Origin: The first Jerseys arrived in the United States in 1850 when Mr. John A. Tainter imported the cattle from Jersey, an island in the English channel whose
best known export is Jersey cattle.

Coloring and Appearance: Jerseys are the smallest in stature on the dairy
cows. They may in coloring, be a light brown to an almost black with spots of
white, brown, gray, or black on a select few. The head of a Jersey is
marked with a "dish" between its eyes and has a delicate-looking face. Jersey
and dairy cows in general are also identifiable by their well-formed udders
, slim hindquarters, long legs, a broad rib-cage and appear
wedge-shaped when viewed from the side.

Eats: Cows are ruminants or cud-chewing animals eating hay, corn, soybeans,
grass, wheat, and ensilage. Each cow eats 20 to 25 pounds of grain, 40 to 60
pounds of ensilage, 30 pounds of hay and drinks 15 to 25 gallons of water
every day.

Weight: Jersey cows weigh about 1,000 pounds, whereas the Jersey bulls
average close to 1,500 pounds.

Teeth: Cows have 12 large back molars in each jaw, and 8 incisors located on
the bottom jaw, and a thick pad on the top jaw.

Stomach: A cow has 4 stomachs. They are: the rumen, where the food is first
stored, the reticulum where food that has been more thoroughly chewed is
stored once the cow has chewed the cud and has swallowed it; the omasum
where extra water is squeezed out, and finally the food goes to the abomasum.
Some of the digested food is then stored in the cow's udder where it is made into milk.

Milk Production: In a year's time a dairy cow produces 1,500 gallons or 6,000
quarts of milk. A Jersey cow will give as much as 3 to 4 gallons or around 16
quarts of milk each day.

Produce: Dairy cows provide us with milk and milk by-products like cheese,
butter, and ice cream. Of all the different dairy breeds, Jersey cows give the richest milk. It is high in butterfat and creamy, making it an ideal choice for candy companies to use in making caramels, and for Young's Jersey Dairy in making the richest and best tasting ice cream. In addition, milk is also used to manufacture glue, paint, and plastics.

Behavior: Cows are sedentary animals spending up to 8 hours a day
chewing the cud while standing still or lying down to rest after grazing.
When going to be milked, a certain cow, in an established herd, always leads
the others with the weaker and older cattle trailing behind the group.

Lifespan: While some cows can live up to 40 years, they generally do not live
beyond 20 years. In that time dairy cows may have as many as 10 to 12
calves.

Largest Number: The United States has around 110 million cattle. India has
the most cattle, about 200 million.