swiss and Guernseys are not so definitely concentrated, tho Brown Swiss are most numerous in the Middle West. Jerseys predominate in the South because, for one reason, they can withstand heat and humidity better than some of the other breeds. Holsteins thrive in the cooler climate of the northern state~, where Jerseys, more adversely affected by cold weather, are at a disadvantage. And it is not by chance that Ayrshires, a hardy breed and the best of grazers, find their place in the North Atlantic states, where the mountain pastures are often scanty and the winters long and severe. In that area, where all the breeds are in com petition, the Ayrshire has shown to advantage. Personal liking for a breed. While one can learn to like any breed with which he works, most dairymen have a preference for a particular breed, and one is most likely to succeed with the breed of his choice. Even tho financial gains, might be no greater, one's pleasure and satisfaction of working with the breed which appeals most strongly BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE 7 to him is a form of compensation not to be regarded lightly. Milking, feeding, and caring for a dairy herd ,are endless tasks, confining in their demands. Unless one enjoys the work it may become drudgery. When a uniform herd is obtained, particularly when composed of registered animals of high merit and representatives of a favorite breed, the work becomes not drudgery but a pleasant task. The longer one is associated with a breed, the greater becomes his attachment to it. Personal prefer ence is much more stable than either community preference or market demand. Type of market demand to be met. The kind of market for which the herd will produce-whether whole milk or cream-is often ranked first among the considerations to be regarded in selecting a breed. Probably this places too much emphasis on market demand, even tho there are unquestioned differences among the breeds in their capacity to produce butterfat or milk. Most authorities on dairy production are in agreement with Eckles! in regard to the relative economy with which milk or butterfat is produced by the different breeds. Eckles concluded that the Jersey and Guernsey breeds are the most economi cal producers of butterfat because: (1) the cows are smaller and therefore the amount of feed required for maintenance per pound of butterfat produced is less than for the larger breeds; and (2) the milk produced is richer, and therefore less milk or less solids-not-fat are produced with each pound of fat. Holsteins and, to a less extent, Brown Swiss and Ayrshires, he concluded, are more economical pro ducers of milk than the Jerseys and Guernseys because: ( 1) their milk yield is greater and consequently the amount of feed required for their maintenance per 100 pounds of milk produced is smaller; and (2) there is a smaller proportion of fat in the milk solids. From these differences it might be concluded that when' butterfat is sold, Jerseys or Guernseys are to be favored; and that when whole milk is marketed, the larger breeds have the advantage. These apparent advantages, however, actually have less weight than would appear at first. When butterfat is sold, the skimmilk may be used to advantage on the farm in feeding calves, pigs, and poultry, so when all points are considered the larger breeds may prove as profitable producers for a butterfat market as the Jerseys and Guernseys. Most fluid-milk markets pay a price differential for whole milk that about equalizes the price for the fat in the milk whether the percentage of fat is high or low. Certain markets, however, discriminate against low-testing milk to such an extent that Holsteins may be at a disad lEckles, C. H. Dairy cattle and milk ptoduction. Rev. ed., 1939, pp. 106-108. 8 CIRCULAR No. 543 vantage; but as continued selection for higher fat content is made within herds of that breed, this disadvantage will probably be largely overcome. Milk that is retailed direct from the farm as a trade-marked product, as "Golden Guernsey," or "Jersey Creamline Milk," or "Ap proved Ayrshire," may command a price premium. Special equipment is required, however, for marketing the products; and furthermore the premium received must be high enough to compensate for the higher butterfat content and the lower milk yield of the Jerseys and Guern seys. Thus for the rank and file dairyman, the direct marketing of these trade-marked products is not likely to be practicable. Moreover, with the advent of homogenized milk, standardization of fat content, and paper containers, a heavy creamline and a yellow color may be come less important except on markets where consumers are willing to pay a premium for a special product. From well-bred grade herds, and particularly from registered herds, an important source of income may be the sale of surplus animals. The buyers may be dairymen who produce for a market with demands quite in contrast to those of the market patronized by the owner of the herd-another consideration that may lessen the weight one is justified in giving to market demand when deciding on a breed. Dominant breed in the community. Community preference may be an important factor in determining which breed to select, for there are many advantages in having the . same breed as one's neighbors. Usually higher prices for surplus animals may be had when a com munity is in a position to fill a large order such as a carload or more of cows or heifers. Community sales may be held successfully. Breed ers may cooperate in securing or exchanging better bulls, perhaps en abling their community to develop a reputation for cattle of a particular breed of high merit. Such a reputation may stimulate further improve ment thru association and cooperation with other successful breeders. There is no spur like success. While it is often well to breed the kind of cattle that are already established in a community, it must not be forgotten that if everyone were to do as his neighbors do or as his father did, little progress would be made. In dairy farming as in other fields of endeavor there is always room for the progressive individualist. If no marked com munity preference has been developed one may, by starting with good animals of the breed of his choice, in time find that the community has adopted his breed. , With the advent of rapid communication and transportation, markets BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE 9 for choice animals may be had outside the home community. Good animals, wherever located, need not peg for a market. While it may be advantageous to breed the same kind of animals as others in the community breed, one need have little fear that he will lack a market for surplus animals if he develops a superior herd. Testing for produc tion and judicious advertising lets others know the merits of the herd. Minor considerations. Vigor of calves, climate, feed supply or topography of the farm, carcass value of the cows, adaptability of calves for the veal market, original cost or probable sale value of surplus animals are minor considerations that may enter into the selec tion of a breed. None, however, is important enough to be the main basis for choice. The original cost of foundation animals and the probable sale value of surplus animals might be thought to deserve some attention, but actually there is little difference in the cost of foundation animals in any of the breeds, cows of equal merit com manding comparable prices when offered for sale. At certain times or in a particular area some breed may enjoy a boom in price and demand, but such conditions are usually temporary. Worthy animals in any breed command prices in keeping with their merit, and these prices are comparable to those received for similar individuals of competitive breeds. Prices depend more on the individuality of the animal offered than on its breed.

EARLY ANCESTRY OF MODERN CATTLE Cattle are native to Europe and Asia but not to America. They were probably first introduced into the Western Hemisphere by Colum bus on one of his later voyages, but those cattle did not reach the American mainland. The Spaniards were supposed to have brought cattle to what is now the southwestern United States and to have driven others up thru Mexico. From them the Texas Longhorns had their origin. The colonies along the Atlantic imported cattle in rela tively large numbers-Jamestown in 1611, Plymouth in 1624, and Dutch settlers on Manhattan in 1625. All these importations were made long before breeds of cattle existed as we know them today. Before the improved breeds were imported early in the nineteenth century, cattle in the United States were a mixed lot, having been formed by the mingling of the many races that had from time to time been brought over from as many European sources. The cattle that were imported early, and the improved breeds also, are descended from wild types that originally lived in Europe and Asia. 10 CIRCULAR No. 543

Students of the subject agree that cattle have been domesticated for at least six thousand years. They agree further that the cattle of Europe descended from two original types or species, one called B os longifrons and the other Bos primigenius. There is some divergence of opinion whether these two types were distinct species with the primigenius originating in Europe and the longifrons in Asia, or whether the longifrons was a domesticated form of primigenius taken to Europe during the great Aryan migrations. But by reason of the fossil evi dence that longifrons was the first domesticated, it seems probable that the two species were distinct. Bos primigenius was the ancestor of the wild ox of Europe, known as Urus in the time of Caesar. It was a huge, powerful forest beast with long slender forward-curving horns. The skull was characteristi cally long and narrow. The Holland cattle (including the Holstein), the cattle of Northern Europe, and the Longhorn and Scotch High land cattle of Great Britain descended from it. The B os longifrons type originated in Asia and was brought to southern and eastern Europe during the great migrations which spread over most of the confinent. Fossils of these cattle are found among the remains of the cliff dwellers of Switzerland, whose ancestors are believed to have migrated from Asia. The B os longifrons animals were small in size, short in body, and had short, broad, dished heads with small horns. Most of our present breeds, including Jerseys, Guernseys, Brown Swiss, and most of the breeds of England, descended from this type. The Shorthorn, Ayrshire, and possibly other breeds are believed to be the result of crossing of cattle of the two types, chiefly thru the introduction of cattle from Holland to England and Scotland. The types from which they descended explain some of the differ ences in the breeds as they are found today, particularly the shape of the head and perhaps to some extent differences in size. BROWN SWISS

The Brown Swiss breed, as its name implies, originated in Switzerland. In their native country these cattle are called Schwyz, from the canton of that name, where they are most numerous and where, for many years, the best specimens of the breed have been developed. While well adapted to the more intensive dairying conditions, the stronghold of this breed is in farm herds. Their ability to consume large quantities of coarse roughages, their high carcass value, the value of the calves for veal, and the general hardiness and ruggedness of these animals are highly appreciated by farmers.1 The bulls are prepotent and therefore well suited to grading up scrub and native cattle. The general body form, head, horns, and color assert themselves in the first generation and pre dominate in later matings.

Excellent Milk Producers It has been amply demonstrated that Brown Swiss cows are ex cellent producers of milk. The world record for the breed, for both milk and butterfat, is held by Illini Nellie (page 14), owned by the University of Illinois until her death in 1940. The milk is white, and the fat globules are of medium size. The average test is 4 percent of butterfat. The milk is particularly adapted for the retail fluid market and for cheese making. However, because IThe Brown Swiss Breeders' Association capitalizes on these characteristics, advertising and promoting the breed as "the farmer's cow."

11 12 CIRCULAR No. 543 the breed is not numerous and the cows have been in the hands mostly of farmer breeders little interested in feeding and testing for high production records, the breed does not have an impressive list of high-producing individuals nor a large number of records. The register of-production records, which are advanced registry records for Brown Swiss, and the herd-improvement registry records that have been com pleted prove that in keeping the extra scale and bulk characteristic of the breed, milk-producing ability has not been sacrificed. These records compare favorably with those of the other breeds. In Illinois dairy herd improvement associations the Brown Swiss have clearly demonstrated that they produce as well and as economi cally as the other dairy breeds. Under average farm conditions a herd of purebred or good-quality grades would be expected to yield an average of at least 8,000 pounds of milk and 320 pounds of butterfat a year. Characteristics Are Well Defined Brown Swiss cattle are some shade of brown, ranging from a light silvery gray in females to a very rich dark brown in males. The color is solid, except that some white on the belly is permitted tho objection able. A white switch or any spotting above the flank disqualifies an animal from registration. Dark brown or cinnamon color is preferred. Along the back bone, inside the legs, over the poll, and on the ears a lighter shading is apparent, and a light mealy-colored band around a dark muzzle is characteristic. Calves at birth are light in color, often almost white; but they darken with age. The tongue and nose are nearly black, and the switch of the tail is always dark. Brown Swiss are rather large, second only to the Holsteins in size. IVlature bulls in good breeding condition should weigh about 1,850 pounds or more. Mature cows in good milking condition at the middle of their lactation period should weigh about 1,400 pounds. This is the minimum weight recommended by the official Brown Swiss score card. Many cows are much larger. Brown Swiss are heavier muscled, blockier, more fleshy, and less angular than animals of the other breeds of dairy cattle. Tho not coarse, their bones are somewhat large. They are often fairly thick in the shoulders and have large dewlaps. Their horns are rather fine, sharp, curved slightly inward, and black at the tips. Formerly the Brown Swiss were considered dual-purpose cattle; but in 1907 they were admitted to the National Dairy Show and classed as strictly dairy BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: BROWN SWISS 13 animals.1 In recent years in Brown Swiss circles there has been a marked trend away from the blocky and rectangular animals inclined to beefiness; and the cleaner-cut, m~re angular and dairylike animals are receiving particular attention. However, ample substance and strength in these animals is still appreciated. As a breed they have large capacious middles, being reasonably long, quite deep, and wide. The udders of the Brown Swiss leave little to be desired in quality and attachments, but they are frequently ill-shaped and badly quar tered. The teats are often too large and not well spaced on the udder. These faults in shapeliness of udder, however, have in recent years been much improved by the efforts of the more progressive breeders. Brown Swiss are later in maturing than animals of the other dairy breeds. Their late maturity is compensated for, however, by their tendency to breed well and maintain their production to a good age, so that their productive life is long. Heifers should usually be bred at about twenty or twenty-one months. The calves are strong and vigor ous, and the largest at birth of any of the breeds, weighing on the average about 100 pounds. Much larger calves are not uncommon. Because they are large and well fleshed at birth and grow rapidly, they are admirably adapted for the veal market. In disposition Brown Swiss are very quiet and docile; many even seem sluggish to one more familiar with the other breeds. They are rather strong-headed and sometimes stubborn. They by no means can be classed as a stylish breed, for they are not particularly active; but their plain and substantial appearance rightly suggests that they are sturdy and dependable. As grazers Brown Swiss are quite good, surprisingly so for a'nimals that are large and not particularly active. In their native home they have been developed mainly on mountain pastures, and they are very well adapted to abundant pastures whether the topography is level or mountainous. They are excellent consumers of roughages and can handle large quantities of it. Their large capacious middles and strong wide muzzles suggest large consumption of coarse feeds; and as they are not at all fastidious, they will consume a wide range of ordinary roughages. They do not require as great proportion of con centrates in their rations as do some of the other breeds.

lIn 1907 the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders' Association voted that the Brown Swiss breed was strictly a dairy breed and that representatives of the breed should be classified as such at the various fairs and exhibitions in America. Breeder's Gazette, April 10, 1907, p. 858, 14 CIRCULAR No. 543

Brown Swiss in the United States Altogether only 155 1 head of Brown Swiss have been imported into this country and recorded in the herdbook; but from this small number of original stock more than 128,000 animals had been registered at the

World's record Brown Swiss cow for both milk and butterfat production, I1lini Nellie 26578. At 8 years and 6 months this cow produced 29,569.5 pounds of milk and 1,200.41 pounds of butterfat in 365 days on three milk ings daily. She is shown here in her stall at the University of Illinois dairy barn where the record was made. Bred by Ira Inman, Beloit, Wisconsin, she was purchased in dam. end of the fiscal year 1940. The number registered in 1940 was 11,161. The breed represents about one percent of the total dairy cattle in the United States, or a total of some 245,000 animals, of which approxi mately 47,600 are registered.2 Brown Swiss are more numerous in the Middle West than in any other section of the country. The leading states in point of numbers IFigures obtained from the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders' Association. 2The 1940 figures for number of registered cattle of each dairy breed in the United States are not yet available in the U. S. Census, if indeed a census of them was taken. The numbers stated in this circular are therefore estimates arrived at as follows (see continuation of footnote on opposite page) : BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: BROWN SWISS 15 of registered animals are Wisconsin, Illinois, New York, Iowa, Minne sota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Kansas. Largely as the result of the interest of two Illinois breeders-Abe Bourquin of Nokomis and E . M. Barton of Hinsdale-Illinois early

Unusually high transmitting ability and pleasing individuality are combined in this present-day Brown Swiss bull, Darlene W's College Boy of Lake View 16543. His transmitting ability has been demonstrated by the per formance of his 32 officially tested daughters. His progeny have been suc cessfully exhibited at major shows. (Courtesy Broum Swiss Cattle Breeders) Association) became an important center in the furtherance of the breed, a position it has never relinquished. The first importation of Brown Swiss into the United States is credited to Henry M. Clark, of Belmont, Massachusetts, who in 1869

Total number of dairy cattle in the United States in 1940 was 36,614,000 (The Dairy Situation) U. S. Bur. Agr. Econ., Oct., 194-1). Sixty-seven percent, or 24,531,380, were representatives of dairy breeds distributed as follows: Ayrshire, 1.4 percent; Brown Swiss, 1.0 percent; Guernsey, 15.7 percent; Hol stein, 39.9 percent; Jersey, 42.0 percent (Farmers Bu!. 1443). The number of registered animals of each breed was estimated by assuming that the total num ber registered in the five years 1936-1940 had the same relation to the present registered population of each breed as the total number of animals registered in 1926-1930 had to the registered population reported in the U. S. Census of 1930. 16 CIRCULAR No. 543 personally selected and brought into the country from the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland a bull and seven heifers. By 1882 these animals had increased to some 200 head. At this time Nelson B. Scott, of Worcester, Massachusetts, and George W. Harris, of Wethersfield, Connecticut, imported a bull and nine heifers and sold them at auction. These animals and another lot of ten heifers imported in 1883 were personally selected by Mr. Scott. Most of the animals in the 1883 importation were sold to Mr. Bourquin, who developed several high-record cows and became an active force in popularizing the breed in the United States. He is credited with being one of the first to draw attention to the high pro ducing ability of the breed. His cow Brienz startled the dairy industry when at the age of eleven years she produced 245 pounds of milk in three days in the milk tests of the Dairy Show in Chicago in 1891.1 Among later importations of Brown Swiss were those of E. M. Barton, Hinsdale, Illinois. He imported 14 animals in 1889 and fol lowed with 39 head in 1906. The latter shipment consisting of 5 bulls and 34 heifers, all carefully selected, was the last large importation into the United States and one of the most important in influencing the future of the breed in this country. Both Barton and Bourquin exhibited their animals at leading fairs and expositions, kept production records and took an active interest in the infant Brown Swiss Breeders' Association of America. Embargoes due to foot-and-mouth disease in Europe have made it all but impossible to import cattle from Switzerland since 1906. Another factor responsible for but few animals having been imported in recent years is the fact that the heavy dual-purpose type prevalent in Switzerland does not find favor among American breeders, who prefer -nore dairy temperament. No outstanding families have been developed in the Brown Swiss breed in America. Owing to the fact that importations into the United States were both recent and limited in number, the American Brown Swiss are probably more alike in blood lines than the animals of the other dairy breeds.

Probably Oldest of Cattle Breeds Brown Swiss cattle have been bred without the influence of other races of cattle for so long that their origin is buried in antiquity. Skulls and bones found among the ruins of the lake dwellers indicate that a very similar race of cattle, probably the ancestors of the Brown

IBreeder's Gazette, Df'cember 2, 1891, p. 4D6. BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: BROWN SWISS 17

Swiss breed, occupied the area now comprizing Switzerland during the Bronze Age. The first recorded in,habitants of Switzerland were the Helvetians, a pastoral people a prominent part of whose livelihood con sisted of raising and trading cattle. It is known that at the Einfiedeln Monastery the Monks were breeding Brown Swiss cattle six centu ries ago. This breed has been bred pure since records were kept, and there is no evidence of foreign blood ever having been introduced. Brown Swiss are not the only breed of dairy cattle developed in Switzerland, altho they are the most numerous breed in their home land and are the only Swiss cattle that have been introduced into America. The canton of Schwyz, where Brown Swiss cattle have reached the highest degree of development, and the neighboring can tons are located in eastern Switzerland in an area long famous for the excellency of its dairy products. The country, particularly adapted by nature for dairying; is characterized by bountiful pastures and meadows abundantly watered by clear and rapid-flowing mountain streams.

Their Homeland Is an Unusual Country Switzerland is a small mountainous country with a total area of about 16,000 miles, which is less than one-third the area of Illinois. Because of the wide range in elevation, the country has great contrasts in temperature and rainfall. About 70 percent of the area is considered productive. Fully half of this productive area is pastureland for the chief agricultural industry-dairying. The climate is generally temperate in the valleys, with frequent rains that greatly favor plentiful forage in the natural pasture and meadowlands at an elevation between 6,000 and 7,000 feet above sea level. In the pasture regions of Switzerland, particularly in the regions where Brown Swiss are chiefly bred, the cattle remain the whole sum mer in the open air, feeding on the abundant natural forage. In spring and fall they graze in the lower valleys, and in the summer high up in the Alpine pastures. In such a pure, cool, open-air environment where feed is ample, the cattle must seek their own food and be able to climb the mountain trails on their annual trip to the high pastures in the early summer and on the return in the autumn. Such conditions have contributed to the development of a strong hardy race with remark able fecundity. In the winter months the cattle are fed largely on hay that is cured during the summer and hauled down from the mountain meadows. The hay is often hauled by Brown Swiss oxen or cows, for in their homeland these cattle are often used as draft animals. Much of the 18 CIRCULAR No. 543 agricultural work is done by cows and heifers. In addition to their use as work animals and dairy animals, they are also fattened for beef. The Brown Swiss in their native home are smoother and shorter legged, and they carry more flesh than the most desirable representa tives of the breed in America. In Switzerland they closely approach the dual-purpose type, and when introduced in the United States they were considered dual-purpose cattle.

No Recent Ch~nges in Type No essential changes in either type or appearance in Brown Swiss cattle in the homeland have occurred in the last century. Description of the cattle in former times indicates that they not infrequently carried white spots, and up to the middle of the last century a spot in the middle of the forehead was acceptable. At present no animal is accepted at shows if it has any white above the belly. Because of the wide range in soil, 'feed supply, and methods of handling the cattle within the Swiss valleys at different altitudes, there is considerable local varia tion in the size of Brown Swiss cattle in Switzerland. But in qualities other than size, they are remarkably uniform. In recent years a change has come about in the agriculture of Switzerland, less wheat and related agricultural crops being grown. Cattle consequently are being used less for labor, and more attention is being given to their milk-producing ability. Ability to produce milk is stressed by regular testing for production and by other activities sponsored by the cattle associations, assisted both by the cantons and the Swiss Confederation-for the Brown Swiss along with the other Swiss breeds of dairy cattle are promoted by a cooperative association subsidized by the government. The better cows are officially tested and the use of their sons for breeding pur poses is encouraged. A union of the associations of cattle raisers of the Brown Swiss breed was founded in 1897.

Wide Distribution in Other Countries For a very long time the cattle of the Brown Swiss breed have enjoyed a well-deserved reputation in other European countries besides their homeland, particularly in Italy, Spain, Germany, and France. Outside of Europe they have found their greatest favor in the United States. They are also found, tho in fewer numbers, in Japan, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and several other South American countries. In recent years an active export of Brown Swiss cattle from the United States to South American countries has been developed. HOLSTEIN - FRIESIAN S

Holstein-Friesians are the most bountiful producers ~ of milk of any of the Cl airy breeds. They have strong, rugged constitutions and great capacity for consuming roughages and pasture. Holland, their native country, is noted for its excellent pastures and the quantity and quality of its dairy products. Because they rank first in the quantity of milk produced, Holsteins predominate in areas where great quantities of fluid milk are in demand. The official records of Holsteins have demonstrated that the breed has no superior in yield of milk. They are also quite capable of holding their own in butterfat production even tho the butterfat content of their milk is low, averaging 3.45 percent.

Holstein Production Records That Holsteins have inherent capacity for phenomenal production under optimum conditions of feeding and management is evidenced by the fact that at the close of 1940 no less than 313 Holstein cows had produced on official test 1,000 pounds of butterfat and 188 Holstein cows had yielded 30,000 pounds of milk in a year. Holstein breeders began advanced registry testing in 1885, when the Holstein-Friesian Association of America was organized, and found it a most effective instrument in promoting the breed. The herd-improvement registry test was adopted by the Holstein-Friesian Association in 1927 and has been most favorably received by the breeders. 19 20 CIRCULAR No. 543

The fact the Holstein cows outnumber all their competitors in the great dairy areas reflects their productive ability under average con ditions. Under ordinary good farm conditions a herd of grade or pure bred cows can be expected to average at least 9,300 pounds of milk and 320 pounds of butterfat a year. The world's record for butterfat production, for all cows of all breeds, is held by a Holstein, Carnation Ormsby Butter King (p. 22). The world's highest milk record for all cows of all breeds is held by Carnation Ormsby Madcap Fayne, a paternal sister to the champion butterfat producer. She produced 41,943.4 pounds of milk and 1,392.4 pounds of butterfat in 365 days at eight years and four months of age on four milkings daily. She too was bred and owned by Carnation Milk Farms. Holstein milk is nearly white, and the fat globules are small, so that the fat does not separate as readily as does that of Jerseys and Guernseys. The milk is well adapted to the manufacture of cheese and condensery products. Holstein breeders in the United States have devoted much atten tion to family lines. Particular emphasis is given to such families as the DeKols, Pietertjes, Johannas, Segis, Colanthas, Bess Burkes, and Ormsbys. It is characteristic of the Holstein families that they are traced to certain noted dams or foundation cows.

Do Best Where Feed Is Abundant Holsteins enjoy a wide range of adaptability, but they thrive par ticularly where feed is abundant; they are not adapted so well as some of the other breeds to hot, humid climates or rough, poor lands where pasture is scant. For producing large quantities of milk they are un surpassed, but certain markets demanding a high butterfat percentage may discriminate against Holstein milk. Holstein cows produce the greatest share of the dairy products of the United States. Holsteins are prepotent. A Holstein bull stamps his characteristics on the offspring of the cows with which he is mated, so that for grading up they are excellent. The calves, being large at birth, are satisfactory for the veal market.

Distinguishing Characteristics The Holstein-Friesian is black and white, and it is desired that the spots be large and well divided, tho animals may be nearly white or nearly black or the spots quite smal}. Certain features of color bar an animal from registration, such as solid black, solid white, black in the BREEDS OF DAIRY C ATTLE: HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 21 switch, solid black underline and black encircling the legs III such a manner as to touch the hoof. Holsteins are the largest breed of dairy cattle. Mature bulls in good breeding condition should weigh not less than 2,000 pounds. From 2,200 to 2,400 pounds is more desirable. Mature cows that are in good milking condition and in about the middle of the lactation period should weigh about 1,500 pounds. Holsteins are moderately upstanding rather than short-legged. They have good dairy form, with large barrels that will accommodate large quantities of roughages. They have strong and rugged constitutions enabling them to withstand cold and other rigorous conditions. Their backs are broad and straight, giving them an appearance of scale as well as of strength and substance. One of the most obvious character istics is the pronounced development of the milking organs. The udder is usually quite large, tho often not as shapely nor as well attached to the abdomen as could be desired. Pendulant udders and large coarse teats are found frequently. In recent years, however, the udder has received increased attention by breeders, and its faults are being cor rected. A second feature that is receiving much attention by the better breeders is the rump, which not infrequently is short, uneven, or sloping. The ideal rump should be wide, long, level, and free from beefiness. The better specimens of the breed have a balance and sym metry that is highly commendable. As is to be expected of large animals, Holsteins are not early ma turing-being about medium in that respect. Usually heifers should be bred when they are about eighteen or nineteen months old. The calves at birth are vigorous, large, and strong, weighing on the average about 90 pounds, tho 100 pounds or more is not uncommon. They are lusty calves and easy to raise, and are therefore well adapted to veal production. In disposition the Holstein has no superior, being reasonably alert, docile, and even-tempered tho not sluggish. Changes in environ ment or attendants affect the cows as little as such changes affect any breed. Holsteins were developed in a country noted for its excellent pastures, and they do well in this country on good pastures where feed is abundant. They are not adapted to poor pastures, to rough topogra phy, or to conditions under which much traveling is required to get a fill. It cannot be said that they are rustlers or first-class grazers under adverse conditions, tho they are noted for their hearty appetites and have no superior as consumers of large quantities of roughage. With 22 CIRCULAR No. 543

World's champion butterfat producer of all breeds is Carnation Ormsby Butter King 1331661. At the age of 8 years this Holstein cow produced 38,606.6 pounds of milk and 1,402.0 pounds of butterfat in 365 days on four milkings daily. She was bred and owned by the Carnation Milk Farms, Seattle, Washington. their strong constitutions and great producing ability, they are well adapted to utilize large quantities of hay and silage. However, they need their roughage supplemented with the proper quantity and quality of concentrates. First Pure Breed in United States There are references to cattle having been brought to America by the Dutch settlers as early as 1621 to 1625. In 1795 the Holland Land Company sent two bulls and six cows to their agent in Cazenovia, New York. A ll traces of their descendants were lost, as was also true of other importations until Winthrop W. Chenery, Belmont, Massachu setts, was responsible for the first permanent establishment of Hol steins in America. He purchased a Holland cow, in 1852, from the master of a Dutch sailing vessel. This importation was followed by others in 1857, 1859, and 1861. Mr. Chenery continued to breed Hol steins until his death. The early importers and breeders of Holsteins actively engaged in promoting public interest in their cattle by publishing production rec BREEDS OF DAIRY C ATTLE : HOLSTEIN -FRIESIAN 23

An outstanding Holstein bull bred and owned by the University of Illinois, where he sired 38 Advanced Registry daughters and 2 Advanced Registry sons. Many of the sons of this bull, Illini Homestead Piebe Prince 569148, have been successfully used in improving Illinois herds. ords and advertising thru the press the great milk-producing capacity of their cattle. In 1871 the Association of Breeders of Thoroughbred Holstein Cattle was founded. The following year it began publishing the Holstein Herd Book, the first herdbook for the breed to be estab lished in any country. In 1877 a rival organization, the American Association of Breeders of Purebred Friesian or Dutch-Friesian Cattle, was formed, and it pub lished the Dutch-Friesian Herd Book. This rival organization was the outgrowth of a dissension between Winthrop W. Chenery, the first importer and president of the older association, and Thomas E. Whiting of Concord, Massachusetts, an importer and important figure in early Holstein-Friesian history. He is credited with having been largely responsible for the formation of the Netherlands Herd Book Association in the mother country. The two herdbook societies engaged in heated rivalry and con troversy for several years, until in 1885 they were united to form the Holstein-Friesian Association of America. This association has grown from 284 members in 1885 to more than 30,000 members, the largest 24 CIRCULAR No. 543 and strongest organization in the world devoted to the interests of any breed of livestock. The name Holstein is a misnomer, for the province of Holstein is in Germany, and no cattle were brought to the United States from there. How the name came to be used is mysterious. Mr. Chenery called his cattle "Dutch," and published a private catalog of his herd in which the name Dutch was used. In 1864 he prepared an article on the breed, entitled "Holstein Cattle," which was published in the U. S. Department of Agriculture Report for 1864. In this article the name Holstein was first used publicly. Three cuts of Mr. Chenery's cattle accompany the article and the titles of them bear the word Holstein. But in the article itself the cattle, including those pictured, are all re ferred to as Dutch. Mr. Chenery claimed that in the manuscript of his article the name Dutch only had been used, and asserted that the officials of the Department of Agriculture were responsible for the change. However, he accepted the name Holstein for his cattle, and that name later became a part of the title of the recording society de scribed above. It was between 1877 and 1885, during the great activity in agri cultural development in the United States following the Civil War, that the Holstein breed was really established in this country. Importations reached their peak in 1885, when 2,538 head were admitted. The number imported decreased after that, and in 1905 ceased because of an embargo prohibiting importations from Europe in order to prevent the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease. In all, 7,757 Holsteins have been imported from Holland.1 From them a total of 3,001,090 head had been registered in the herdbook at the close of 1940. The breed moved westward with the development of extensive dairying in the Middle West and Great Lakes area, where they gained a foothold that has never been relinquished. Grade and purebred Holsteins in the United States in 1940 num bered approximately 9,788,000, constituting about 40 percent of the total dairy cattle, a number second only to the Jerseys. Some 520,000 of these are registered,2 nearly twice as many as in any other breed. The Holstein-Friesian Association of America is the largest and strongest organization of its kind in America. During 1940 a total of 145,423 animals were added to the register, a number considerably larger than in any other recent year. The leading states in number of, Holstein registrations are New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Min nesota, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, California, and Indiana.

lFigures obtained from the Holstein-Friesian Association of America. 2For method of estimating number of registered animals see footnote, page 14. BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 25

One of the Oldest Breeds Since before the time of Caesar the homeland of the Holsteins has been famous for its dairy cattle. The Holstein-Friesian breed has de scended, according to tradition, from two races of cattle-one black and the other white-brought from central Europe by two tribes of Batavians and Friesians who settled on the delta of the Rhine before or about the beginning of the Christian era and developed there an intensive and advanced system of agriculture. These black and white cattle were in turn supposedly descended from the wild ox of Europe, an ancient forest animal of huge size. Beyond the combining of these two races of cattle brought to the delta of the Rhine by the Batavians and the Friesians there was ap parently no intermingling and blending with other cattle-tho it is im possible to trace the history of the cattle thru the intervening centuries to modern times. Thru selection due to economic conditions, and by reason of the fact that they were in the hands of a thrifty, intelligent, livestock-minded people, the Holstein-Friesian cattle descended from those owned by the half barbaric tribes, and improved in quality as the people of the region progressed in civilization. The two provinces where Holsteins originated are not very large, having a combined area of approximately 2,300 square miles, and are in such an isolated position that for many years there was no inward cattle traffic. These conditions helped develop a breed. An early increase in numbers and quality of the cattle and at the same time a demand for outward trade led to improvement both in productiveness and in type.

A Nearly Ideal Homeland Cheese and butter made by the skilful farmers of North Holland and Friesland found a ready market in other provinces of Holland and in foreign countries. As early as the 13th century Holland was famous for its cheese and other dairy products, and the important export trade that was developed has never been relinquished. Such a ready market encouraged the breeding of cattle capable of heavy pro duction. At the same time, the large and attractive animals themselves found favor with breeders in outlying provinces and in other countries, leading to an important export trade. It is quite probable that the shrewd Dutch exported the less desirable animals and kept the best, and thus there was not only stimulus for further improvement but opportunity for selection and a certain amount of culling. Such favor able conditions probably helped much to improve Holstein-Friesians. 26 CIRCULAR No. 543

The climate and fertile soil of the Netherlands have been of marked influence in the development of the Holstein-Friesians. In summer the climate is mild and moist, with abundant rainfall, enabling the fertile soil to support a luxuriant growth of nutritious grasses. Such an abundant feed supply has been an important factor in promoting the large size and remarkable milk-producing capacity characteristic of the breed. The climate in winter is cold and bleak, and Dutch dairy men have for generations housed the cattle all winter. Commonly the fa~ily abode and cattle stables are under one roof, so that the cattle and household are in constant association. The stables are kept scrupu lously clean. In summer, while the cows are at pasture, their winter quarters may be decorated with rugs and ornamental dishes so that the stables become in reality a part of the house. Such a practice is feasible because the cows are never housed during the summer, tho during cold rains or storms they are blanketed by their attentive owners. The cows are milked in the pastures that they may be spared the exertion of walking. With level land and pastures excelled nowhere in the world, the Holstein in her native home can get her fill with a minimum of effort. Cut cured grass is winter feed, the cows being fed largely on roughage, with less grain than usually fed here. About three-fourths of the land in Friesland is in grass used for dairy farming. An elaborate and costly system of dykes and canals drain the low-lying land, much 'of it below the level of the sea, which is prevented by the dykes from reclaiming the land it once covered. The land is highly capitalized, and a large return must be received from its use. This fact and the natural thrift of Dutch farmers have led to the d~velopment of a breed of cattle capable of great production, for it was imperative that the cattle be highly productive if they were to enable a dairyman to get a return on his investment. In no other country is dairying more intensive, nor do the cows receive better care and attention, than in the Holstein's native home. In Holland the herds usually are comprized of 20 to 40 cows; and under the system of farming practiced, there is ample time to be spent in caring for the cattle. The heifers are carefully culled, and few animals are kept over six or seven years, at which age they are fat tened for slaughter. Bull calves, other than those saved for service, are sold as veal; and the breeding bulls are commonly disposed of when two or three years old unless they give promise of exceptional merit. Constant culling and selection has been carried on for years. The Holland Holsteins are le~s angular than their descendants in this country. While in the United States they have been bred and BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 27 selected for a maximum yield of milk, in Holland they combine milk producing ability with more flesh and a blockier form, for their beef making qualities are appreciated. There the Holsteins furnish the nation's beef as well as the milk supply. The animals are sold at a comparatively young age in order that better beef may be had. Red-and-white cattle have been common in the Holstein-Friesian herds of the homeland from early times. They have existed in the same herd with black-and-white animals and are commonly from black-and-white parents. Few if any red-and-white herds were de veloped. The Dutch farmer apparently did not discriminate against red-and-white animals, tho the more common color of black and white was preferred. Black-and-white bulls were used exclusively, but a promising red-and-white heifer would be kept and her progeny, prob ably black and white, retained without discrimination. The red-and white Holsteins which now and then appear in registered Holstein herds in America are due to the recessive red-and-white characters carried by the animals imported many years ago. Other colors less frequently found have been gray, blue-gray, or blue-roan with white colorations. In such animals enough white hairs were interspersed in the black to give the blue-gray or roan appearance. Discrimination has been made against these colors in bulls but not in cows.

Found in All Major Dairy Countries While Holstein-Friesian cattle are the breed for which Holland is famous, they are not the only breed in that country. Numerous other breeds are to be found, but they are all much alike in form and charac teristics. It is generally accepted that the cattle of North Holland and Friesland, the ancestors of the modern Holstein, were also the ancestors of the other breeds of Holland and northern Germany. Holsteins have received world-wide favor. Early in the develop ment of the English breeds Dutch cattle were introduced into that country for the purpose of improving the native stock. Since about 1870 an important export trade has been developed thruout the world by the Netherlands, and as a result Holstein-Friesian cattle are well established in nearly every dairy country of importance. Herdbooks for the breed are established in the United States, in Canada (where they outnumber any other breed of dairy cattle), Great Britain, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, Chile, Argentina, Germany, Denmark, Australia, and doubtless many other countries. Exports of Holsteins have been made from the United States to forty countries~ and exports from Holland are probably even more widespread. JERSEYS

Jerseys are conceded to possess, to a greater degree than any other breed, those qualities considered ideal in dairy type. They are alert, clean-cut, angular, and refined in conformation, and for their small size have very large barrels. Compared with some of the larger more rugged breeds, Jerseys may even appear dainty and lacking in substance. They have ably demonstrated, however, that when properly sheltered they are not lacking in strength, even for the requirements of northern United States. Because of the high test of their milk and the economy with which they can produce butterfat, Jersey cows are especially popular in regions where butterfat rather than fluid milk is the goal. As their calves are small and the mature animals small and angular and their body fat yellow, this breed is of very little value for beef. They are first and last dairy animals and have made their homeland, Jersey Island, world famous.

Milk Is Richest in Butterfat As a producer of butter, the Jersey has been famous for centuries. J ersey milk has an average butterfat content of 5.35 percent, which is higher than that of any other dairy breed. Individuals whose milk consistently tests as much as 6 percent butterfat are not uncommon. T he champion producer in the United States is Stockwell's April Pogis of H . P., owned by High Pastures Farm, Woodstock, Vermont. H er record is 17,880 pounds of tpilk and 1,218.48 pounds of butterfat in 365 days in Class AA (three-times-a-day milking) at eight years of

28 BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: JERSEY 29 age. The world's record for a Jersey cow is held by Brampton Basilua, pictured on page 33. _ The Register of Merit, organized in 1903, is the advanced registry for the Jersey breed. It has been instrumental in promoting the pro ducing ability of Jerseys by making medal awards to cows and bulls meeting certain requirements. Jersey breeders adopted the herd-im provement registry test in 1928. Under both systems the breed has ably demonstrated that its registered cows are abundant producers. Jerseys are recognized as being the most efficient dairy breed in the production of butterfat. To maintain or further increase the pro ductive ability of Jerseys a plan has been put into effect whereby no Jersey bull may be registered without some evidence of reasonable production in his near relatives. Official records and the experience of dairy farmers have dem onstrated that the Jersey breed is also as capable as any in total pro duction of butterfat. Jerseys do not give as much milk as the other breeds but this lower milk production is compensated for by a higher test. Under practicable farm conditions on twice-a-day milking, a high grade or registered Jersey herd should be expected to yield yearly at least 6,000 pounds of milk and 320 pounds of butterfat per cow. Jersey milk has a yellow color but is less golden than that of Guernseys. The fat globules are large, the largest of any of the breeds, and they cluster readily, so that the fat separates from the milk rapidly. This feature was no doubt an asset in popularizing the breed before the centrifugal separator came into common use. The high fat content and ease with which the cream separates from the milk results in a deep creamline when the milk is allowed to stand in bottles. In order to capitalize on that feature the American Jersey Cattle Club has trademarked its product as "Jersey Creamline Milk."

Smallest of Major Dairy Breeds The Jersey is best described as fawn in color, tho the variation may range from mouse color or gray to shades of brown or black. Solid colors predominate and are usually preferred, tho white markings appear to be increasing in favor. Soft colors of fawn or light brown in females with darker shades in bulls are favorite colors. The muzzle is black, the tongue may also be black tho light-colored tongues are not uncommon. A light-colored or mealy ring usually encircles the muzzle. The skin is yellowish in color tho less so than that of the Guernsey. The Jersey is the smallest of the major breeds of dairy cattle. Mature cows should weigh from 900 to 1,100 pounds and mature bulls 30 CIRCULAR No. 543 from 1,300 to 1,600 pounds. Two types of Jerseys prevail in the United States-the Island type, usually imported or only a generation or two from imported animals, and the so-called American type. This latter type is characteristic of animals bred in this country for a num ber of years, and is often traceable to the St. Lambert family, which was descended from a large type of Jersey imported into Canada from England and later widely dispersed in the United States. Animals of the Island type are of the smaller sizes in the weight ranges listed above, while those of the American type are usually in the upper limit of those ranges. It is generally found that the progeny of imported animals grow to be larger than their parents and soon assume the American type, losing some of that fineness of bone and refinement characteristic of the Island Jerseys. Imported breeding stock is there fore frequently introduced to preserve these features in certain leading American herds. It is claimed by some that the fine bone and small size of the Island-bred cattle are due in part at least to their having been nurtured on lime-deficient soils. Jerseys have characteristic heads, which are shorter, broader, and more dished than those of the other breeds. They are very clean-cut and "breedy" in appearance, with alert and prominent eyes. The body form leaves little to be desired so far as quality and refinement are concerned-sharp outline, free from flesh, strongly muscled, giving the appearance of being chiseled thruout. Jerseys carry quality and refinement to such an extent that often they give the appearance of lacking in strength and ruggedness. They are very active in disposi tion and conscious of their surroundings, tho when carefully handled the cows are very docile. Jersey bulls more frequently than those of other breeds develop a vicious disposition. The Jersey is the earliest maturing of the dairy breeds. The heifers reach sexual maturity at a young age, having often been known to breed at six months of age. Breeding should be deferred, however, until they are about fifteen or sixteen months of age. The calves are small at birth, weighing on the average about 55 pounds. They are not so easy to raise as those of some of the other breeds and are of little value for veal. As grazers the Jerseys have proved themselves very good. They are active and make better use of rough pastures and poor grazing than do Holsteins, tho they are not the equal of Ayrshires under adverse grazing conditions. They are good feeders in that they have good appetites; but they are not so well adapted to the consumption of coarse roughages as the other breeds, and they need a larger propor BREEDS OF D AIRY C ATTLE : J E RSEY 31 tion of their feed in the form of concentrates than some of the other breeds. In economy of production <;>f fat they are considered leaders. Jerseys have a tenacity of life that may even be considered a breed characteristic. Many examples are to be found of Jersey cows and bulls that have lived and produced and reproduced to advanced ages. Such longevity is a valuable characteristic. It is perhaps due in part to unusual activity. Breeders Stress Family Lines Both in the native home of the breed and in the United States, Jersey breeders have zealously developed and preserved family lines. Inbreeding has been practiced much more intensively than in any other breed. It is a credit to the breed that this has been done without undesirable results. In the October S, 1927, issue of the Jersey Bulletin, twenty-four present-day families of note in the United States were listed and dis cussed. Some of the older famIlies are the Golden Lads, Eminents, St. Lamberts, Sophie Tormentors, Golden Ferns, and Owl-Interests. Many of these families are still popular or have been the start of new families. Among the newer ones are the Nobles, Majestys, Financial Kings, Golden Glows, St. Mauves, and Fauvic Princes. Some of the Jersey families are traced back to great foundation females, but most of them have had bulls as their foundation heads.

Adapted to Many Conditions When properly fed and managed, Jersey cattle are well' adapted to most conditions. They are not so hardy as certain other breeds, beihg more susceptible to severe cold weather, but when well housed they may be successfully grown thruout the United States. They have proved especially well adapted to the humid and hot climate of the Southern States. They are active grazers under any conditions. As butterfat producers, Jerseys take first rank because of the high butterfat content of their milk. Conversely they are not so well adapted to the production of whole milk as the other breeds unless a premium is received for the extra butterfat in the milk. As meat pro ducers, Jerseys have little to commend them because they do not fatten readily, are small, and the calves are undesirable veals. Jerseys are uniform in conformation and character. The bulls have the ability to stamp their characteristics on their offspring to an unusual degree, so that for grading up scrub cattle they are unsur passed. While a good-quality Jersey is a thing of beauty and remark 32 CIRCULAR No. 543

One of the greatest modern Jersey bulls, Brampton Standard Sir 276574, was classified Excellent and has more Excellent progeny than any other bull. His 33 Advanced Registry daughters stamp him as one of the breed's best trans mitting bulls for both type and production. ( Courtesy American!ersey Cattle Club) able utility, a scrub or poor animal of the breed is the most undesirable of any of the dairy animals, for its carcass value is very low. As family cows Jerseys have long been favorites. They are small and require less feed than the larger breeds, their milk separates easily, and the cream churns readily, while their disposition is such as to respond to the petting and care which family cows usually receive.

Rapid Popularity in the United States Because in the early days the Channel Island breeds were called Alderneys whether they were from Jersey or Guernsey, it is impossible to indicate a particular date at which Jerseys first were brought to the United States. They were called Alderney for the reason that cattle from the Channel Islands were brought to England by the Alderney Packet, a vessel that called at all the Channel Islands but touched at Alderney last on her trip back to England. References are made to Alderney in America as early as 1815. In January, 1817, Richard Morris wrote in the records of th~ Philadelphia Society for Promoting BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: JERSEY 33

World's record Jersey cow for butterfat production, Brampton Basilua 48490. This cow produced 19,012.3 pounds of milk and 1,312.8 pounds of butter fat in 365 days on three milkings daily at the age of 5 years and 9 months. Bred and owned by B. H. Bull and Son, Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

Agriculture that he had on his farm on the Delaware a cow of the Alderney breed imported in 1815 by Maurice and William Wurts. The first Jerseys registered in America were imported in 1850, nine imported that year being entered in Volume I of the American Jersey Herd Register. John H. Taintor of Hartford, Connecticut, im ported numerous Jerseys about 1850 for an association of wealthy men of Connecticut. The importations increased to such an extent after 1850 that the breeders on Jersey Island took steps to discourage the exportation of prize-winning bulls. Jerseys were still imported in large numbers after 1850, however, and by 1868, when the American Jersey Cattle Club was formed, Jersey cattle were to be found in thirteen states. Further importations were encouraged, and by 1885 approxi mately 4,000 head had been imported. Just prior to 1885 there had grown among American breeders of Jerseys a "color fad" for animals with black points- black tongue and switch and solid colors-to the exclusion of features possessing more merit. The boom in Jerseys and colors, however, soon crashed; prices fell to low figures, and the popu 34 CIRCULAR No. 543 larity of Jerseys appeared to suffer in consequence. The low prices, however, made it possible for farmers and dairymen of limited means to secure animals 0 f the breed. The color fad was replaced by an appreciation of the utility of the. animals, and the development of the breed followed rapidly. Impor tations were resumed at the turn of the century and have continued to the present. In 1937-38, 278 imported cows and 34 imported bulls were registered. A total of 4,277 imported Jersey bulls and 21,047 imported 1 cows were recorded in the United States up to March 31, 1938. InJ eluding those foundation animals and their descendants, over 700,000 animals had been registered by the American Jersey Cattle Club by the end of 1940. It is estimated that Jerseys in the United States, grade and purebred together, number approximately 10,300,000, of which about 208,000 are registered.2 In 1940 a total of 48,627 head were registered. There are more grade Jerseys in the United States than there are grades of any other breed. Combined with the registered animals, they comprize approximately 42 percent of the total dairy cattle population. Jerseys are well represented thruout the United States and have proved adaptable to a wide range of conditions notwithstanding they are most numerous and the predominating breed south of the Mason Dixon line. The leading states in numbers of registered Jerseys are Ohio, Texas, New York, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Missouri, Indiana, Oregon, and Kentucky.

The Home of the Jersey Breed The homeland of the Jersey breed is Jersey Island, the largest of the group of islands in the English Channel, and just off the coast of France. Four principal islands are in the group: Sark, Alderney, Guernsey, and Jersey, the latter two being the homes of cattle breeds famous the world over. The islands belong to Great Britain-the last of that country's French possessions. Jersey is the most eastwardly of the group of Channel Islands, lying but 15 miles from France and about 100 miles from England. It is in the shape of an irregular parallelogram, with an average length of 10 miles from east to west and an average width of 6~ miles. The land slopes from north to south, with a maximum elevation of 500 feet at the north, and a coastline lying level with the sea on the south. The IFigure obtained from the American Jersey Cattle Club. 2For method of estimating total l\umber of registered animals see footnote on page 14. BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: JERSEY 35 topography is a succession of ridges and valleys running north and south. The climate is mild and temperate; heat is never excessive nor cold intense, tho the raw sea winds from the east are cold and pene trating in the spring. The mean temperature is 42 0 F. in January and 63 0 F. in August. Snow or frost lasts but a short time, and during many winters the temperature does not reach freezing. Rainfall aver ages about 3S inches a year. Rains and sea fogs and gales are frequent. The Channel Islands are advantageously adapted to the development of excellent breeds of cattle. They have fertile soils, splendid climates, are isolated from all other countries, and yet are within easy reach of England, one of the best markets in the world for dairy products.

Jerseys Are an Old Breed The Jersey breed is of sufficiently ancient origin that its history is lost in obscurity. Whatever may have been the ancient ancestors, it is generally assumed that the more immediate progenitors of both the Jersey and Guernsey breeds were cattle from Brittany and Normandy. The Brittany cattle were variously described as small and black, small and red, and small with much the same markings as the present Guernsey. The Normandy cattle are reported to have been large and red, or large and brindle. It is generally thought that altho the Jersey is descended from both the Normandy and the Brittany cattle, the blood of the small black Brittany cattle is predominant. The exact time when the Jersey breed was first developed is not recorded, but as early as 1734 the superiority of Jersey cattle was recognized. The Jersey farmers jealously guarded the purity of their cattle and in 1789 secured the enactment of laws to prevent the impor tation of other cattle which might endanger the purity of the breed or introduce diseases. By that time a lucrative trade in cattle had been developed with England, where Jerseys (or Alderneys, as both Jersey and Guernsey cattle were then called) were in great demand. The wealthy English landholders liked the Jersey cattle not only for their rich yellow milk but also for their deer-like appearance. They were often kept as ornamental additions to parks and private estates. Contrary to popular opinion, the keeping of dairy cattle is not the chid industry in Jersey. The growing of potatoes, tomatoes, fruits and other horticultural products is a more important source of income to the islanders. The farms are small, I S acres being considered a large holding, while farms of 4 or S acres are not uncommon. In such an intensive farming system the herds are necessarily small, averaging not more than four or five head each. 36 CIRCULAR No. 543

During heavy rains or severe weather the cattle are usually stabled at night, but most of the time they are kept in the open, tethered rather than allowed to run free in pastures. Tethering is done in order that the greatest possible use of the grass can be made, for the land is re ported to have a value of $1,000 to $2,000 an acre. High rents preclude waste either by the careless use of land or by keeping inferior cattle. Milking is done in the fields, usually three times a day. In winter the cattle are fed generously on straw, hay, turnips, parsnips and other roots, but little concentrated feeds are used.

Great Improvement Has Been Made Altho early appreciated for the quantity and quality of her milk, the Jersey has not always possessed the style and beauty of form which distinguishes her today. Colonel Le Couteur, a native of Jersey and regarded as an authority on the Jersey breed, in 1844 described the breed and its development in the following terms: "Most Jersey farmers never thought of crossing with a view to im provement, conscious of possessing a breed excellent for the production of rich milk. .... The Jersey farmer sought no further. He was content to possess an ugly, ill-formed animal, with flat sides, wide between the ribs and hips, cat-hammed, narrow and high hips, and a hollow back. The Jersey had always possessed the head of a fawn, a soft eye, an elegant crumpled horn, small ears, a clean neck and throat, fine bones, a fine tail; above all, a well-formed, capacious udder, with large, swelling milk-veins.m In 1833 the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society was formed for the purpose of changing the unprogressive breeding practices of the Jersey farmer. Credit is due to that organization for the uniformity and high degree of perfection now found in the cattle of the island. Early in the breed's history two distinct types were developed. In the north and northwest part of the island the topography is rough and rocky, pastures short and scant tho nutritious, and the climate more severe than in other parts, because of exposure to the sea, with gales prevailing nine months of the year. The cattle there were fine-limbed, small, and hardy. On the southerly half of the island the land slopes gently to the sea and is watered by many streams, with the rich soil sheltered and warmed by the sun. Fed on richer pastures and exposed to fewer hardships, the cows of this southern area were noticeably larger and more delicate in constitution than their northern sisters. Even in so restricted an area as this small island the influence of en- IGow, R. M. The Jersey: an outline of her history during two centuries, 1794:..1935. American J ersey Cattle Club, 1936. BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: JERSEY 37 vironment left its mark on the cattle. At present, because of inter change of breeding animals, no such differences exist. All Jerseys in their native home are considered purebred. If re corded in the Island herdbook they are indicated as "PS" (pedigreed stock), otherwise they are considered "F" (foundation animals). Those letters appear with the registration numbers of any animals imported into the United States. The Island herdbook association originated a system of preliminary registration and subsequent qualification under which the animals are entered. The birth and identity of each calf to be registered must be verified by a member of the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticul tural Society within twenty-four hours of the calf's birth, and the entry must be made in the herdbook before the calf is eight days old. But the registration is not completed at this time. If the calf is a heifer she must pass a careful examination by a panel of judges when she calves the first time, at which time she may be awarded the "C" or the "HC" (commended or highly commended) award, or she may be rejected. If she is rejected she may be submitted again at a later calv ing, but usually such rejected animals are slaughtered. If the calf is male, it is submitted for qualification at not less than one year of age, its dam being inspected at the same time if alive and on the island. Without the dam, the bull can receive only the "commended" award, unless the dam had been a prize winner at the Island shows. Island shows have played an important role in perfecting the type of the Jersey breed. Jersey is divided into twelve parishes. The parishes, each or perhaps several together, have held shows each spring since 1834. In addition, three shows each year are held by the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society-the Spring or Island Show in May, the Summer Show in August and the Autumn Show in October. A bull show is merged with the Spring Show. A further step in improvement of the breed was the adoption in 1912 of a system of testing for production, similar to the Registry of Merit. Jerseys Enjoy W orld-Wide Favor The Jersey has been introduced into most civilized countries but enjoys its greatest favor in Jersey, England, United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Denmark. Other countries where Jerseys are of more or less importance are France~ Ireland, and South Africa. GUERNSEYS

Guernseys are noted for producing milk with a characteristic golden color. The breeders have made the most of this attribute. In origin, Guernseys have much in common with Jerseys, and these two breeds are much alike in many of their characteristics, more alike in fact than are any of our other breeds. The native home of the Guernseys, Guernsey Island, is but twenty miles from Jersey. Guernsey cows are considered second only to Jerseys in the efficiency with which they can produce butterfat. They are heavier producers of milk than Jerseys, a little larger in body and more rugged, and are less nervous. Their carcass value is little greater than Jerseys, the better cuts being poorly developed and the body fat yellow. In recent years Guern seys have gained widespread popularity, and there is no evidence that they are relinquishing it.

Milk Rich in Butterfat and Color Guernseys produce milk and butterfat having a higher color than that of any other breed. Their milk flow is slightly greater than that of the J ersey, but the milk is somewhat lower in fat content, averaging 5 percent. The Guernsey breed has made more advanced registry records than any other breed, altho Guernsey cattle are not as numerous as Holsteins or J erseys, nor was the advanced registry started as early. Herd-improvement registry testing was started in 1930 and is in creasing in popularity. These two forms of official testing have served

38 BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: GUERNSEY 39 to demonstrate that registered Guernseys are capable of butterfat pro duction comparable to that of the other dairy breeds. Like the Jersey, they produce smaller quantities of milk than the three lower-testing breeds but the higher fat content compensates for the lower milk yield. They are unusually efficient producers of butterfat, altho perhaps not so efficient producers of milk as the three lower-testing breeds. Under ordinary farm conditions a Guernsey herd of purebred or good-quality grade cows should produce an average of at least 6,400 pounds of milk and 320 pounds of fat a year. Average production is in keeping with that of the other breeds. The world's milk-production record for ~he Guernsey breed is held by M urne Cowan, owned by O. C. Barber, Barberton, Ohio. She produced 24,008.0 pounds of milk and 1,098.2 pounds of butterfat at eight years, ten months of age on four milkings daily. The highest butterfat record by a Guernsey was · made by Cathedral Rosalie, pictured on page 42. As has been mentioned previously, Guernsey milk has a character istic golden color. The fat globules are large, being second in size only to those of Jersey milk, and they separate easily from the milk, so that when bottled the milk has a deep creamline. The Guernsey Breeders' Association has trademarked Guernsey milk as "Golden Guernsey" milk, a product that usually commands a price premium.

Guernsey Characteristics Guernseys are larger than Jerseys and are a different shade of fawn and white. Guernsey fawn varies from golden yellow to almost cherry. The favorite color is a medium-yellow fawn with white markings on the face and over the shoulders and hips, white legs, white underline and switch, and a buff nose. Hoofs and horns are amber in color. The skin secretion is a deep yellow, inclining toward orange. An abundant richly colored secretion is greatly emphasized by Guernsey breeders. This secretion is found in greatest amount inside the ear, around the eyes and nose, at the base of the horn, on the udder and teats or scrotum and at the end of the bone of the tail. Guernsey breeders have believed that there is a close relation be tween the color of the skin secretion of Guernsey cows and the rich color of their milk. That this valuable commercial characteristic of the breed, richly colored milk, might be preserved and intensified, the American Guernsey Cattle Club once allotted 20 percent of the score card values to color of skin secretion. It is true, however, that the Guernsey breeders, while appreciative of the color of skin secretion, did not give it the importance suggested by the score card. 40 CIRCULAR No. 543

In size the Guernsey ranks between the Jersey and Holstein. Ma ture cows in milking condition weigh from 800 to 1,400 pounds, about 1,100 pounds being preferred. Mature Guernsey bulls in breeding con dition vary in weight from 1,200 to 2,200 pounds, the preferred weight being about 1,700 pounds. Guernseys as a breed present a very dairylike appearance, not so clean-cut and angular as Jerseys, but more dairylike in conformation than the other breeds. The body conformation, prominent eyes usually with a golden band encircling them, and the yellow fawn and white color combine to give a herd of Guernseys the appearance of good producers. Guernseys have coarser heads than Jerseys- not so short and dished as the Jerseys, but not so long as the Holsteins. They also give the appearance of more strength and constitution than Jerseys, and they are, as a matter of fact, a more rugged breed. Perhaps because on Guernsey Island the breeders gave little attention to perfection of body form, the Guernsey is not so uniform in that respect as some other breeds, tho much improvement is evident in the past few years. Many Guernseys have such body faults as sloping or short rumps, weak backs and loins, or thick shoulders. A condition known as wing shoulders, characterized by a loosening of the muscles of the shoulders so that the shoulders pull away from the chest walls, is found more frequently among Guernseys than among animals of any other breed. The barrel is usually long enough, tho shallow round barrels are frequent. Udders are usually very good in texture and quality, tho often they are not too well developed in the fore quarters or shapely on the floor, and they are likewise often cleft between the halves or strictu red between the quarters. Not so many points were given to the udder on the earlier Guernsey score card as on the score cards of other breeds. The points here criticized are not found in the better specimens of the breed. As a matter of fact, remarkable progress in the develop ment of better type has been made by Guernsey breeders in the past ten or fifteen years, so that the type now emphasized shows good sym metry and style, with freedom from the faults described above. Per haps no other breed has profited by the show ring to a greater extent than the Guernsey. In disposition Guernseys are excellent, being quiet rather than nervous. The cows are alert and wide-awake but not easily excited by the presence of strangers or unaccustomed surroundings. The bulls usually have better manners than, Jersey bulls, being less irritable and less given to pawing and bellowing at the approach of strangers. BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: GUERNSEY 41

In time required to reach maturity, Guernseys are about midway between Jerseys and Holsteins. EV,en tho the heifers reach puberty at an earlier age, they should not be bred before they are sixteen to eighteen months old, depending on the growth and development of the individual. Guernsey calves are of medium size, averaging about 65 pounds at birth. They are not well adapted to the veal trade, tho some what better adapted to that purpose than Jersey calves because they are slightly larger at birth. Guernsey calves are a little more rugged and easier to raise than Jerseys. Guernseys are good grazers, being more active than Holsteins or Brown Swiss but less active than Jerseys or Ayrshires. On good pas tures they do very well, as do all the breeds. On rough ground and poor pastures they are better than Holsteins but are not considered the equal of either Jerseys or Ayrshires. They are about average in feeding ability and are economical producers of fat and milk. They can con sume more roughage than Jerseys but less than Holsteins, Ayrshires, or Brown Swiss. Well-Defined Family Lines In the Guernsey breed, like the Jersey and Holstein, there have been certain bulls and cows who have had more than the usual merit in tran,smitting desirable characteristics of type and production to their offspring. The descendants of these foundation animals have been closely bred, and families within the breed have been established. Bonnie Lass, Dolly Bloom, France, Glenwood Girl, Governor of the Chene, Materna, Masher, May Rose, and Yeksa are some of the out standing families. 1 Of all these the May Rose family, developed by line-breeding the descendants of the cow after which the family was named, is by far the most popular in the United States. The develop ment of this family was the achievement of F. Lothrop Ames, Lang water Farm, North Easton, Massachusetts. The success of Langwater Farm has probably been the greatest single contribution to the progress of the Guernsey breed in the United States.

Well Adapted to Most Surroundings Guernseys are a happy-medium breed in many respects. They with stand cold weather better than Jerseys and endure hot, humid surroundings better than Holsteins. They are better grazers than Hol steins on rough, poor pastures but are not so good as Jerseys, Ayr lDescribed and discussed by Hill, in his history of Guernsey cattle. 42 CIRCULAR No. 543 shires, or Brown Swiss in that respect. Their capacity for roughage consumption is likewise medium. The breed is particularly adapted to the production of butterfat, or the production of milk for retail where customers are influenced by the golden color and are willing to pay a premium for it. Perhaps to the detriment of both breeds, Guernseys have been widely used in conjunction with Holstein herds to raise both the fat content and the color of the Holstein milk. If such a system must be

World's record Guernsey cow for butterfat production, Cathedral Rosalie 334299. At the age of 5 years and 18 days on three milkings daily this cow produced 23,714.5 pounds of milk and 1,213.1 pounds of butterfat in 365 days. Bred and owned by H. H. Buckley, Oneonta, New York.

used, Guernseys are especially adapted to the purpose because of the high color of their product and the fact that they are rugged enough to withstand buffeting by the larger Holsteins. As meat producers Guernseys are very poor. They fatten but little better than Jerseys, the fat is not well distributed, and the color of it is an objectionable yellow. The calves do not make good veals, being small in size and not particularly well fleshed at birth. Since Guernsey bulls are prepotent when mated with scrub cows, it is possible to develop a good-quality grade herd within a few gener BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: GUERNSEY 43 ations thru the continuous use of Guernsey sires. Grade Guernsey cows enjoy a ready market demand. Gue,rnseys are second only to Jerseys in the demand for them as family cows, being very well adapted for ~hat purpose. Guernseys in the United States An "Alderney" cow is reported to have been imported into Pennsyl vania as early as 1815.1 She may have been either a Jersey or a Guern-

O ne of the outstanding present-day Guernsey bulls is Langwater King of the Meads 196128. He was a prize winner himself, and the records of his 29 Advanced Registry daughters are all uniformly high. He combines excellent type and high transmitting ability. (Courtesy American Guernsey Cattle Club) sey, as for many years the term Alderney was applied to all of these Island cattle imported into England or the United States. In the earliest importations into the United States the Island cattle whether from Jersey or Alderney were interbred without discrimination and their progeny were lost in the common herd. The first introduction of Guernseys into the United States, for which records were accurately kept so that they and their descendants could later be recorded in the American Guernsey Herd Register, was

lAccording to W. P. Hazard, whose history of Jersey, Alderney, and Guern sey cattle appeared in 1872. 44 CIRCULAR No. 543 in 1830 or 1831. A Mr. Prince of Boston made the importation for his farm in Massachusetts. The next earliest importation, so far as the records enabling the animals to be registered indicate, was in 1840 when Nicholas Biddle of Andalusia, Pennsylvania, brought to New York three bred cows which later became the first three recorded in Volume I of the American Guernsey Cattle Club Herd Registry. The cows dropped two heifer calves and a bull, and the latter, born March 17, was St. Patrick, the first bull recorded in the volume. Some thirty years later the Massachusetts Society for Promotion of Agriculture, the Fowlers of Philadelphia and Southampton (importers of a large number of Jerseys for public sale), and an organization of farmers around Hart ford, Connecticut, all began systematically to import Guernseys. By 1877 the popularity of Guernseys in the United States had grown to such an extent that the American Guernsey Cattle Club was organized in February of that year. At the first annual meeting in December, 1877, 60 bulls and 133 cows were reported to have been entered in the herdbook by 40 different breeders. Activity was im mediately stimulated by the organization of the recording society, and importations were greatly increased. The peak of importations was reached just before the first World War. In both 1913 and 1914 more than a thousand head were imported. A total of 12,911 Guernseys have been imported,t and from them and their descendants a total of 950,450 head had been registered at the end of 1940. Guernseys in America have steadily increased in numbers until they comprize about 15.7 percent of our total dairy-cattle population. This number includes approximately 253,000 registered animals2 and some 3,850,000 grades. In recent years Guernseys have been surpassed only by Holsteins in the number of animals registered annually. During 1940 a total of 57,796 animals were registered. Guernseys are well distributed thruout the United States, without an appreciable concentration in any particular region. The states leading in numbers of registered Guernseys are Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Virginia, Mary land, and Illinois in the order named.

Same General Origin as Jerseys The native home of the Guernsey breed is the island from which it took its name, Guernsey Island, the most westerly of the Channel lFigure obtained from the American Guernsey Cattle Club. 2For method of estimating total number of registered animals see footnote on page 14. BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: GUERNSEY 45 group and some 20 miles northwest of Jersey, 30 miles from France and 70 miles from England. The neighboring islands of H~rm, Sark, and Alderney are also stocked with Guernseys registered in the herd book of Guernsey. For a time the island of Alderney had its own breed of Alderneys; but since 1910 these Alderneys have been officially recognized as one breed with the Guernseys. Normandy and Brittany cattle were brought to these islands cen turies ago. The Guernsey is thought to have more of the blood of the large brindle Normandy cattle, while in the development of the Jersey the blood of the small, black Brittany cattle predominated. Such a con clusion is logical, as reasoned not only from the characteristics of the cattle but from the location and history of the islands as well. Guernsey is closer to Normandy than to Brittany, while Jersey is closer to Brittany. It seems probable that the early cattle were obtained from the most convenient source. About 960 the Duke of Normandy, according to records in the Norman chronicles/ sent a group of monks to found a new abbey in Guernsey. Some years later Duke William gave these monks new land and encouraged agriculture. These founders were Britons anp naturally took cattle with them from Brittany. About 1061 other monks came from Cherbourg and established abbeys in Alderney and Guernsey; they were ormans and brought with them the large brindle Normandy cattle. In the course of time the Normandy and Brittany cattle were crossed, and after many years the modern Guernsey was formed from the fusion of these two races. Guernsey Island is 9 miles in extreme length and 5 miles wide, with an area of about 25 square miles. Unlike Jersey it slopes to the north and is more exposed to the elements, so that the climate, altho temper ate, is less congenial for cattle than is the island of Jersey. Temper atures seldom go above 70 0 F. in summer or below 40 0 F. in winter, and never remain long at freezing point or below. Snowfalls ~re rare. Capitalizing on their mild climate and the proximity of the London market, the people of Guernsey have turned largely to horticulture and floriculture. Great quantities of fruits, vegetables, and flowers are grown, for the most part in greenhouses. Land is valued at very high figures and commands yearly rents that prohibit any but the most efficient methods of culture. It is small wonder that Guernsey cows have been carefully selected and culled so that they might by their efficient production fit into this intensive form of agriculture. Farms are very small, consisting of but a few acres intensively IHill, C. L. The Guernsey breed. Waterloo, Iowa, 1917. 46 CIRCULAR No. 543 cultivated. The cattle are kept in small herds of three or four head. They graze by day and are housed at night, often in not-too-sanitary barns. The Guernsey farmers are not generally credited with being as good caretakers as their Jersey neighbors. The cattle may graze prac tically the entire year, usually tethered and frequently moved in order that fullest use may be made of the grasses. In addition to pasture, the cattle are fed largely on hay and such roots as mangels, carrots, and parsnips. The hay is chiefly alfalfa mixed with red clover and Italian ryegrass. It is a problem to cure hay on Guernsey Island be cause of the foggy weather and frequent rains, but the farmers succeed nevertheless in making a good quality of hay. It is often stacked and the stacks covered for protection.

Development as a Distinct Breed Until 1789, when Jersey passed her famous law prohibiting the im portation of cattle except for immediate slaughter, traffic in cattle among the several Channel Islands was unrestricted, and the breeds were therefore not entirely distinct. All the Island cattle were known as "Alderneys" in England and America, for the reason already mentioned (page 43). Even after Jersey's restrictive law went into effect, Guernsey cattle were admitted on the island of Jersey, evidently not being considered "foreign" cattle.! The Guernsey was early appreciated as a bountiful producer. Her rich golden milk and butter were highly prized both on the native island and in the foreign markets. The Guernsey husbandmen con cerned themselves little with the beauty of their cattle, but were con tent to breed only for the production of large yields of milk rich in color. The early Guernseys were therefore not models of body form. Sloping rumps, flat sides, low backs, and coarse features were common among them, for the breeders were concerned chiefly with utility rather than fancy points. In order to preserve the purity of their superior race of cattle, the people of Guernsey Island in 1824 passed a law similar to that already in effect on the island of Jersey, forbidding the importation of cattle except for immediate slaughter. The passage of this law marks the beginning of the real development of the Guernsey as a distinct breed.

J As late as 1869 a letter to the secretary of the American Jersey Cattle Club from Colonel Le Couteur, an authority on the Jersey breed, said in part: "Guernsey cattle are not deemed foreign, but there are scarcely ever a dozen of that breed in our island. They are of larger bone and carcass, considered to be coarse, tho famous milkers, requiring much more food than the Jersey. Our judges at our cattle shows have discarded both them and their progeny." BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: GUERNSEY 47

In 1842 the Royal Agriculture Society of Guernsey published a scale of points for scoring bulls and coW,s. This scale of points, as well as others that followed, emphasized the golden color of the skin and its secretions, characteristics which thus appear to have been appreciated since the early years of the breed. The first herdbook of Guernsey Island was published in 1879, and was taken over by the Royal Guernsey Agricultural and Horticultural Society in 1881. The society has practically the same requirements for acceptance of animals as foundation or pedigree stocks as those in effect on the island of Jersey. Island shows and local or parish shows are held regularly, and the animals must pass inspection for individu ality before they can be registered. The first local show was held in 1881. Until 1912 the foundation animals were classified as "com mended," "highly commended" and "very highly commended," accord ing to their quality. These terms are generally indicated in pedigrees or elsewhere by the abbreviations "C," "HC," and "VHC." Since 1912 all cows have been admitted and marked "qualified at local show," with no indication as to difference in quality. Since 1910 a rule has been strictly enforced requiring "that the proprietors of Herd Book stock shall, within 24 hours after the calving of a cow or heifer, belong ing to such stock, obtain the attestation of a member of the Royal Guernsey Agricultural Society to a certificate proving that the calf is the offspring of such cow or heifer." The Guernsey Island Advanced Register was organized in 1912, and soon a rule was adopted requiring that in order to be eligible for registry an animal must be sired by a bull whose dam had advanced registry rating. In 1922 the rule was amended to require that the bull's dam and his sire's dam must exceed the advanced registry requirements for entry by 20 percent. As a result of these requirements and sub sequent testing and culling of cows, the producing ability of the breed on the island has been increased markedly.

Popular in English-Speaking Countries Guernseys are numerous only in English-speaking countries; they do not enjoy so wide a distribution as Holsteins, Jerseys, or Ayrshires. In Guernsey, England, the United States, and Australia they have re ceived their greatest favor. Canada has numerous Guernseys tho fewer of them than of Holsteins, Ayrshires, or Jerseys; and small numbers have been exported from both England and Guernsey to Brazil, Chile, Argentina, China, and South Africa. In the latter countries none of the dairy breeds seem to have gained much foothold. AYRSHIRES

Ayrshires are the predominating dairy breed in Scotland, their native home, and the only specialized dairy breed developed in Great Britain, where so many beef and dual-purpose breeds originated. Perhaps prox imity to beef cattle had its influence, for Ayrshires a re a little smoother and less angular than the other dairy breeds, except Brown Swiss, and among dairy breeds they have a carcass value second to none. They are rugged, strongly knit cattle, and are generally conceded to possess the most shapely udders of any of the dairy breeds. They are also unusually efficient grazers. The milk is white and has an average test of 4 percent butterfat. These attributes probably account for the breed 's rapidly increasing popularity in the Middle West and other areas after late acceptance outside the environs of New England.

Ayrshires Are Uniform Producers Ability to produce large quantities of milk is a characteristic for which Ayrshire cows have long been known. They do not have phe nomenal individual yields, but in average milk production they are unexcelled. Both in Scotland and in America, the goal among breeders has been for uniform herd production rather than individual achieve ment. Lifetime records have been encouraged in order to focus atten tion on the ability to produce and reproduce efficiently over a long span of years. Ayrshire breeders make much of the fact that in spite of their few numbers compared with' other breeds, more than 200 cows

48 BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: AYRSHIRE 49 have lifetime records of over 100,000 pounds of milk and 48 have pro duced more than 5,000 pounds of butterfat. Longevity seems to be a characteristic of the breed. With a view to improving the level of production of entire herds rather than focusing attention on individual performance, the Ayr shire herd test was established in 1925, a form of testing requiring that all producing members of the herd be tested. With slight modi fications it has been adopted by the other dairy breed associations. In the Ayrshire association it has practically replaced the advanced reg istry testing. Altho the replacement of advanced registry with the herd test has largely stopped the accumulation of very large records of production under optimum environment, it has succeeded in ably demonstrating that under practical conditions the Ayrshire breed is as capable as the other breeds. This fact has not been generally appre ciated in Illinois and the Middle West because the breed has not been numerous and until recent years those owning Ayrshires in this region did little testing for production. Under average farm conditions a herd of purebred or -good-quality grade Ayrshires should be expected to yield an average of at least 8,000 pounds of milk a year, containing 320 pounds of butterfat. The Ayrshire world's record in both milk and butterfat produc tion, as well as the world's record for butterfat production for all breeds milked not more than three times daily, is held by the cow Ardgowan Valda, pictured on page 52.

Distinctive Ayrshire Characteristics Ayrshires are red-and-white spotted, with the colors distinct, having no tendency toward blending. Color has not been a matter of great concern among Ayrshire breeders, and consequently there is much variation from reddish black or mahogany to cherry-red with white. Individuals range from practically all-white with red cheeks and red on the ears to practically solid red. Brindle markings are acceptable in females but are frowned upon. In size the Ayrshires are medium. Mature bulls in good breeding condition should weigh at least 1,650 pounds. A desirable weight for mature cows in good milking condition in about the middle of their lactation is about 1,150 pounds. The more successful representatives of the breed in the show ring, however, weigh considerably more than the weights suggested here. Ayrshire animals are rather compact, not as high off the ground as Holsteins_ They have straight strong backs and level rumps. The 50 CIRCULAR No. 543 barrel is well developed and capacious, tho not as conspicuously so as in the Holsteins and Jerseys. Their udders are generally recog nized as being second to none in shapeliness, attachments, and teat placements. With their rich coloring, symmetrical well-balanced form, even gait, clean-cut alert head, and characteristically upturned horns, Ayrshires present a very attractive appearance. As a rule they are quite uniform in type. With the exception of Brown Swiss, Ayr,shires are less angular in form than the other dairy breeds. They are not beefy, but they are rather smooth cattle. They are quite rugged, without a tendency toward coarseness, and they hold a certain reserve flesh, probably as a result of the difficult environment under which they were developed. In earliness of maturity Ayrshires are medium. Heifers should usually be bred at about seventeen or eighteen months of age. The calves at birth are vigorous and easy to raise. They are medium in size, weighing on the average 72 pounds at birth. They are less well adapted to veal production than Holstein or Brown Swiss calves, but are superior in this respect to those of the Island breeds. Like other Scotch breeds of livestock, Ayrshires are alert and active. They are not particularly excitable. When well treated, they are gentle and well mannered, but they do not take kindly to ill treat ment. They are little affected by changes in environment or attendants, but readily adapt themselves to their surroundings. As grazers the Ayrshires have no superiors among the dairy breeds. They have the reputation of being particularly well adapted to rough topography and inferior pastures. This characteristic, probably a re sult of early environment and active disposition, does not mean that the Ayrshire cow cannot compete successfully with the other breeds in a more fruitful environment. They are good consumers of roughage and can handle considerable quantities of it. They are not fastidious, but have an appetite for a wide range of kinds and qualities of feeds. They require but a fair amount of concentrates, for they sometimes become too fat when fed heavily on grains. In neither Scotland nor America have Ayrshire families been de veloped. In the United States, however, the descendants of the noted sire, Penshurst Man O'War, have distinguished themselves. In certain herds they are being closely bred so that they may be considered to constitute a family.

Ayrshires Have Wide Adaptability Ayrshires adapt themselves to 'a wide range of conditions. They are noted for their ability to survive even when conditions are hardest. BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: AYRSHIRE S1

While a strictly dairy breed and not to be confused with dual purpose breeds, they are smoother than the other dairy breeds and unite to a higher degree than any other dairy breed the supposedly incompatible characteristics of high milk yield and a fair beef value. Ayrshire steers have been found to fatten readily and make quite acceptable animals for the feedlot when sold relatively young. The cows fatten readily when dry and have a good carcass value. The breed is prepotent, as are, in fact, all the breeds when the matings are with scrub or nondescript cattle. Ayrshire bulls stamp their characteristics to an unusual degree on the offspring of the cows' with which they are mated, so that for grading up a herd they are un excelled and they are equalled only by the Jerseys. Probably because of their common ancestry, the Shorthorn-Ayrshire cross is particularly successful. For grading up cattle carrying some beef blood, Ayrshires have proved especially well adapted.

Early Ayrshire Type in New England The earliest introduction of Ayrshires into the United States is re ported to have been made in 1822 by H. W. Hills of Windsor, Con necticut. Another early importer was John P. Cushing, Watertown, Massachusetts, who had a choice herd in 1837. The Massachusetts Society for the Improvement of Agriculture from 1835 to 1859 made several importations of Ayrshires as well as of other breeds of dairy cattle. These Ayrshires did not, however, fall into the hands of men interested in promoting them, and in consequence the breed did not for many years become widely distributed in the United States beyond the New England states. Importations ceased before the Civil War, and from the animals previously introduced was evolved the "American" type of Ayrshire, a type quite at variance with that prevalent in Scot land then and in the United States today. The typical New England Ayrshire was a rather small, deep-bodied, short-legged cow, usually brown or cherry-red with white markings, tho color varied consider ably. The horns turned inward and down rather than upward in the orthodox Ayrshire fashion. These cattle lacked the style, attractive appearance, and shapely udder of Scottish Ayrshires; but they were very useful and well adapted to the conditions under which they were developed. By 1863 the Ayrshires had taken hold to such an extent in the New England states that a small association of interested breeders was established for their registry. In 1875 this association was succeeded 52 CIRCULAR No. 543

World's champion butterfat producer of all breeds for three milkings daily and world's record Ayrshire for both milk and butterfat, Ardgowan Valda Imp. 197885. Starting at 10 years and 7 months she produced 31,156 pounds of milk and 1,356 pounds of butterfat in 365 days. Bred by Hugh Shaw Stewart of Ardgowan, Inverkip, Scotland, and owned by F. C. Briggs and Sons, Dundas, Ontario, Canada. by the Ayrshire Breeders' Association, the present headquarters of which are at Brandon, Vermont.

Present American Type Like Scottish At the turn of the century the Ayrshire breed in the United States received renewed attention, and importations were resumed. One factor to which much of the awakened interest may be attributed was the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. The Ayrshire division at the dairy show of this World's Fair was undoubtedly the most influential exhibition of Ayrshires ever staged in the United States. They were second in numbers only to the Jerseys, greatly outnumbering both the Guernseys and Holsteins. More im portant than the size of the exhibit was the fact that two herds from Vermont and two from Ohio met in competition with the best Ayrshire herds from Canada. The Canadian and American Ayrshires differed greatly in form and color, and as w_as to be expected, both kinds had their followers. BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: AYRSHIRE 53

The bull having the highest influence on the Ayrshire breed in the United States was Penshurst Man 0' War 25200. His progeny include 159 tested daughters and 43 Advanced Registry sons. They have won high awards in the show ring and have demonstrated unusual wearing ability by the advanced age at which many of them continued to function. (Courtesy Ayrshire Breeders' Association)

When the Canadian cattle swept the show, many of the supporters of the American type were somewhat offended; but nevertheless from the Columbian Exposition came a new appreciation for the Ayrshire breed, a much wider interest in them thruout the country and, perhaps of even greater significance, a gradual change to a type more in con formity with that of the winners at the Exposition. A gradual tran sition was made from the smaller, plain, short-legged, deep-bodied, red-and-broken-colored, crumpled-horned Ayrshires of New England to the whiter, more upstanding, stylish, and symmetrical Ayrshires of Scotland and Canada, with their upturned horns and shapely udders. The Chicago show thus was an important influence in checking the trend of American Ayrshires to become a distinctly different Ayrshire type. Had the swing not been made back to the original type, it is hardly likely that the breed would enjoy its present favor among American dairymen. The importations from Scotland and Canada, thus renewed about 1900, reached their highest proportions in 1930 to 1936. From 1927 S4 CIRCULAR No. S43 to the close of 1940 a total of 20,0041 Ayrshires were imported into the United States. Of this number 1,864 were admitted during 1940. The Ayrshire Breeders' Association had registered a total of 303,465 animals up to the close of 1940. The spread of the breed westward from the New England states, slow in getting started, has been rapid in recent years. As late as 1910 no Ayrshires had been registered in Kansas, but that state now ranks fifth in Ayrshire registrations in the United States. Approximately 1.4 percent of the dairy cattle in the United States are grade or purebred Ayrshires. It is estimated that the total number is about 343,000, of which approximately 77,000 are registered.2 During 1940 a total of 16,237 animals were registered. The leading states, in the order of their Ayrshire registrations, are N ew York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Massachusetts, Kansas, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Ohio, Maryland, and Connecticut.

Developed in a Severe Environment The Ayrshire originated in southwestern Scotland, in Cunningham, the northernmost district of the county of Ayr (Ayrshire). At one time the breed bore the name Cunningham, but after the cattle spread over the entire shire and became the dominant breed, the name Ayr shire was fittingly applied to them. Ayrshire is a crescent-shaped dis trict 0 f about 1,142 square miles, with a coast line extending about 70 miles along the Firth of Clyde. Its extreme length north and south is 54 miles, and its width east and west varies from 5 to 26 miles. The soil of Ayrshire is heavy; rains are frequent and rather copi ous, while fogs and drizzly weather are common in spring and autumn. Drainage has been necessary for agricultural development. It was the use of ditches and improvements in agricultural methods that made possible modern Ayrshire, with its many industries and prosperous urban and rural population. The attractive farmsteads have an air of solidarity, and the traveled highways are bordered by neatly trimmed hedges enclosing productive fields of oats, potatoes, and root crops. Luxuriant permanent pastures, rich meadows, and herds and flocks of cattle and sheep and horses that delight the stockman's eye are typi cal of the countryside. However, it was not in the prosperous surroundings characteristic of modern Ayrshire that the cattle of that name were developed. On IFigure obtained from the Ayrshire Breeders' Association. 2For method of estimating number -of registered animals see footnote on page 14. BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: AYRSHIRE ss the contrary, livestock had a precarious existence there during the century in which its cattle were bejng molded into a breed. Only the most hardy and resistant could survive. Perhaps in that environment lies the secret of the ruggedness and hardihood, as well as the grazing ability, which are characteristic of the Ayrshire breed today. The early Ayrshire had to shift for itself, being denied the good care and atten tion devoted to cattle in the countries where the other dairy breeds were developed. Prior to 1780 the inhabitants of Ayrshire endured a long period 1 of religious feuds and dissensions ; the people had a wretched ex istence and accomplished little in the way of agricultural improvement. There was hardly a "practical" road in the country. The farmhouses were hovels; the small farms were overgrown with rushes and weeds and were poorly drained. No green crops were grown or grasses sown; oats were the main crop, and the yields were pitifully small. Under such wretched conditions the cattle as well as their owners were half starved. Scarcely anything deserving the name of agricultural improve ment was effected in Ayrshire until after the "disastrous close of the American War."2 Other writers state that improvement in agricultural conditions started in Ayrshire about the middle of the 18th century; that ditches and roads began to be built then and better agricultural methods adopted. During this period of change the Ayrshire breed was developed.

Product of Mixed Ancestry The origin of the Ayrshire breed is obscure, very little being written about it by the pioneer breeders.3 Authentic records which might show by what successive steps the Ayrshire was molded are not available, but from various sources bits of information may be pieced together in a reasonably chronological order. When the Romans invaded the British Isles before the Christian

lColeman, John, ed. Cattle, sheep and pigs of Great Britain. London, 1887. 2This description of conditions in Ayrshire was written by Colonel Fullar ton in 1793 and quoted by David Low in his book, "The Breeds of the Domestic Animals of the British Isles," published in 1842. 3 Aiton, who by reason of his comprehensive writings on the breed at an early date is considered an authority on its development, commented in his Survey of Ayrshire, written in 1811, that the breed was "in a great measure the native indigenous breed of the County of Ayr, improved in their size, shapes and qualities, chiefly by judicious selection, cross coupling, feeding and treat ment, for a long series of time and with much judgment and attention." Aiton does not indicate the nature of the native breed, nor just what breeds were used in its improvement. 56 CIRCULAR No. 543 era, they found there native cattle which they described as small and dark or black. For some four hundred years during which the Romans held their conquest, large numbers of draft cattle described as large white animals with black muzzles, ears, feet, tail, and horn tips were brought in from Italy. Inevitably a mixing of these Roman cattle and the native black cattle resulted, and some of the characteristics of the Roman cattle were transmitted to the native cattle. Several writers of the 14th century mention a breed of cattle in habiting Scotland and describe them as brown and white, with the colors distinct. The only pure breed of cattle of that color combination in Britain today is the Ayrshire, a fact which may indicate that these early cattle were the ancestors of the present breed.

Youngest of the Dairy Breeds With agriculture in the 18th century in the backward state de scribed, little could have been done then to improve the ancestors of the Ayrshire breed. In the earlier part of the century the cattle of Ayr shire were commonly black or brown, with white faces and white streaks along their backs. Aiton described them at various times about 1770 as being small, with high-standing crooked horns, mostly black but with white spots on their faces or other parts. Improvements must have been made rapidly following the general awakening in Ayrshire agriculture in the latter part of this century, and these nondescript cattle were rapidly molded into the Ayrshire breed. The means of this transformation is a matter of dispute. It is evident that the breed was developed thru improvement of the native cattle by crossing and blending them with the blood of cattle introduced from outside sources. Various references indicate that between 1724 and 1740 the Earl of Marchmont purchased from the Bishop of Durham and brought to his farm in eastern Scotland several cows and a bull thought to have been Teeswater or Hoderness- Iarge red-and-white cattle from northern England descended from earlier importations from Holland. These cattle were later taken to a farm near Berwick shire in Kyle. These Dutch cattle evidently enjoyed special favor, and John Orr, a farmer of Ayr, introduced cows of this type in 1769 at the then high price of about $30 each. John Dunlop, of Dunlop in Cunningham, the northernmost district of Ayr, at about the same time also imported Holderness or Teeswater cattle from England. He bred them so successfully that he became the first great improver of Ayrshires, and the breed was first known as Dunlop cattle. His descendants are prominent Ayrshire breeders. BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE: AYRSHIRE 57

It is claimed by many that the present Ayrshire breed was further improved thru crossing with Shorthorns. Such a position is hardly tenable, for both breeds were evolved at about the same time. Their similarity is more likely due to a common ancestry than to a crossing of the breeds themselves. It is quite possible, however, that Shorthorn bulls were used in certain herds of Ayrshires and vice versa. After about 1800 the Ayrshire cattle increased rapidly in numbers and general favor. Agricultural societies and shows were active, and at these events the Ayrshires were brought to public attention. The Highland and Agricultural Society offered prizes in 1814 for bulls and heifers in the Kyle district of Ayrshire; and so far as is known the breed was then for the first time publicly called the Ayrshire. The annual shows of the Society focused much well-deserved attention on the new breed. During this period one of the leading Ayrshire herds, and one which won many prizes, was that of Theopilus Parton of Swinley farm. To improve the form and shorten the head of the Swinley cattle, West Highland or Kyloe blood was used freely.1 There is evidence too that West Highland cattle had been used earlier in the improvement of the cattle of Ayrshire. Evidence is introduced by certain authorities and discredited by others that some Alderney cattle were used in the improvement of the Ayrshire. Alderney blood is reported to have been introduced both thru the Teeswater cattle, which may have carried Alderney blood, and thru Alderneys shipped directly to Scotland. The Alderney influence, if any, was much less a factor in forming the breed than the influence of either Teeswater or West Highland cattle. By 1830 the Ayrshire breed had largely attained its present form and characteristics. Red and white had become the predominating color, having replaced the black-and-white markings that were typical a half century before. Black-and-white Ayrshires, however, are not infrequently found among Scottish herds today, and are looked upon with little disfavor. Only red-and-white bulls are used, but an attrac tive black-and-white heifer or a good black-and-white cow is not culled because of color. Distribution Almost W orld-Wide Once the Ayrshire breed was developed, it increased rapidly in favor until it became the predominant dairy breed of Scotland, almost to the exclusion of other breeds. Its popularity also spread rapidly lSanford, Howard. Characteristics of Ayrshire cattle. U. S. Dept. Agr. Rpt. 1893, pp. 193-198. 58 CIRCULAR No. 543 into England. Eventually considerable numbers of animals were ex ported to several other countries, until it became probably the most widely distributed of all the dairy breeds. This breed now holds an important position in the United States, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. In each of these countries an Ayrshire record association is established. In both Sweden and Finland Ayrshires exceed all other breeds in num bers and have played a dominating role in the improvement of native breeds. In addition substantial and increased exportations have been made to many African, European, Asiatic, and South and Central American countries. Importations into South and Central America from the United States are now rapidly increasing.

Acknowledgment Material for this circular has been drawn from many sources. The author expresses his special indebtedness to the five breed associations, which gave courteous and valuable assistance: AYRSHffiE BREEDERS' Asso CIATION, Brandon, Vermont; BROWN SWISS CATTLE BREEDERS' ASSOCIATION, Beloit, Wisconsin; AMERICAN GUERNSEY CATTLE CLUB, Peterborough, New Hampshire; HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, Brattleboro, Ver mont; AMERICAN JERSEY CATTLE CLUB, New York City. Much use was also made of the publications by Gow, Hill, Prescott and Price, and Smith and Buchanan, mentioned on page 59 among the refer ences for further study, as well as the volume Holstein-Friesian Cattle by Houghton, published in 1897, and an unpublished manuscript by W. w. Yapp on the Brown Swiss breed of dairy cattle. Standard textbooks, among them Vaughan's Breeds of Livestock in America, were also helpful. It is hoped that this circular may stimulate more interest in these val uable publications. FURTHER REFERENCES The Jersey, an Outline of Her History During Two Cen turies, 1734-1935. R. M. Gow. 1936. The Guernsey Breed. C. L. Hill. 1917. American Dairy Cattle, Their Past, Present, and Future. E. P. Prentice. 1942. Holstein-Friesian History. Prescott, Price, Wing, and Prescott. 1930. The Ayrshire Breed: Past, Present, Future. Reprint from Transactions of Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. A. D. B. Smith. 1937. The Dairy Cow. Sturtevant and Sturtevant. 1875. Breeds of Live Stock in America. H. W. Vaughan. 1931. Breed journals In the journals of the several breed aSSOCIatIOns will be found many articles of historical interest and much valuable current material. Information concerning these journals can be obtained by writing to the headquarters of the various breed associations mentioned on page 58. GENERAL FACTS CONCERNING FIVE MAJOR BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE '"o

HOLSTEIN AYRSHIRE BROWN SWISS GUERNSEY FRIESIAN JERSEY

COLOR OF COAT...... Red-and-white Seal gray to Orange fawn Black-and Light to dark spotted dark cinnamon and white- white spotted fawn, solid or brown spotted broken color DATE FIRST IMPORTED INTO U. S. AND KEPT PURE .. 1822 1869 1830 1861 1850 NATIVE ·HOME...... Scotland Switzerland Guernsey Holland Jersey Island Island SIZE Desirable for mature bulls in breeding condition. pounds ...... 1 700 to 2 000 1 800 to 2 500 1 600 to 1 800 2 000 or more 1 300 to 1 600 () ~ Desirable for mature cow in milk, pounds ...... 11 000 to 1 400 1 300 to 1 400 1 000 to 1 200 1 300 to 1 600 900 to 1 100 ("l Average birthweight of calves, pounds . 75 100 70 90 55 ...... ~ :> MILK AND FAT YIELDS :;Q Average fat content , percent ...... 4 .00 4 .00 5 .00 3.45 5 .35 Z Expected average annual milk yield, ordinary farm 9 conditions, pounds...... 8 000 8 000 6 400 9 250 6 000 (Jt ...... -I> CJ.) BREEDING AGE Desira ble age for first breeding of heifers, months . .. 18 to 20 22 to 24 17 to 18 19 to 21 15 to 16 CARCASS VALUE, RANK...... 1 2 4 3 5 POPULATION N umber of grades and purebreds, U. S. Census, 1940 343 000 245 000 3 850 000 9 788 000 10 300 000 Approximate number of registered animals, January 1, 1940...... 77 000 47 600 253 000 520 000 208 000 NUMBER OF IMPORTATIONS To January 1, 1940...... (a) 155 12 911 7 757 25 324

aEarly records are not available. Importations were small prior to 1900. Since 1927, 20,000 members of this breed have come into the country. YEARLY REGISTRATION OF THE FIVE MAJOR DAIRY BREEDS IN THE UNITED STATES: 1928-1940 (Figures indicate number of individuals) --- -- - ----- ----- --- --- -- ------ AYRSHIRES BROWN SWISS GUERNSEYS HOLSTEINS JERSEYS td Year ::c ttl Males Females Total Males Females Total Males Females Tot al Males Females T otal Males Females Total gJ en o 1928 ...... 2 274 7 837 10 111 2 317 3 159 5 476 15 138 26 457 41 595 33 512 88 214 121 726 19 393 54 516 73 909 ":I 1929...... 2 586 8 833 11 419 2 565 3 547 6 112 15 898 28 408 44 306 35 438 89 927 125 365 19 230 52 431 71 661 t:J 1930...... 2 050 8 159 10 209 2 269 3 334 5 603 13 680 28 226 41 906 29 242 75 901 105 143 14 350 43 767 58 117 > ;;; 1931 ...... 1 552 7 324 8 876 1 891 3 379 5 270 10 444 26 081 36 525 21 811 70 535 92 346 10 262 38 211 48 473 1932 ...... 1 317 6 306 7 623 1 370 2 969 4 339 8 253 24 676 32 929 13 834 54 481 68 315 7 678 33 551 41 229 ><: 1933 ...... 1 430 7 542 8972 1 402 3 108 4 510 7 185 22 809 29 994 15 521 83 012 98 503 6 217 29 239 35 456 n 1934 .. 2 530 14 906 17 436 2 201 6 911 9 112 7 708 27 054 34 762 17 283 82 935 100 218 6 170 32 408 38 578 > ...... o--l o--l 19:~5...... 2 501 11 353 13 854 2 109 4311 6 420 10 755 34 282 45 037 15 220 61 665 76 885 7 853 40 369 48 222 t"" 1936...... 2 608 11 499 14 107 2 453 5 037 7 490 11 951 39 542 51 493 16 788 61 154 77 942 8 158 35 154 43 312 ttl 1937 ...... 2 496 11 607 14 103 2 570 5 996 8 566 12 244 38 068 50 312 16 689 62 421 79 110 8 436 35 246 43 682 1938 ...... 2 407 11 346 13 753 2 739 5 894 8 633 12 190 35 344 47 534 17 595 64 027 81 622 9 084 35 841 47 925 1939...... 2 755 12 443 15 198 3 404 7 704 11 108 13 466 40 423 53 889 18 555 67 043 85 598 10 052 37 048 47 100 1940 ...... 2 764 13 473 16 237 3 422 7 739 11 161 14 085 43 711 57 796 25 941 119 482 145 423 10 267 38 260 48 627

Data in this table were received from reports of the breed associations or from replies to inquiries addressed to them.

~ 62 CIRCULAR No. 543

ILLINOIS MILK COWS: THEIR NUMBER, PRICE, AND FARM VALUE January 1, 1900-1941

Value per Total Year Number head value

1900...... 980 000 $36 . 30 $35 574 000 1901 ...... 960 000 36.00 34 560 000 1902 ...... 955 000 33 . 40 31 897 000 1903 ...... 958 000 35 . 30 33 817 000 1904...... 958 000 33.80 32 380 000 1905 ...... 958 000 29 . 50 28 261 000 1906...... 960 000 33 . 80 32 448 000 1907 ...... 970 000 35 . 00 33 950 000 1908 ...... 980 000 35 .00 34 300 000 1909...... 000 000 37 . 00 37 000 000 1910...... 1 020 000 42 . 80 43 656 000 1911...... 1 000 000 47 . 00 47 000 000 1912 ...... 990 000 45 . 50 45 045 000 1913 ...... 980 000 51.00 49 980 000 1914...... 965 000 58 . 20 56 163 000 965 000 59 . 50 57 418 000 978 000 60. 20 58 876 000 987 000 68 . 00 67 116 000 017 000 80 . 50 81 868 000 1m :::: ::: ·: :: •• ••.•• ::••• •••• ••••• •••••••• :••• 035 000 90 . 00 93 150 000 1920...... 1 047 000 92 . 00 96 324 000 1921 ...... 1 027 000 61.00 62 647 000 1922 ...... 997 000 50 . 00 49 850 000 1923 ...... 1 029 000 54 . 00 55 566 000 1924 ...... " ...... 1 029 000 58 .00 59 682 000 1925 ...... 1 049 000 57 . 00 59 793 000 1926 ...... 1 039 000 63 . 00 65 457 000 1927 ...... 1 018 000 67 . 00 68 206 000 1928...... 987 000 76 . 00 75 012 000 1929...... 977 000 89 . 00 86 953 000 1930...... 1 026 000 89. 00 91 314 000 1931 ...... 1 067 000 64. 00 68 288 000 1932 ...... 1 118 000 42 . 00. 46 956 000 1933 ...... 1 159 000 32 . 00 37 088 000 1934...... 1 221 000 29 . 00 35 409 000 1935 ...... 231 000 34 . 00 41 854 000 1936...... 169 000 53 . 00 61 957 000 1937 ...... 146 000 55 . 00 63 030 000 1938 ...... 123 000 59 . 00 66 257 000 1939 ...... 134 000 62 . 00 70 308 000 1940...... 145 000 63 . 00 72 135 000 1941...... 168 000 66 . 00 77 088 000

Data in this table are from Circulars 439 and 442, Illinois Crop and Livestock Statistics, Illinois Crop Reporting Service, Illinois Department of Agriculture and U. S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Illinois ranks sixth in number of milk cows and fifth in total amount of milk produced, according to 1935 U. S. Census. ILLINOIS PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST TO DAIRYMEN Feeding the Dairy Herd. C-S02. A pocket-sized booklet for handy ref erence on questions of feeds and feeding. Selecting Dairy Cattle. C-486. Discusses type, production, and the evalu ation of pedigrees and physical features. Fully illustrated. Managing the Dairy Bull. C-460. Tells how to keep a good sire in active service to old age. Includes plans for housing and for constructing a safety breeding stall. Outlines good feeding practices. Building and Remodeling Dairy Barns. C-478. Floor plans are given for five types of dairy barns, together with detailed instructions and drawings for mangers, curbs, floors, and gutters. Brucellosis of Cattle. C-S44. Answers the most common questions 'con cerning cattle brucellosis and outlines management practices for pre venting and controlling it. Also tells about the Federal-State plans for combating this disease. Single copies of the above publications are available free. Address College of Agriculture, University of Illinois, Urbana. AMERICA'S DAIRY INDUSTRY has gained a prominence today that it has never before enjoyed, wartime conditions having vastly increased the public's appreciation of the nutritive qualities of dairy products. But dairymen are facing grave problems and rapidly changing conditions. The movement of dairy cows is probably greater than in any previous period. Labor shortages are causing many dairymen to reduce or disperse their herds; others are establishing new herds. To start a new herd on a secure basis a , dairyman must select the breed best adapted to his particular situation. If a herd is to be made more efficient, it will be necessary to avoid mixing breeds for only in one-breed herds can a constructive breeding program be followed. It is hoped that this circular will be helpful both to the beginning dairyman and to the dairyman who wishes to improve his estab lished herd.

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