The Ayrshire breed originated in the County of Ayr in Scotland prior to 1800.  During the breed’s development, it was referred to first as the Cunningham, then the Dunlop and finally the Ayrshire.  Its characteristics gradually became well enough established to consider it a distinct breed.

In 1786, the first Ayrshire show was sponsored by the Highland Agriculture Society.  Early breeders carefully crossed and selected the various strains of cattle to develop the Ayrshire.  She was suited for the land and climate in Ayr.  She was an efficient grazer, noted for her vigor and efficiency of milk production.  She was especially noted for the superior shape and the quality of her udder.  The composition of her milk made it ideally suited for the production of butter and cheese by early Scottish dairymen.

Ayrshires are red and white.  The red color is a reddish-brown mahogany that varies in shade from very light to very dark.  For many years, Ayrshire horns were hallmark of the breed.  These horns often reached a foot or more in length.  They were light colored, except for the dark color on the last few inches of the tips of the horns.  When properly trained, they gracefully curved out, and then up and slightly back.  When polished for the show ring, Ayrshire horns were a spectacular sight.  

Ayrshires are medium-sized cattle and should weigh over 1,200 pounds at maturity.  They are strong, rugged cattle that adapt to all management systems.  Ayrshires excel in udder conformation and have good feet and legs.  Other traits that make Ayrshires attractive to the dairy farmers include the vigor of Ayrshires calves.  They are strong and easy to raise.

Information from the Ayrshire Association and Oklahoma State University.

The Brown Swiss breed is one of the oldest dairy breeds in the world, originating in the valleys and mountain slopes of Switzerland before historic records began.  Bones found in the ruins of Swiss lake dwellers date back to probably 4000 BC and have some resemblance to the skeleton of today’s Brown Swiss cow.

Today, many Brown Swiss can be found in Europe.  In the United States, they are found throughout the country, with the largest concentrations of Brown Swiss being in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Ohio.  Brown Swiss are known for good milk, protein, and butterfat production.  Their correct feet and legs allow them to stay in milking herd for many lactations.  They do well in all weather conditions and thrive in the hot climates of South America.  Many Brown Swiss are found in Brazil and the Dominican Republic.

The world population of Brown Swiss cattle is reported to be approximately 7 million, which ranks either first or second in worldwide population of dairy cattle.  Some of the Brown Swiss you see grazing across the United States’ beautiful countryside are descendants of importations of 25 bulls and 140 females from Switzerland.

Brown Swiss breeders benefit from the best fat to protein ratio of any of the dairy breeds for production of most cheeses.  For this reason, Brown Swiss producers can receive more for 100 pounds of their milk than milk producers of other breeds.  Brown Swiss cattle enjoy a reputation for their longevity and ability to produce large volumes of milk and to reproduce longer than cattle of other breeds.

Information from the Brown Swiss Association and Oklahoma State University

The Isle of Guernsey, a tiny island in the English Channel off the coast of France, is the birthplace of the Guernsey cow.

About 960 AD, besieged by buccaneers and sea rovers, the island came to the attention of Robert Duke of Normandy.  He sent a group of militant monks to educate the natives, to cultivate the soil and defend the land.  The monks brought with them the best bloodlines of French cattle, Norman Brindles, also known as Alderneys, from the province of Isigny and the famous Froment du Leon breed from Brittany, and developed the Guernsey.

Introduction of the Guernsey to America occurred around September 1840, when Captain Belair of the Schooner Pilot brought three Alderney cows to the port of New York.  Later, Captain Prince imported two heifers and a bull from the island.  These animals were the original stock of a great majority of the Guernseys that make up the national Guernsey herd today.

The brown and white Guernsey  is known for producing high butterfat, high protein milk with a high concentration of beta carotene.  Being of intermediate size, Guernseys produce their high-quality milk while consuming 20 to 30 percent less feed per pound of milk produced than larger dairy breeds.  They are also known for having a lower projected calving interval and have a younger average age of first calf heifers than the larger breeds.

The Guernsey is also an excellent grazer.  She is a cow that is made for pasture-based milk production.  Because of her grazing abilities, gentle disposition, calving ease and ability to efficiently produce milk with less feed than other breeds, she is the ideal candidate for intensive grazing.

Information from Guernsey Association and Oklahoma State University

The Holstein cow originate in Europe.  The major historical development of this breed occurred in what is now the Netherlands and more specifically in the two northern provinces of North Holland and Friesland.

Original stock were the black animals and white animals of the Batavians and Friesians, migrant European tribes who settle in the Rhine Delta region  about 2,000 years ago.  For many years, Holsteins were bred to obtain animals which would make best se of grass, the area’s most abundant resource.  The intermingling of these animals evolved into an efficient, high-producing black and white dairy cow.

After the New World was settled and markets began to develop for milk in America, dairy breeders turned to Holland for their seed stock.  Winthrop Chenery, a Massachusetts breeder, purchased a Holland cow from a Dutch sailing master who landed cargo at Boston in 1852.  The cow furnished the ship’s crew with fresh milk during the voyage.  She proved to be such a satisfactory producer that Chenery made later importations of Holsteins, and many other breeders soon joined the race to establish Holsteins in America.

After about 8,800 Holsteins were imported, cattle disease broke out in Europe and importation ceased. Holsteins are large, stylish animals with color patterns of black and white or red and white. A healthy Holstein calf weights 90 pounds or more at birth.  A mature Holstein cow weighs about 1,500 pounds and stands 58 inches tall at the shoulder.

Information from the Holstein Association and Oklahoma State University

The Jersey breed originated on the Island of Jersey, a small British island in the English Channel off the coast of France.  The Jersey is one of the oldest dairy breeds, having been reported by authorities as being purebred for nearly six centuries.

The breed was known in England a early as 1771 and was regarded very favorably because of its milk and butterfat production.  At that early date, the cattle of Jersey Island commonly were referred to as Alderney cattle, although the cattle of this island were later referred to only as Jerseys.  Jersey cattle were brought to the United Stated in the 1850s.

Adaptable to a wide range of climatic and geographical conditions, outstanding Jersey herds are found from Denmark to Australia and New Zealand, from Canada to South America, and from South Africa to Japan.  They are excellent grazers.  They are more tolerant of heat than larger breeds.

With an average weight of 900 pounds, the Jersey produces more pounds of milk per pound of body weight than any other breed.  Most Jerseys produce far more than 13 times their body weight in milk each lactation.

Modern Jerseys may be of a wide range in color.  The color in Jerseys may vary from a very light gray or mouse color to a very dark fawn or a shade that is almost black.  Both bulls and females are commonly darker about the hips, head, and shoulders than the body.

Information from the Jersey Association and Oklahoma State University

One of the oldest recognized breeds in the world, Shorthorn cattle originated in Northeastern England in the Valley of the Tees River.

Much of the early improvement work took place in the counties of Northumberland, Durham, and York. Shorthorns, the most numerous in the British Isles, America, and Australis, are either red, red and white, white or roan, a very close mixture of red and white found in no other breed of cattle.

The Milking Shorthorn breed is best known for its versatility.  This  docile animal efficiently converts feed into milk and has a long productive life.  The first importation of Shorthorns to the United States was in 1783, when milk breed Shorthorns came to Virginia.  These early importations, often referred to as Durhams, became favorites of the pioneer, furnishing meat, milk and power.

The breed has taken great strides during the past 15 years and even greater increases are expected in the future.  Milking Shorthorns have become  more angular and have improved udder quality.

Information & photgraph from the Milking Shorthorn Association and Oklahoma State University.