Dairy / Milking Shorthorn
Fertility - Locomotion - Longevity
Dairy Shorthorns are a dual purpose breed and can be used for both milking and beef production.
Dairy Shorthorns are red, red and white, white or roan, the last named color being a very close mixture of red and white, and found in no other breed of cattle. They can be horned or polled and are very docile in nature. We look for a quality udder and strong legs and feet They are moderately framed and have comparatively small calves that are vigorous at birth and easy to raise. These hardy cows recover quickly and are in condition to rebreed earlier.
Dairy Shorthorns are red, red and white, white or roan, the last named color being a very close mixture of red and white, and found in no other breed of cattle. They can be horned or polled and are very docile in nature. We look for a quality udder and strong legs and feet They are moderately framed and have comparatively small calves that are vigorous at birth and easy to raise. These hardy cows recover quickly and are in condition to rebreed earlier.
Milking Ability
Dairy Shorthorn milk has the most favorable protein-fat ratio of the dairy breeds which is an added plus when marketing your milk for cheese. Dairy Shorthorns can be successfully crossed with any other dairy breed to quickly incorporate the Dairy Shorthorn-related grazing traits. Dairy Shorthorns have a docile temperament and are highly intelligent animals. This makes them the ideal choice for the small land owner or the larger commercial owner looking for cattle that are easy to handle particularly when running bulls with beef or dairy herds Although no bulls can be completely trusted, Dairy Shorthorns tend to be quieter than other dairy bulls and fit well where a bull is used to get cows settled. A calf will grow and add weight based on its mothers ability to produce ample quantities of rich milk. Dairy Shorthorn cows are excellent mothers as well as excellent milkers in the dairy producing high quality milk. Dairy Shorthorn cows have tightly set udders with well shaped teats.
Statistics
• More efficient converter of feed to milk, especially pasture and other forages, lowering feed cost.
• Superior feet and leg structure, with excellent hoof durability.
• Greater reproductive efficiency, with fewer days open, higher non-return rate of cows and heifers, and smaller calving intervals, meaning less wasted time and expense to the breeder.
• Ease of calving and excellent mothering ability - most cows require no calving assistance!
• Greater salvage values for bull calves and cull cows than other dairy breeds.
• Improved longevity, with the majority of cows lasting more than 5 lactations.
• The docility of Dairy Shorthorn cattle is exceptional, together with high fertility makes the breed easy to manage with minimal labour.
• Superior feet and leg structure, with excellent hoof durability.
• Greater reproductive efficiency, with fewer days open, higher non-return rate of cows and heifers, and smaller calving intervals, meaning less wasted time and expense to the breeder.
• Ease of calving and excellent mothering ability - most cows require no calving assistance!
• Greater salvage values for bull calves and cull cows than other dairy breeds.
• Improved longevity, with the majority of cows lasting more than 5 lactations.
• The docility of Dairy Shorthorn cattle is exceptional, together with high fertility makes the breed easy to manage with minimal labour.