Although numbers once declined considerably, Irish black cattle are now a much more familiar site, especially in the south west of Ireland. An ancient breed, which may have been brought to Ireland as early as 4000 years ago, their numbers have risen in recent years after a decline. Small numbers of this type of cow can be found in Canada and the United States, as well as Ireland.
The Celtic Shorthorn is, in all probability, from where the modern day breed of black cattle derives. Known as Bo Chiarrai, or sometimes Buinin, in Irish, their name is clearly an overt reference to their black coats. There is usually only a little white on the hide, usually by the udders.
The breed is believed to have been developed to suit the specific environmental conditions found on small farms in the southern and western parts of Ireland. Rainfall tends to be very high in this part of the country, and there are plenty of upland areas. Cows of this type do much less damage than larger breeds to the soil in areas with this type of high rainfall.
There was a massive decline in the numbers of the breed fairly recently, however, with only around 200 pedigree animals left in existence by 1983. That small number was not just the amount left in Ireland, either, but the entire world. Numbers have thankfully increased since then, in no small part due to the work of the Irish government, who maintain a herd at the farm estate of Farmleigh.
This type of cattle are especially well-known the high quality milk that they can produce. Indeed, some notable Irish ice cream manufacturers have made a point of using the milk from Kerry cows, due to its ideal qualities for ice making. A typical cow of this breed, weighing around 375 kilogrammes, can usually produce between 3500 and 4000 grammes of milk per lactation.
As sire stock, the Kerry bull can be a highly valuable acquisition for stock farmers, as bulls of this breed are in possession of a highly concentrated gene pool. This gene pool means that their characteristics dominate in their offspring, whatever breed of female they are paired with. This leads to a great consistency of quality in the kind of meat that the breed produces.
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 have a very old genetic lineage, which is related to the Heren cattle, who live in the Alpine mountains of central Europe, as well as the famous bulls of the Camargue. Skull structure indicates that they might also be related to the wild aurochs of ancient times, though they are much smaller. They truly represent an agricultural link to a bygone age, and were the first cows to be bred specifically for their milk.
The Celtic Shorthorn is, in all probability, from where the modern day breed of black cattle derives. Known as Bo Chiarrai, or sometimes Buinin, in Irish, their name is clearly an overt reference to their black coats. There is usually only a little white on the hide, usually by the udders.
The breed is believed to have been developed to suit the specific environmental conditions found on small farms in the southern and western parts of Ireland. Rainfall tends to be very high in this part of the country, and there are plenty of upland areas. Cows of this type do much less damage than larger breeds to the soil in areas with this type of high rainfall.
There was a massive decline in the numbers of the breed fairly recently, however, with only around 200 pedigree animals left in existence by 1983. That small number was not just the amount left in Ireland, either, but the entire world. Numbers have thankfully increased since then, in no small part due to the work of the Irish government, who maintain a herd at the farm estate of Farmleigh.
This type of cattle are especially well-known the high quality milk that they can produce. Indeed, some notable Irish ice cream manufacturers have made a point of using the milk from Kerry cows, due to its ideal qualities for ice making. A typical cow of this breed, weighing around 375 kilogrammes, can usually produce between 3500 and 4000 grammes of milk per lactation.
As sire stock, the Kerry bull can be a highly valuable acquisition for stock farmers, as bulls of this breed are in possession of a highly concentrated gene pool. This gene pool means that their characteristics dominate in their offspring, whatever breed of female they are paired with. This leads to a great consistency of quality in the kind of meat that the breed produces.
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 have a very old genetic lineage, which is related to the Heren cattle, who live in the Alpine mountains of central Europe, as well as the famous bulls of the Camargue. Skull structure indicates that they might also be related to the wild aurochs of ancient times, though they are much smaller. They truly represent an agricultural link to a bygone age, and were the first cows to be bred specifically for their milk.
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