All Eyes Are on the Holstein Cow: How This Breed of Cow Became the Most Popular
Cows are the blueprint to making the best milk, and at Udderly Delicious, we are committed to making milk from only humanely raised cows, treating each cow respectfully while producing our specialty. Our cows are grass-fed, providing them with the nutrients they need and the health they deserve.
In the United States, there are six major breeds of dairy cow. They are:
The Ayrshire Cow
The Brown Swiss Cow
The Guernsey Cow
The Holstein Cow
The Jersey Cow
The Milking Shorthorn Cow
However, there is no cow sought more for dairy and milk production than the famous black and white Holstein cow. Originating in the Netherlands, the Holstein cow was brought to the United States in 1952 by Winthrop Chenery, a Massachusetts agriculture worker and breeder, when he purchased a Holland cow from the Dutch. In the United States, there was an increasingly growing need for milk and cattle, and Chenery bought the farm animal from a Dutch sailor who provided fresh milk from the Holstein cow on board to his crew in need during what was considered a rocky voyage. Chenery was so impressed with the cow’s milk production that more Holstein cows were imported to America during the years of 1857 through 1861, thus popularizing the black and white, or sometimes brown and white cow.
By the end of the 1800s, the Holstein cow became the most popular dairy cow breed, with most farmers and ranchers preferring it for the making of their products over any other breed.
Here are a few fun facts about the Holstein Cow:
- In 1885, The Holstein-Fresian Association was formed to record important data on cattle and herdkeeping. Since 1994 however, the association has been known as the Holstein Association Inc.
- A fully grown and mature Holstein cow weighs 1,500 pounds and at the shoulder stands an average of 58 inches tall.
- The average cow produces an estimated 2,900 gallons of milk per lactation cycle, which lasts about a year.