BBC News reported on 9th January 2017 that:
“Jersey cows are being used as a key part of a project to
improve milk production in Rwanda.
Thousands of straws of Jersey bull semen are being sent to
the African country to help breed more productive animals. Jersey crossed cows
produce up to eight times more milk than the native Ankole longhorns, and also
require less feed”
But in days gone by, it was the cattle, rather than their
semen, which made the trips abroad. I came across this interesting story about a first for Jersey cattle, while
digging through old stuff at the Jersey library.
In March 1949, there was the first ever air cargo of cattle
from Jersey. Eight heifer calves about two months old were loaded into an Air
Transport (Charter) Channel Islands Limited Dakota. They would be flying all
the way to Nairobi, without unloading on the way.
This unusual cargo was seen on its way by the Lieutenant
Governor, Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Edward Grasett, Lady Grasett, and Miss
Mary Grasett and the Bailiff, Sir Alexander Coutanche as well as
representatives of Messrs H.W. Maillard
(who had made the arrangements). It also attracted quite a crowd of States
officials, interested breeders and other spectators.
They were loaded into special pens on the plane, with
sawdust bedding, and the plane went to Eastleigh, Southampton for customs
clearances, and then flew to Blackbushe Aerodrome where 14 more calves and 6
dogs joined them on their travels.
From Blackbushe, they flew to Malta, and via El Adem, across
the Sahara desert to Wadi Hifa, Khartoum, and Juba in Southern Sudan to Nakuru
on the equator in Kenya. Some of the animals would be unloaded there, and the
rest would be taken on to Nairobi.
Special feeding arrangements were in place, and on the way
back to Jersey, the Dakota took a cargo of bullocks from Khartoum to Castle
Benito in North Africa.
Three of the calves went to Mr F.A. Harris and five to
Commander Watts-William, both of Kenya.
The names of the calves were as follows:
Dreaming Fairy of the Poplars
Farineuse’s Viola
Evergreen Snowdrop
Jester’s Dream
Dixie’s Lady
Princess Louise
Le Cotil Missie 6th
Reticulata
It is interesting to note that the World Cattle Bureau says:
The Jersey Cattle Society of Kenya was founded in 1936 to "encourage & improve the breeding of Jersey Cattle in Kenya". Despite the ups & downs, still flourishes & remains committed to promoting the Jersey as the ideal dairy animal for Kenya, & in particular the small-scale farmer
I love those names. You don't think of cows having names, but farmers obviously do.
The Jersey Cattle Society of Kenya was founded in 1936 to "encourage & improve the breeding of Jersey Cattle in Kenya". Despite the ups & downs, still flourishes & remains committed to promoting the Jersey as the ideal dairy animal for Kenya, & in particular the small-scale farmer
And the latest report from the Society says:
"The Jersey Cattle Society of
Kenya was founded in 1936 and
has been serving small-holder
dairy farmers ever since. The
Society's current Chairman is
Julius Mutea, who keeps a small
herd of Jerseys on his zero grazing
unit near Ngong.
We are proud that many judges
in previous years have said that
Kenyan Jerseys would compete
favourably in shows anywhere
in the world."
"The Jersey judge
at the 2009 Brookside
Livestock Breeders Show and Sale said "With Jersey cattle
winning all the Interbreed
classes and competitions
against all the other dairy
breeds, this convinces me that
the Jersey should indeed be the
breed of choice for all small,
medium and large scale farmers
in Kenya. The Jersey breed is
the only dairy breed around the
world that is increasing in
numbers, so surely the rest of
the world cannot be wrong!"
Jersey cows produce milk which
is higher in both fat and protein
content than other breeds."
Milk with a high protein percentage is sought after globally for its superior cheese yields, and hence the increasing popularity of Jerseys worldwide. In Africa where protein can be unaffordable for many, Jersey milk is an ideal highprotein food source.
Milk with a high protein percentage is sought after globally for its superior cheese yields, and hence the increasing popularity of Jerseys worldwide. In Africa where protein can be unaffordable for many, Jersey milk is an ideal highprotein food source.
References
JEP, 1949
http://kenyalivestockshow.org/pdf/2010/Jersey.pdf
1 comment:
Would the cows have been from Eugene Perredes' herd at Fairview Farm?
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