434 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



can utilize profitably more feed than any- 

 other breed o± dairy cows, and the milk 

 yield corresponds to the abundance and 

 quality of the feed. There are authen- 

 tic instances of cows yielding 100 

 pounds of milk or more a day and a 

 yield of 5 to 7 gallons a day is regarded 

 as an average performance, the average 

 annual yield being from 7,500 to 8,000 

 pounds In a few instances, cows have 

 given from 20,000 to 30,000 pounds in 

 a year. The milk does not average as 

 high in butter fat as that of most other 

 breeds, but with exceptional cows the fat 

 content is high. In point of numbers, 

 the Holsteins are second only to the 



of pure white encircling the central part 

 of the body. This belt varies in width, 

 but seldom reaches the shoulder blade 

 or hip. According to modern standards, 

 no white is permitted except in the belt. 

 In size, Dutch Belted cattle are about 

 equal to the Ayrshires; occasionally in- 

 dividual animals are slightly larger. In 

 Holland, a deliberate attempt has been 

 made to keep this breed almost entirely 

 under the control of the nobility. Partly 

 for this reason the breed is not numer- 

 ous, either in Europe or America. It 

 was first introduced into New York 

 about 1838, but may possibly have been 

 brought over by settlers somewhat ear- 



Fig. 281 FINE TYPE OF AYRSHIRE COW 



(Courtesy of C M. Wiuslow) 



Jerseys in the United States and are 

 kept in every state and territory in the 

 Union. They are most numerous in 

 New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wiscon- 

 sin, Illinois and Iowa, about in the order 

 named. 



Dutch Belted_The Holsteins and 

 Dutch Belted, as already indicated, both 

 come from Holland and probably have 

 a common origin, the colors being 

 sharply contrasted black an white in 

 both breeds. While, however, the black 

 and white are irregularly arranged in 

 patches on the Holsteins, these colors 

 are placed with great regularity on the 

 Dutch Belted cattle. The animals of 

 this breed are jet black with a broad belt 



Her. At present, there are not more 

 than a few hundred registered Dutch 

 Belted cattle in the United States, but 

 these are distributed in at least 26 states, 

 being most numerous in New York, 

 Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Ohio. 

 The average weight of cows is from 

 1,000 to 1,200 pounds, and bulls weigh 

 about 1,800. The milk production of 

 Dutch Belted is nearly equal to that of 

 Holsteins and the quality is about the 

 same. They are good feeders, maturing 

 at a fairly early age, but are probably 

 not quite so vigorous as Holsteins. 



Kerry cattle — The Kerry cattle orig- 

 inated in Ireland, where they have been 

 bred for centuries, but without much 



