The Dairy Shorthorn, a breed of dairy cattle from Britain, has its roots in the Shorthorn cattle from the North Riding of Yorkshire and Northumbria in north-eastern England. Originally referred to as Durham or Teeswater, the breed is now known as the Dairy Shorthorn.
The process of selective breeding for a dairy type of cattle began in the late 18th century, and it is known as the Dairy Shorthorn in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and South Africa and as the Milking Shorthorn in Canada, New Zealand, and the US. The Illawarra Shorthorn of Australia has a significant lineage from the Dairy Shorthorn.
The worldwide status of the Dairy Shorthorn, the Illawarra Shorthorn, and the Milking Shorthorn is secure, but in the UK the original breed is critically endangered and listed as a priority by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
In the 19th century, people extensively crossbred the Durham, as it was then commonly called, in many countries around the world. This led to the development of more than 40 different breeds.
The short-horned cattle of good quality were documented in Yorkshire estates of Dukes and Earls of Northumberland in the late 16th century. Charles and Robert Colling attempted selective breeding based on Robert Bakewell in County Durham. Thomas Bates of Kirklevington did the principal work of selection for dairy qualities in Durham/Shorthorn in the early 19th century. George Coates started the Coates Herd Book in 1822, which was later taken over by the Shorthorn Society of Great Britain and Ireland formed in 1874. Thomas Bates's herd was auctioned off in 1850, leading to increased interest in the cattle. The Shorthorn held a dominant position in British agriculture until competition from the Friesian caused its rapid decline. Separate sections for beef and dairy strains within the Shorthorn breed were created in 1958.
In 1969, the breed society approved cross-breeding of Dairy Shorthorn with various European breeds like Danish Red, Meuse-Rhine-Yssel, Red Friesian, Red Holstein, and Simmental. Later, introgression from Angeln, Ayrshire, Norwegian Red, and Swedish Red-and-White was allowed and any bull approved by the society could be used. Animals with 25% or less Shorthorn heritage could be registered in the Dairy Shorthorn herd-book. This program led to the creation of the Blended Red-and-White Shorthorn but resulted in the near extinction of the Dairy Shorthorn. By 2012, only 50 purebred cows remained and 6 purebred calves were added to the herd-book that year. The remnants of the breed were renamed Dairy Shorthorn (Original Population) and are critically endangered. Both Dairy Shorthorn and Northern Dairy Shorthorn are listed as a "priority" on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust watchlist.
Shorthorns (both beef and dairy) were exported to Maryland and Virginia in 1783, then spread throughout the US with additional imports in the 1800s.
The first dairy cows imported into New Zealand were Shorthorns, when in 1814, they were shipped from New South Wales. Shorthorns were used as draught animals in bullock teams, were good milkers and provided good meat. Shorthorn herds were established by the early 1840s, and for a long time Shorthorns were New Zealand's most popular cattle breed.
The breed has served as part of the foundation for other red dairy breeds, including Swedish Red cattle, Angeln cattle and Illawarra cattle in Australia (with some Ayrshire ancestry). The Ayrshire cattle breed was originally formed from dairy-type Shorthorn cattle in Scotland.
The Milking/Dairy Shorthorn breed has seen population growth in several countries in the past decade after many years of population decline. The Canadian Milking Shorthorn Society had their highest registration and membership totals in over 25 years in 2012.[12] All major populations have seen an increase in interest in Milking Shorthorns by dairy producers, artificial insemination organizations, and crossbreeders.
The Dairy Shorthorn is an average-sized breed, with mature cows averaging 140 cm (55 in) tall at the trailhead, and weighing 640 to 680 kg (1,410 to 1,500 lb). They are red, red with white markings, white, or roan. Red and white coat color genes in purebred Milking Shorthorns are co-dominant, resulting in the roan coloration and unique color patterns seen in the breed. Average milk production for the breed is about 7,000 kg (15,000 lb) in an annual lactation of 305 days, with 3.8% butterfat and 3.3% protein.
Milking/Dairy Shorthorn cattle are also known for high levels of fertility, grazing efficiency, and ease of management that result in the breed being highly suitable for low-input dairy operations in various production environments. Milking Shorthorns are known for their durability, longevity, and ease of calving as well as their versatility in a number of production environments.
There are small groups of Milking/Dairy Shorthorns that have not been affected by cross-breeding and so remain true to the conformation and production levels of Shorthorns from the early twentieth century. These include the Dairy Shorthorn population in Australia, the Native Milking Shorthorns of the United States and the Dairy Shorthorn (Original Population) in the United Kingdom. In some countries, these animals may be known as Dual Purpose Shorthorns.
Content and Photo Source: Wikipedia.org
About Dairy Shorthorn Cattle
