HOLSTEIN (CATTLE)

The 'Holstein' or 'Holstein-Friesian' (the latter referring to a smaller, heavier breed) is a cattle breed used in dairy farming.
This use of 'Holstein' is found twice in history:

★ In Britain it was used (with "Dutch" as synonym) to indicate the imported cattle ancestral to the shorthorn; a significant proportion of those animals did come from Holstein.

★ In modern US English it refers to animals based almost exclusively on stock from the Netherlands. This use goes back to the use of "Holstein" in the title of a very influential article by Winthrop W. Chenery, the Massachusetts resident who purchased the US's first Holland cow from a Dutch sailing master in 1852.
At least in the United Kingdom, whereas the Friesian and Holstein breeds are considered separate, they are also considered so similar that it is not possible to distinguish between them for statistical purposes.^[1] Friesian is much the more common term in the UK.

Contents

Specifications

Stereotypical cow

References

External links

Specifications

An average Holstein cow in the United States produces about 22,000 pounds (10,000 kg) of milk per annum. This is roughly equivalent to 2650 U.S. gallons (10,000 litres). European Holstein cows tend to average 7,000 - 8,000 litres per year.The difference is due to the American practice of dosing dairy cattle with hormones which is outlawed in Europe. Lifetime yield of Holstein cows tends to average around 30,000 litres regardless of the country or the system of milk production that is being used. The Holstein breed has one of the biggest gene pools world-wide and thus genetic progress has been faster than in other dairy breeds. For this reason it is the breed of choice for most dairy farmers worldwide. Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation, a Holstein bull born in the United States in 1965, fathered over 70,000 offspring through artificial insemination. His descendants were selected for their conformity to the breed's standards and their ability to produce large quantities of milk. Elevation's genes are representated in a large percentage of the Holstein population worldwide. Cross breeding with other breeds is popular in some countries (New Zealand for example) to avail breeders of the benefits arising from hybrid vigour.
Hanoverhill Starbuck (1979-1998) was a star of the agricultural community. He was proclaimed "Premier Sire" 27 times at North America's largest Holstein shows. Over his lifetime, Starbuck's semen generated almost $25 million in sales. He sired some 200,000 calves in 45 countries. It is said that most of the world's Holstein cows are related to Starbuck. In April 2003, the world's most famous Holstein bull is "reincarnated" via cloning two years after his death. Starbuck II not only looks like his predecessor, he acts like him. The development of Starbuck's clone was a joint effort between the researchers, headed by Dr Lawrence Smith, at the Centre for Research in Animal Reproduction (CRRA) at the Veterinary Faculty in St-Hyacinthe, Quebec and researchers, headed by Dr Daniel Bousquet, at L'Alliance Boviteq inc. Prior to Starbuck's death on September 17, 1998, Dr Bousquet and his laboratory staff collected and preserved samples of his body cells.

Stereotypical cow

Although there are many different kinds of cattle, in many countries, including the UK and the U.S., when most people hear 'cow', they immediately think of the distinctive black-on-white pattern marking Holstein cattle. These markings are often called "cow spots", even though they are only found on four breeds of dairy cattle: black and white on Holsteins, red and white on Ayrshires and Milking Shorthorns and brown and white on Guernseys. Spotted reddish-brown patterns are also rarely seen on Jersey cattle.
Colored "spots" on dairy cattle are like fingerprints or snowflakes; no two cows have exactly the same pattern. Cloned cows have roughly the same patterns.
In 1970, the British psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd released the album titled ''Atom Heart Mother'' whose sleeve art by Hipgnosis featured Holsteins. The cover is a classic of the period.
The computer company Gateway, Inc., uses a Holstein print on their shipping boxes, as a nod to the company's Midwestern roots. The "black and white spot design" is a registered trademark of Gateway, Inc.
The Chick-fil-A chain of fast-food restaurants uses upright-walking Holstein mascots and the trademark line, "Eat More Chicken," to convince people to eat chicken instead of beef, even though Angus cattle, not Holsteins, are the major sources of beef.
The ''Pee-wee's Playhouse'' character Cowntess the Cow is a Holstein.
Ben & Jerry's ice cream features images of Holstein cattle on its packaging.

References

1.


★ Holstein International BV - High-quality magazine, independent information

★ World Holstein-Friesian Federation

★ Holstein UK

★ Holstein Association USA

★ British Friesian Breeders Club

★ Holstein World Magazine

★ Holstein Gulf of Mexico Offshore Platform

External links

★ Ontario Plaques - Holstein Friesian Cattle in Ontario

★ History of Red and White Holsteins