Introduction

To provide this literature review with an Australian context, two elements were added:

1. Findings from an online survey designed and offered to Jersey Australia members. Sixty two people responded in part or full.

Respondents considered Jerseys’ greatest advantages as a dairy breed to be:  Higher milk solids  More efficient (per kg feed, per kg bodyweight)  Greater calving ease  Less damage to paddocks  Easier to handle  More fertile

Respondents considered Jerseys’ greatest limitations as a dairy breed to be:  Lower values of calves, culls  Difficulty competing with larger cows in mixed herds  Milk fever prone  Fewer good quality cows available for purchase  Small gene pool

2. Analysis Australian herd recording data held by DataGene.

Data relevant to the eleven aspects for Jerseys vs. other breeds were extracted and analysed by Dr. John Morton, veterinary epidemiological consultant. Summaries of these data may be found in relevant sections of this report and in the appendices.