From past to present

The Island of is renowned all over the world for its prized breed of cow, nurtured and protected for hundreds of years to produce the beautiful and high-yield beast of today. Trust Assistant Curator of Social History Jason Castledine explains what makes the Jersey so special.

Turning back the clock to the days of hand milking in the fields. (Courtesy of the Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive) -the Jersey cow

“Perhaps of all the stories the history of this tiny island has to tell, that of the Jersey cow must be among the most astonishing.” . David Le Feuvre in Jersey: Not Quite British - The Rural History of a Singular People

WHILE THE DAYS OF through to modern methods and mixed range of colours and were `not agriculture as the dominant force in technology, it is useful first to turn the regarded highly by many in the the economy may have receded, the clock back, to see how the Jersey and business. The agricultural community’s bovine face of Jersey has continued to those involved with it over the years strong desire to change this situation form part of the Island’s cultural arrived at the animal we have today. led to the founding of the Royal Jersey image. Although the number of Who the original ancestors of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society farms may have considerably Jersey cow were has been the cause of in 1833. This was subsequently diminished in recent years there are much speculation. It is generally followed by the establishment, in still a number of prominent rural thought that the domestic animal in 1866, of the Herd Book as a means of families involved in the industry. existence today developed from the Bos registering all born in the Island. In one sense while some smaller Primigenius, or Auroch. Initially, early The Herd Book enabled breeders not traditional mixed farms with a handful man would have followed the only to maintain to the purity of the of cattle still do exist, many have migrating herds during the search for breed, but also to monitor the progress evolved into larger units with a more pasture, until the ideas of permanent of their beasts and develop herds from specialised focus in other areas. This settlements and animal husbandry the most successful specimens. has led to a growth in the size of many came into existence around 6000BC. For more than 100 years experts herds, and while some farmers have However, in these early stages the would travel around examining diversified it has often been into areas concept of milking had not been animals and awarding cards for that can work in tandem with keeping thought out and cows were very much commended and highly commended cattle. regarded only as a source of meat. cows. Coupled with this, the Parish Although the pastoral scene of a The States made one of the first and Island Cattle Shows, as well as milkmaid seated on a stool, milking a important steps towards the providing a market window to attract cow by hand into a distinctive Jersey development of the Jersey breed during buyers, also enabled farmers to can, might be very much a the 18th century as a response to the compare their animals and assess good romantic memory from the past, the dropping prices resulting from the examples from which to breed. strong traditions of the Island’s flooding of the cattle market. This was A further stage of the development heritage have ensured the continued occurring principally because French came as a result of the decline in live prominence of the Jersey cow in farmers used Jersey as a stopover point exports due to increased shipping Jersey’s cultural heritage. From the for transporting cattle to England, as costs. To combat this the Jersey endearing features of a newborn calf this enabled them to avoid taxes on Centre was right through to its adult life, the imports. The response of the States established in 1968. This allowed Jersey cow continues to feature on came in the form of an Act banning the overseas breeders to develop their own numerous pictures and ornaments to importation of live cattle into the herds from known local pedigrees this day, from the boxes of souvenir Island. This law still exists today and is using exported bull semen, and would fudge to prominent works of art one of the main reasons behind the soon replace exports of live cattle adorning the townscape. purity of the Jersey breed. altogether. On a local front it meant that local farmers could make use of The origins of the breed The purity of the breed known pedigrees to continue to In looking at the breed and its At the time the ban was introduced, develop their herds in order to increase development from early practices however, the cows in the Island were a milk yields, etc.

THE HERITAGE MAGAZINE 33 From milk can to computer common practice. Prior to the advent neighbours, who would often arrive at In the past decade the character of the of computerised technology and the farm with their milk jugs. dairy business has changed milking parlours, farmers would still At the same time, by-products of considerably because of the marked have milked their herds in the milk such as butter, were also decline in the number of families cowsheds before turning the cattle out produced on the farm. For example, remaining in dairy farming and the to graze, and would have performed the full-fat milk, fresh from the cow, advances made in agricultural the second milking back in the sheds in would be poured into the butter technology. This has resulted in herds the evening. churn, and the handle for churning the becoming larger to remain milk turned continuously until it economically viable and breeding The JMMB turned into butter. Depending on the programmes focused on producing A major change for the dairy industry milk and room temperatures, this higher-yielding cows. occurred in 1954, when the States could take several hours and would The improvements made in facilitated the establishment of the often become a social occasion, with technology have enabled many farmers Jersey Milk Marketing Board. This was people passing the churn round as they chatted. Farms, like other businesses, have kept up to date with computer technology. In the dairy industry this has led to computerised milking parlours, where each individual cow can be registered as it enters the parlour, and each individual’s feed and milk yields are adjusted accordingly. This process works through a system whereby each cow wears a transponder around its neck in the form of a collar with a microchip that emits a signal picked up by a receiver on the wall of each stall. Current developments have led to some herds now having the chip inserted into a tag in the ear and the collars being dispensed with. The herdsman will then attach a milking machine to the udder of the Cows wait outside prior to entering the milking parlour at Paul Houze’s Lodge Farm. cow, and milking begins. If the cow fails to reach its normal quota an alarm will sound alerting the herdsman to a to increase the efficiency of their a farmer’s co-operative, which potential problem with the cow. At the milking procedures with less reliance immediately created its own same time the computerised parlour on manual labour for milking. To centralised dairy responsible for will ensure that each cow receives the appreciate this transformation it is collection, control of quality, required nutrients in its feeding perhaps worth looking back several production and distribution, as well as trough. The computer will also store decades to the early days of milking by sales and marketing of all the milk complete profiles of the pedigree and hand. produced in the Island. veterinary history of each cow, which Changes in this respect have come Prior to this the Island was served assists in the planning of health and relatively recently, and there are many throughout the early 20th century by breeding programmes. older farmers who can still remember as many as 30 small private , With the number of people hand-milking and the early pre- which between them collected the involved in agriculture continually computerised milking machines. milk from each of the farms. In the declining, and the increased demands Nonetheless, the aforementioned past herds were obviously much for large herds to cope with the romanticised image of the milkmaid smaller, with many farmers keeping required production levels, the milking a cow into one of the only enough cows to provide for the introduction of technology has in traditional Jersey milk cans was never family. The surplus was sold to many cases enabled the industry to

34 THE HERITAGE MAGAZINE remain economically viable with introduced into New Zealand in 1862, leaving the Island, while 248 bulls and smaller staff levels. Australia in the 1880s/90s and South 2,120 heifers were registered. It was Africa in 1883. Central and South evident that, as the Jersey breed spread The world stage American countries, including Brazil, around the world, an organisation was Adaptability to a wide range of also began importing Jerseys around needed to bring all interested parties temperatures and conditions has the same time. together. So in 1951 the World Jersey meant that the Jersey can be found all In Europe, Denmark imported Cattle Bureau was established. The over the world. It is believed that a few more than 5,000 head between 1896 Bureau set out to promote the welfare Jerseys arrived in America as “ships’ and 1909 as it established the famous and safeguard the interests of the cows” in the 17th century, but regular national Jersey herd on which it relies Jersey breed throughout the world, in exports across the Atlantic began in heavily for its butter production for addition to developing its full the 1850s, mainly to the eastern part world markets - as does Australia and potential. of the United States and Canada. New Zealand. In the present day the The Jersey cow is, without doubt, Some would have died en route during Jersey has also become a popular breed one of the supreme dairy cows, as she

Two cows seated. Sketch showing two horned Jerseys (by Jean Le Capelain). rough passages that could take up to in countries such as India and Kenya, is docile, adaptable to extreme six weeks. and in many instances has been bred environments, resistant to disease, able There were Jersey herds in at least with indigenous cattle to produce a efficiently to convert forage into a high 13 states in the east and midwest cross better suited for the yield of superior milk and to calve before the late 1860s and the country environment. easily, even when crossed with the was the main importer in the early part During the Occupation the Jersey heavy breeds. of the 20th century, with the Jersey cattle population diminished due to being regarded as an inspiration for the the German’s demand for beef. What does the future hold? developing American dairy industry. Farmers dreamt up ingenious schemes “I think it is a very bright future for the With the exports to America to ensure that the less-favoured Jersey Cow globally” (Derrick Frigot, flourishing in 1882, the record price at animals went to meet the President of the RJA & HS, 2005). On this time was smashed when Mr T S Germans’ orders. After the Liberation, a world scale the Jersey breed has Cooper paid £1,000 for a cow by the restrictions on exports were imposed proved to be one of the most popular name of Khedive’s Primrose. in order to rebuild the herd. and travelled in this modern era. In the As the name of breed became Consequently, 1948 became a prime present day, while the Island no longer increasingly recognised, it was year for export, with 2,041 animals exports live cattle, the worldwide

THE HERITAGE MAGAZINE 35 population of the Jersey cow continues to increase, especially in Africa, Asia, Key dates relating to the Jersey breed and Latin America, where many farmers breed Jerseys with local breeds 1789 The States of Jersey introduce a ban on live cattle imports into the in order to improve butterfat content Island. and milk production. Even those 1833 The Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society is founded. countries with long-established 1850 During this decade regular cattle exports to America begin. populations of the breed going back to the peak years of live cattle exports 1866 The Jersey Herd Book is established, providing a way of regularising continue to strengthen their Jersey the breed. cattle populations. During an 1919 The bull ‘Sybil’s Gamboge’ is sold for a world record $65,000 interview in 2005, RJA & HS and paraded down New York’s Wall Street. president Derrick Frigot commented on one of the reasons why the Jersey 1951 The World Jersey Cattle Bureau is founded. breed continues to do so well in 1954 The Jersey Milk Marketing Board, the farmer’s co-operative is created America. He said: “The average by an Act passed by the States of Jersey. American eats far more cheese than they 1966 The Jersey Milk Marketing Board movs from Don Street to Five Oaks ever did and of course Jerseys make in St Saviour. wonderful cheese, especially for fast cheeses, soft cheeses and less-mature cheeses. And 1968 The Artificial Insemination Centre is set up. the Jersey’s milk is very popular.” 1974 An outbreak of foot and mouth occurs. Another was to follow in 1981. Within the Island, the demands of the commercial marketplace and the 1998 It is estimated that there are 5 to 6 million pure-breed Jersey disappearance of live exports have left cows in the world. many farmers facing a number of key areas of debate as to which direction Interesting facts about cows the industry should move in order to • Cows have the ability to detect keep pace with the rest of the world. odours as far away as 5 miles. One of the most hotly debated issues is whether to allow the importation of • On average a cow will eat 95lbs of bull semen as a means of increasing the feed and drink 30 gallons of water. gene pool, as some feel that the purity • Cows will often stand up and lie and pedigree of the breed has resulted down an average of 14 times a day. from the very fact that the Island has • The heartbeat of a cow is between been closed to external imports. 60 and 70 beats a minute. Certainly these issues must be considered by those connected with • A Jersey cow weighs between 700 this famous bovine ambassador of and 1,000lbs. Jersey. However, one thing that is • Cows regurgitate their food and certain is that the breed continues to chew it again (known as chewing hold a major international presence in the cud) to help digestion. A cow the dairy farming world, whilst also will spend up to 8 hours a day providing a recurrent image on eating. numerous Island products. • There are 207 bones in a cow’s Jason Castledine is JHT Assistant body. Curator of Social History. • Dairy cows can produce 125lbs One of the three-month-old calves at Hamptonne during 2005. Tel: 01534 633341 of saliva a day. E-mail: Jason.Castledine@ • Twelve or more cows are called a ‘flink’. jerseyheritagetrust.org • It is possible to lead a cow up the stairs, but not down them because their knees are not able to bend properly.

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