Guernsey cattle
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[[ Image:Guernsey cattle.jpg|thumb|right|500px|Guernsey cattle in [[St Saviour's, Guernsey|St. Saviour's]], [[Guernsey]] ]]
The '''Guernsey''' is a breed of [[cattle]] used in dairy farming. It is fawn and white in color, and is particularly renowned for the rich flavour of its [[milk]], as well as its hardiness and docile disposition.
==Milk==
The unique qualities of the milk produced by the Guernsey cow have made the breed world famous. The milk has a golden colour due to an exceptionally high content of [[beta carotene]] which may help to reduce the risks of certain cancers.<ref name="WGCF2006">{{cite web|publisher=WGCF (The World Guernsey Cattle Federation)|year=2006|url=http://www.worldguernseys.org/advantages.html|title=Advantages of the Guernsey|accessdate=2006-12-05}}</ref> The milk also has a high [[butterfat]] content of 5% and a high [[protein]] content of 3.7%.<ref name="Anon2004">{{cite web|author=Anon|year=2004|url=http://www.guernseycattle.com/artman/publish/article_3.php|title=The Guernsey Cow - Background and History|publisher=Guernsey Cattle|accessdate=2006-12-05}}</ref> Guernsey cows produce around 6000 litres per cow per annum.<ref>[http://www.studbook.co.za/Society/guernsey/ South African Guernsey Breeders]</ref>
==Origin==
[[Image:Guernsey cow or calf lying on the ground, ca 1941-42.jpg|thumb|left|A Guernsey cow in the USA.]]
As its name implies, the Guernsey was bred on the British [[Channel Islands|Channel Island]] of [[Guernsey]]. It is believed to be descended from two breeds brought over from nearby [[France]]; [[Isigny cattle]] from [[Normandy]] and the [[Froment du Léon]] from [[Brittany]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Luff|first=W. G. de L.|year=2004|url=http://www.worldguernseys.org/history.html|title=A Short History of The Guernsey Breed|publisher=WGCF (The World Guernsey Cattle Federation)|accessdate=2006-12-05}}</ref> The Guernsey was first recorded as a separate breed around [[1700]]. In [[1789]], imports of foreign cattle into Guernsey were forbidden by law to maintain the purity of the breed although some cattle evacuated from [[Alderney]] during [[World War II]] were merged into the breed.<ref name="SpahrOpperman1995">{{cite book|last=Spahr|first=L. S.|coauthors=Opperman, G. E.|year=1995|title=The Dairy Cow Today: U. S. Trends, Breeding & Progress Since 1980|edition=2nd ed. USA|publisher=Hoard's Dairyman Books}}</ref>
Exports of cattle and semen were for a while an important economic resource for the island and in the early 20th century a large number of Guernsey cattle were exported to the [[United States]].<ref name="SpahrOpperman1995"/> Today the breed is well-established in [[Great Britain]], the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[South Africa]] and elsewhere.
== Specifications ==
The cow weighs 450 to 500 kg, slightly more than the average weight of the [[Jersey cattle|Jersey cow]] which is around 450 kg (1000 [[pound (mass)|pounds]]). The bull weighs 600 to 700 kg which is small by standards of domestic cattle, and they can be surprisingly aggressive. The Guernsey cow has many notable advantages for the dairy farmer over other breeds. These include high efficiency of milk production, low incidence of calving difficulty and longevity.<ref name="WGCF2006"/>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.usguernsey.com/ The American Guernsey Association]
* [http://www.guernseycattle.com/artman/publish/index.php English Guernsey Cattle Society]
* [http://www.worldguernseys.org/ The World Guernsey Cattle Federation]
[[Category:Cattle breeds]]
[[Category:Guernsey]]
[[de:Guernsey-Rind]]
[[fr:Guernesey (race bovine)]]
[[is:Guernsey (nautgripakyn)]]
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