Jersey Canada has recorded a six-decade high in registration numbers — 8,445 animals as of the end of 2011.
Executive secretary Kathryn Kyle said a surge in registrations at the end of the year brought totals to the highest level since 1948.
“We have seen a significant increase in Jerseys over the last five to 10 years, and more and more herds are incorporating Jerseys into their operations, so that’s definitely a contributor to the increase in registrations,” Kyle said.
Electronic registration has made the process easier for producers. Nearly 70 percent used electronic means to register their animals in 2011, but Kyle said higher numbers also indicate the breed is gaining a stronger foothold in the dairy industry.
She said the breed’s milk quality and reproductive rates are attractive, as is size.
“In some cases, it’s simply that producers are putting a smaller cow into an older barn rather than renovating the barn and making bigger stalls for bigger Holsteins.”
