The Milking Shorthorn cattle (are also known as the Dairy Shorthorn cattle) are one of the oldest recognized breeds in the world that originated in the Great Britain. As the name suggests, it is a dairy cattle breed and primarily used for milk production.
The breed was developed from the Shorthorn cattle in the 18th century in Northeastern England. The Shorthorn cattle breed came from County Durham, Northumberland and Yorkshire in north eastern England.
The breed is known as Dairy Shorthorn cattle in the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa and Ireland. And as Milking Shorthorn in Canada, New Zealand and the United States.
Many popular cattle breeds have descended from the Milking Shorthorn cattle genetics. For example Angeln, the Illawarra cattle breed of Australia, Norwegian Red and the Swedish Red cattle have some ancestry based in Shorthorn genetics.
Today the Milking Shorthorn cattle are popular and available in many countries throughout the world. Read some more information about the breed below.
Milking Shorthorn Cattle Characteristics
The Milking Shorthorn cattle are medium sized animals. They are generally red, red with white markings, white or roan colored. Red and white coat color genes in purebred Milking Shorthorns are co-dominant, resulting in the roan coloration and unique color patterns seen in the breed.
Average height of the cows is about 140 cm at the tailhead. And average body weight of the cows is between 640 and 680 kg. The bulls are pretty larger and heavier than the cows. Photo and info from Wikipedia.
Uses
Milking Shorthorn cattle are a dairy cattle breed and mainly used for milk production. But they are also good for meat production.
Special Notes
The Milking Shorthorn cattle breed is the most versatile of all breeds and this is one of its greatest attributes. They are known for their high levels of fertility, grazing efficiency and ease of management.
They are also known for their durability, longevity and ease of calving. These animals are usually docile and relatively calm in temperament.
The cows are capable of producing large volumes of nutritious milk. They can produce about 7000 kg of milk in an annual lactation of about 305 days. Their milk is of pretty good quality containing about 3.3 percent protein and about 3.8 percent butterfat. Review full breed profile of this breed in the following chart.
| Breed Name | Milking Shorthorn | |
| Other Name | Dairy Shorthorn | |
| Breed Purpose | Mainly milk also meat | |
| Special Notes | Strong, hardy, well adapted to harsh climates, good milkers | |
| Breed Size | Medium | |
| Bulls | Larger than the cows | |
| Cows | 640-680 kg | |
| Climate Tolerance | All Climates | |
| Coat Color | Red, red with white markings, white, or roan | |
| Horned | No | |
| Milk Yield | Excellent | |
| Rarity | Common | |
| Country/Place of Origin | Great Britain |
