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The Jersey breed is a specialist dairy breed.
Jerseys
- produce more milkfat per unit of feed
- are more productive from less stress
and injury - are fast to milk
- have approximately half as many
cases of mastitis as those of heavier
breeds - do less pugging damage due to
weight - are most tolerant to once-a-day
milking - cycle about a week faster from each
calving - are significantly more fertile under high-stocked systems New Zealand
- have a 39% greater volume of rumen, 18% greater DM intake and 20% faster passage of DM—yet have the same efficiency of digestions (extract energy from DM as efficiently)*
*World Jersey Cattle Bureau
Jersey population
New Zealand has the largest population of Jerseys in the world with over 900,000 Jerseys of all ages. At November 2015 there are 887,000 milking Jersey cows in the national herd of 5.0 million milking cows (17%).
Summary of facts – Jerseys =
- Productive
- Efficient Leaders in BW
- Profitable
- Solid protein
- High fertility
- Calving ease
- Longevity
Research Summary
The following table is a summary of research findings over time from around New Zealand and around the world and includes other observations about the advantages Jerseys offer over other breeds of dairy cattle.
FACTOR | JERSEY | OTHER BREEDS | COMMENT |
Energy to Milk Fat | 40% | 31% | Jerseys produce more milkfat per unit of feed |
Energy to Lactose | 13% | 15% | Less Lactose also means less volume resulting in less charges for volume under a manufacturing dairy industry. |
Total Milk Energy | 69% | 61% | A significant difference – 13% |
Energy to Maintenance | 28% | 33% | Jerseys take less to maintain |
Energy to Weight Gain | 2% | 6% | Jerseys divert energy to milk rather than carcass size and weight. |
Ratio of Milk energy to Maintenance | 2.46 | 1.85 | 33% advantage to Jersey |
Breed Comparison trials |