Blog BY Staff | 31 July 2020
What are the Different Types of Cows?
Australia is well known for its dairy cows and we are home to various breeds from Holstein to Jersey or Aussie Red. Below we will have a closer look at each breed and what they provide us.
Holstein:
- This breed originally came from northern Europe and are mainly the classic black and white colours we have come to know for the iconic picture of a cow.
- The Holstein is the most popular cow worldwide and in Australia with 1.4 million of our 1.65 million dairy cows being this breed.
- They can produce up to 10,000 liters a year in milk and they are generally the largest in size in the dairy milk family.
Jersey:
- The Jersey cow was brought to Australia in 1829 and are generally smaller in size and are a fawn colour. The Jersey milk is generally used for making butter as it gives a creamer consistency.
- Their milk has 18% more protein and 20% more calcium than the milk produced by other breeds.
Aussie Red:
- The Aussie Red was bred in Australia by combining two genetic lines. They are usually red and white in colour and their milk provides a higher protein content and a medium fat content.
Illawarra:
- Gained its name from being bred in the Illawarra region of New South Wales and was recognized as a new breed back in 1910.
- They are rich in colour with hardly any white on them and they produce a large volume of milk with up to 40 liters a day.
Brown Swiss:
- They are one of the most common breeds in the world and originate from Switzerland.
- Their milk has an average 3.5% protein content and 4% fat, which gives the Swiss Brown the closest fat to protein ratio compared to other breeds.
Guernsey:
- The Guernsey originates from the Isle of Guernsey, a tiny island in the English Channel.
- They can produce 22 litres of milk a day and by age 3 can weigh up to 600kg. The milk they produce can generally have a golden colour.
Ayrshire:
- Original from Scotland and imported to Austria. The milk is generally used for butter and cheese production as it can be a bit denser in thickness.
- Its milk composition makes it perfect for making yoghurt and ice cream.