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Breed History: The Ayrshire breed originated in the County
of Ayr in Scotland, prior to 1800. There is good evidence that
improvement of the native stock began around 1750 when several
breeds were crossed with native cattle to create the foundation
animals of the breed. The principal blood used in improvement
was that of the Teeswater stock, which later was largely used
in the formation of the Shorthorn breed in England. A majority
of the breeding in the Teeswater was from Dutch or Flemish cattle
that also were used in the formation of the Holstein breed. It
is to the credit of the Scottish farmers that they used any available
improved stock that they felt would improve their cattle for practical
use in their area. The early breeders carefully crossed and selected
the various strains of cattle to develop the cow we now know as
the Ayrshire. She was well suited for the land and climate in
Ayr.
The first importation of Ayrshires to the U.S. was believed to
have been in Connecticut, around 1822. Farmers in New England
needed a dairy cow that would graze the pastures of their rough,
rocky farms and tolerate the cold, often inhospitable winters.
In many ways, the environment in New England was very similar
to the Ayrshire's native Scotland. Today the Ayrshire's popularity
has spread to the entire US including the Deep South. The largest
numbers of Ayrshires are registered each year in New York, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Vermont.
Miscellaneous: For many years, the Ayrshire horns were
a hallmark of the breed. Their horns often reached a foot or more
in length. When properly trained, they gracefully curved out and
then up and slightly back. When polished for the show ring, the
Ayrshire horns were a spectacular sight. Unfortunately, the horns
were not very practical, and today almost all Ayrshires are de-horned
as calves. The average production for an Ayrshire herd represents
17,000 pounds of milk and 700 pounds of butterfat per cow. The
composition of their milk makes it ideally suited for the production
of butter and cheese.
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