American Jersey
(local/other name)

(most common name)
(transboundary/brand name):
• Jersey

Under the name ‘Alderney cattle’ (which were being used as milch cattle on ships) — the Jersey entered North America. It wasn’t until 1850 that a group of men from Connecticut journeyed to the island of Jersey to purchase a dozen cattle. In that group was John Tainter and over the following 10 years he imported over 100 Jerseys.

In America, breeders established a herdbook of their own. They also became the first to test their cattle’s milk production and found a correlation between the height of a Jersey cow and its milk yield. Because of this, the American Jersey evolved into a type of its own. (By 1895, polled herds of Jersey cattle had also been developed.)

At one time, Jerseys in the USA became known for being one of two distinct types: Island or American. Island Jerseys were considered more refined with emphasis on their quality and type. American Jerseys were larger, less delicate and selected for milk yield and butterfat production.

(German) milch = milk

This page was last updated on: 2023-05-14

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