Canadian Jersey History

Jerseys first came to Canada in 1868 to the province of Quebec. Services of the American Jersey Cattle Club were used for registry work, etc. until the Canadian Association (established in 1901), began its own herd book in 1905.

The breed has known periods of growth, expansion and retreat over the past century. Markets for All-Jersey milk were created and caused a great burst of interest in the breed in the late 1950s and early 1960s. When pooling of milk was introduced in the 1960s the breed went through a period of decline in activity with the loss of these special markets for milk. Many dedicated Jersey owners maintained their interest in the breed and kept profitable animals during this “low time” for the breed. In the 1980s a push for greater productivity began and the fortunes of the breed turned around. Higher production coupled with the introduction Multiple Component Pricing has led to an ever-increasing level of demand for Jerseys. Over the past two decades scores of records for high production and sale ring prices have been set and re-set with regularity.

?Jerseys from Canada have always been in strong demand and in recent times at least one animal has been exported for every six to eight registered on an annual basis. The breed is versatile and responsive and thus is well able to keep up with changing times and requirements. In recent years, there has been a renewed domestic market for Jerseys, due partially to changes in milk pricing across Canada to favour production of butterfat, along with the many other production efficiencies that the breed possesses.

In just the past couple of years, Jersey Canada has seen a dramatic increase in the number of new members of the association, with substantial increases in the percentage of Canadian dairy herds having at least some Jerseys. Membership levels are at their highest levels since the late 1960s, and registration numbers are also trending upward. This is no doubt due in part to a sizeable increase in the number of Jerseys in embryo collection and transfer programs.

Jerseys in Canada Today

The Jersey breed in undergoing a great deal of growth in Canada currently. Registration, transfer, and membership numbers are up, especially in the province of Quebec. Jerseys are going into herds all over the country that haven't had Jerseys before. Along with many of the breed's natural efficiencies of production, the recent milk pricing changes in many parts of the country have led many producers to try the Jersey as a way to maximize profit while not contributing to the structural surplus of solids non-fat.

Ontario has the largest population of Jersey cattle and Jersey Canada members. Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, and New Brunswick follow with sizeable populations, and all 10 provinces are home to Jersey cattle.