Dairy breeds of cattle have been selectively bred for over 6,000 years to produce milk-favoring traits. As a result, today’s dairy females produce more milk than one calf can consume: at least six gallons per day while calves drink no more than two gallons of milk at the most—which is right before they switch to a grain diet. However, it is important to realize that “dairy cattle” is an overlapping term that covers hundreds and hundreds of different breeds. In the US, the six most common breeds are Holstein, Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Milking Shorthorn, Guernsey, and Jersey, and each of them have specific characteristics making them suitable to certain climates or operations, and their milk desirable to a certain market of consumers.
Holstein
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Photo from http://www.holsteinusa.com/holstein_breed/breedhistory.html
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Ayrshire
Photo from http://knowledgebase.lookseek.com/Ayrshire-Cow.html
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Brown Swiss
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Photo from http://www.brownswiss.com/Brookings.html
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Milking Shorthorn
Photo from https://www.midwestdairy.com/farm-life/dairy-cow-care/dairy-breeds/
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Jersey
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Photo from http://www.pecus.dk/Jersey.asp
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Guernsey
Photo from http://www.nodpa.com/production_health_supplementation_brunetti_12_05_11.shtml
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Sources
"The Ayrshire Breed." The Breed | Ayrshires Cattle Society. Ayrshire Cattle Society, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.
"Breeds - Dairy." The Cattle Site. TheCattleSite, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.
"Breed Facts." Brown Swiss Association Breed Brown Swiss Breed Breed Facts. Brown Swiss Association, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.
"Breeds of Livestock, Department of Animal Science." Breeds of Livestock - Guernsey Cattle — Breeds of Livestock, Department
of Animal Science. Oklahoma State Universtiy, 4 Aug. 1999. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.
"Breeds of Livestock, Department of Animal Science." Breeds of Livestock - Holstein Cattle — Breeds of Livestock, Department of
Animal Science. Oklahoma State Universtiy, 23 Feb. 2000. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.
"Jersey Cattle Facts." Animals - Mom.me. WHALEROCK DIGITAL MEDIA, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.
"The Livestock Conservancy." The Livestock Conservancy. The Livestock Conservancy, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.
"The Ayrshire Breed." The Breed | Ayrshires Cattle Society. Ayrshire Cattle Society, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.
"Breeds - Dairy." The Cattle Site. TheCattleSite, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.
"Breed Facts." Brown Swiss Association Breed Brown Swiss Breed Breed Facts. Brown Swiss Association, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.
"Breeds of Livestock, Department of Animal Science." Breeds of Livestock - Guernsey Cattle — Breeds of Livestock, Department
of Animal Science. Oklahoma State Universtiy, 4 Aug. 1999. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.
"Breeds of Livestock, Department of Animal Science." Breeds of Livestock - Holstein Cattle — Breeds of Livestock, Department of
Animal Science. Oklahoma State Universtiy, 23 Feb. 2000. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.
"Jersey Cattle Facts." Animals - Mom.me. WHALEROCK DIGITAL MEDIA, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.
"The Livestock Conservancy." The Livestock Conservancy. The Livestock Conservancy, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.