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OCTOBER 2005 |
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Hardly more than 50 years ago there were 114,000 Guernsey cows registered with the American Guernsey Association. Today there are only about 15,000 registered Guernseys in the U.S. and an estimated equal number of heifers. In Canada, registered Guernseys number only in the hundreds. The famous Golden Guernsey trademark has been relegated to t-shirts and souvenirs, while the once proud herds that added quiet beauty to rural roadways are now a rare sight. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy has placed Guernseys on their “watch” status, which means there are numerical concerns for the breed. It is the level that comes just before “rare.” Where have all the Guernseys gone? Those who have worked closest to these cows say they have been the unintended victims of a market that in the past 40 years has rewarded milk volume instead of milk components such as proteins and butterfat, both areas in which the Guernsey excels. Stated plainly, Guernsey cows could not keep up with Holsteins in milk volume, and dairy farmers went with the higher producers. While Holstein herd averages through the years steadily moved up over 20,000 pounds milk a year, with some herds topping 30,000 pounds, Guernsey milk production remained well below 20,000 pounds, and the market had little regard for high milk solids in which the Guernsey holds a distinct advantage. Attempts to increase Guernsey milk production through cross-breeding with Holsteins, especially Red Holsteins, have so far had little impact. But the sun may be rising once again for Guernseys. Seth Johnson, Executive Secretary of the American Guernsey Association, says between 5,000 and 6,000 new Guernseys have been registered in each of the last three years. He estimates there are now a total of about 30,000 Guernseys in the U.S., including registered cows and heifers.
“The most relevant trait that Guernseys lend to today’s market is extreme components,” Johnson said. “Only Jerseys come close (to Guernseys) for fat percentage, and Guernseys rank among the top breeds for protein percent. This makes them an excellent choice for dairymen selling to a cheese market. It also makes them a very viable option in a crossbreeding program. The result of crossing Guernseys on Holsteins is a medium-sized black and white animal that tests much higher than a Holstein and is superior for calving ease. “I feel the breed is moving in the right direction,” Johnson said. “After decades in which the main focus was stature and the show ring, we are concentrating on breeding a cow that is what the Guernsey was meant to be, a moderate sized cow that excels in quality of milk. “We are using young sires that reflect a new emphasis on high components and, more importantly, deeper cow families,” Johnson added. The best Guernsey herds in the country today, as reported by the American Guernsey Association, average around 23,000 pounds milk. The official breed average in 2004 for all herds was 15,925 pounds milk, with 4.5 percent fat, and 3.3 percent protein, actual production, not ME (Mature Equivalent). The world record milk production for a Guernsey is held by Breezy Point P Racer, an Excellent-93 cow from Wisconsin that made 46,154 pounds milk in 365 days as a six-year-old in 2000. She had 4.7 percent fat and 3.1 percent protein 
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