Skip to main content

Holstein Cattle

Holstein Cattle
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae
Genus : Bos
Species : primigenius

Height : 58in (147cm)
Weight : 1500lbs (680kg)

Well, It's Super Bowl Sunday and I'm sure you can figure out which team I'm rooting for. Because hey, Wisconsin is know for its Cheeseheads, so what better animal for today than one of our iconic Dairy Cattle?

Holstein Cattle are an old breed that dates back over 2,000 years to the wandering tribes that eventually settled in the Netherlands. Black Batavian Cattle and white Fresian Cattle were bred and culled to produce animals with a high milk output, and high land use efficiency. The black and white Holstein was born.

But... did you know Holsteins aren't always black and white?  They can be red and white as well!

Red and White Mother and Calf
Holsteins have become such an amazingly popular breed for many reasons. They have an extremely high milk output for one. The average output in 2009 among sampled individuals was 23,151lbs of milk, 842lbs of butterfat and 711lbs  of protein per year, and top produces can make over 70,000lbs per year!

Holsteins are also preferred because they calve easy, can graze in a variety of areas, and they have a very good temperament. Holsteins are so adaptable that embryos and individuals are being sent around the world to increase food production.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed Location :   Cent

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!