Submitted by admin on April 22, 2009 - 21:10
Predominance of Jerseys
The reasons for the predominance of the Jersey are not certain, but two may be suggested. Studies of the performances of dairy cows in different climates have shown that Jerseys can usually stand a little more heat than Friesians, which may give them an advantage in the wamer parts of New Zealand. Also, the Jersey produces less non-fatty milk solids per pound of butterfat than other breeds. This would be expected to make it a more efficient producer of butterfat, an advantage in a country where payment for dairy produce has usually been based on the number of pounds of butterfat contained in it.
| Numbers of Dairy Cattle of the Main Breeds in New Zealand—31 January 1963 | ||
| Breed | Number (600s) | Percentage of Total Dairy Stock |
| Jersey | 2,462 | 78.6 |
| Friesian | 384 | 12.2 |
| Ayrshire | 150 | 4.9 |
| Shorthorn | 77 | 2.4 |
| Other | 60 | 1.9 |
| Totals | 3,133 | 100 |
Characteristic butterfat and non-fatty-solids content of the milks of the cows of the four main breeds in New Zealand are shown as follows:
| Composition of the Milk of Cows of the Four Main Dairy Breeds in New Zealand | ||
| Breed | Butterfat | Solids, Not Fat |
| per cent | per cent | |
| Jersey | 5.3 | 9.3 |
| Friesian | 3.6 | 8.6 |
| Ayrshire | 4.1 | 8.8 |
| Shorthorn | 4.0 | 8.8 |
