General History

The Jersey breed was developed on Jersey Island, one of a series of small Channel Islands in the channel between England and France, but closer to France. Jersey is about forty five square miles and is renowned as a tourism and banking center, for its remarkable Jersey Royal potatoes and, of course, for the Jersey cow. Sixty years ago there were over 1,000 properties on this small island where at least a couple of Jersey cows would be kept. Today there are less than 50 functioning farms many quite large and modern.

It is theorized that some of the foundation genetics for the breed came from Africa. This would explain why the breed exhibits strong tolerance to heat and high humidity conditions. For over 200 years the importation of any live bovines, semen or embryos has been restricted on Jersey. This could well explain why the breed is noted for its ability to “breed true” to type. On Jersey the dairy diets were primarily forage-based thus requiring a cow that could efficiently convert grasses and legumes into milk and milk solids. Jersey owners placed emphasis on developing a breed of cows with very high solids levels in her milk. This selection over eons of time has created a cow with extraordinary levels of butterfat relative to the other common breeds of dairy cattle in vogue today.

For much of the first six decades of the 20th century Jersey was the source of breeding stock to start Jersey populations all over the globe. The breed has been particularly noteworthy in New Zealand, Australia, Denmark the United States, South Africa, Great Britain and Canada. In more recent times these countries have been the source of seed stock for national Jersey herds in the Central and South American countries of Brazil, Guatemala, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, Columbia, Venezuela and Costa Rica. Mexico has become a prominent importer and breeder of Jerseys. Populations of Jerseys are growing in France, Japan, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Kenya.

Canadian 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 breathtaking 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.

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.