For people from the south west of Ireland, the site of Irish black cattle dotting the landscape has once again become a familiar thing. These dark cows are one of Europe's oldest breeds, and may well have arrived in Ireland as early as 2000 BC. As well as their presence in Ireland, there are also some small herds in the USA and Canada.
This breed of cow is, in all likelihood, a descendant of the Celtic Shorthorn, and is found in greatest quantities in Ireland. In their native land, they are often referred to as Kerry Cattle, or, in Irish Gaelic, Bo Chiarrai or Buinin. They get their English name from their black hides, which usually only have a little white on them, by the udder.
This type of cow has developed as an ideal breed to live in the wet conditions of the west of Ireland, where rainfall is high. Larger breeds can often damage the soil in this type of area. Black cattle, however, operate in a much less harmful way, helping to better preserve the integrity of local soils.
The numbers in existence of this breed have undergone a massive rejuvenation in recent years, after a decline during the 20th century. An estimated 200 animals were left in existence by 1983, and the Irish government played a full part in ensuring the breed's continued survival. The government of the Republic of Ireland now keep a herd at the government farm estate of Farmleigh.
The breed is particularly well-known for the quality of milk that it produces. The typical weight of a cow of this breed is between 350 and 400 kilogrammes, and a typical animal will produce approximately 3700 grammes of milk per lactation. This kind of return has seen some major Irish ice cream manufacturers opt to use milk from this breed.
Any farmers in search of potent sire stock would be well advised to consider using an Kerry bull. Bulls of this breed are able to transmit a genetic domination of their offspring's characteristics, irrespective of the type of female with which they are mated. This leads to consistent quality of meat and other products.
Cattle of this type first arrived in the United States of America in 1818, and the breed remained popular throughout the 1800s. By the time the 1930s rolled around, however, there had been a serious reduction in the numbers of cows of this type in North America. Herds have grown recently, though, helped in the USA by imports from Canadian herds.
Irish black cattle are part of ancient lineage which goes back thousands of years, and were actually one of the first kinds of cow bred deliberately for their milk production. Analysis of their genes shows some relation to the Alpine Heren cattle, and the ferocious bulls of the Camargue, in France. Their skulls show signs that they might well be a smaller version of the ancient wild aurochs, highlighting the antiquity of the breed.
This breed of cow is, in all likelihood, a descendant of the Celtic Shorthorn, and is found in greatest quantities in Ireland. In their native land, they are often referred to as Kerry Cattle, or, in Irish Gaelic, Bo Chiarrai or Buinin. They get their English name from their black hides, which usually only have a little white on them, by the udder.
This type of cow has developed as an ideal breed to live in the wet conditions of the west of Ireland, where rainfall is high. Larger breeds can often damage the soil in this type of area. Black cattle, however, operate in a much less harmful way, helping to better preserve the integrity of local soils.
The numbers in existence of this breed have undergone a massive rejuvenation in recent years, after a decline during the 20th century. An estimated 200 animals were left in existence by 1983, and the Irish government played a full part in ensuring the breed's continued survival. The government of the Republic of Ireland now keep a herd at the government farm estate of Farmleigh.
The breed is particularly well-known for the quality of milk that it produces. The typical weight of a cow of this breed is between 350 and 400 kilogrammes, and a typical animal will produce approximately 3700 grammes of milk per lactation. This kind of return has seen some major Irish ice cream manufacturers opt to use milk from this breed.
Any farmers in search of potent sire stock would be well advised to consider using an Kerry bull. Bulls of this breed are able to transmit a genetic domination of their offspring's characteristics, irrespective of the type of female with which they are mated. This leads to consistent quality of meat and other products.
Cattle of this type first arrived in the United States of America in 1818, and the breed remained popular throughout the 1800s. By the time the 1930s rolled around, however, there had been a serious reduction in the numbers of cows of this type in North America. Herds have grown recently, though, helped in the USA by imports from Canadian herds.
Irish black cattle are part of ancient lineage which goes back thousands of years, and were actually one of the first kinds of cow bred deliberately for their milk production. Analysis of their genes shows some relation to the Alpine Heren cattle, and the ferocious bulls of the Camargue, in France. Their skulls show signs that they might well be a smaller version of the ancient wild aurochs, highlighting the antiquity of the breed.
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