A Rare Breed: Kerry Cattle

by Robert Sachno of Potsdam, NY

It seems the oldest cattle breed in the world, still in existence, is the rare Kerry Cattle, which is native to Ireland. The Kerry cow is black with sometimes a little white on the udder. She is of dairy type with slender white horns tipped with black.

Apparently the Kerry breed is descended from the extinct Celtic Shorthorn, which originated in the Mediterranean region. As the Celts migrated across Europe, they brought their cattle northward with them. There is close resemblance with the Heren, the small black breed surviving in the high Alps and with the fierce black bulls of Camargue. It is believed the Kerry Cattle have existed in Ireland since 2000 BC. The skull is very similar in formation to the ancient aurochs of the Stone Age (Bos primo genus), though smaller in size.

The Kerry is very versatile and will thrive wherever kept, whether on a mountainside or on lowland pastures. They adapt easily to the conditions and type of feed available. The Kerry breed is integrally tied to the Dexter breed, both being short-legged cattle, but not a “miniature” breed. Each breed can produce the other under certain breeding conditions. The Dexter Cattle breed is also native to Ireland, but not always black, sometimes they are a reddish color.

The Kerry has the distinction of being the first breed developed primarily as a milk producer. While prehistoric man in Asia, North Africa and Europe was selecting and breeding cattle for draft and meat, the Celtic civilization in Ireland was producing a breed of cattle for milk and dairy products. Up to the 16th century, cows were used as a measure of wealth. A Clan chief could have up to 10,000 milking cows. The diet was based on milk and milk products; meat was rarely eaten. Records have been found which show that milk was preserved in various ways, including cheese and butter. It was also treated with herbs and kept in jars underground. With the mild climate and long grazing season, milk was produced almost all year round.

The Kerry cow has character, is alert and light on her feet. Cows seem to weigh around 800 pounds, but that can vary depending on the type of land on which they are being kept. Mine are from 650 to 750 pounds. They are equally suited to being in a herd or a single house cow. The bull is similar in character, usually docile and easily managed. I must admit that when there are strangers in his pasture, Ebon, our bull will be very protective of his herd. I’m sure that is to be expected though.

The cows enjoy a long useful life, still strong and calving regularly at 14 years or older. They are extremely hardy and will grow a good thick coat of hair to keep out the cold. They seem quite happy all winter long. Their agility lets them travel safely over rough ground and they do little damage to pastures. Because of their size, at least three Kerry cows can be kept on the same acreage as two of other breeds.

Their average milk yield is between 6,500 and 8,000 pounds, at 4% butterfat. A good number can yield over 10,000 pounds with 4.26% butterfat. The globules of butterfat in Kerry milk are much smaller than those in milk from other breeds; making it easier to digest. As a result, it is ideal for feeding to babies, invalids and others who find it hard to break down fats. This also makes the breed particularly suitable for fresh, mild cheese and yogurt production. While speaking with someone having recently returned from England, they mentioned the popularity of Kerry butter and Irish farmhouse cheeses made from Kerry milk.

The cows rarely have trouble calving and the calves are easily raised. The beef is of excellent quality, although the steers may take 4 to 6 months longer than other breeds to mature. Until recently, there were less than 200 Kerry Cattle cows in the world. The Kerry is now a minority breed, numbers have been increasing since 1980 due to the efforts of the Kerry Cattle Society of Ireland and the Rare Breeds Conservancy in the US, and just ordinary people looking ahead, to save some of the past. We raise them because of a small article we read some years back in SFJ, which sparked our interest. Our purpose for trying to keep this breed viable and healthy is to promote a small, easy to keep homestead milk cow, and since it is inevitable that some of the animals will be beef, to have a size that is manageable and not overwhelming. It is a lot easier to deal with a half carcass of Kerry beef than other breeds. I feel that another important part of maintaining a breed like the Kerry is to actually use it for the purpose it was bred for. To save all rare breeds just for the sake of saving them, may be altruistic, but the reality is that these wonderful little cows have so much value on a small homestead. To relegate them to the status of zoo animals would not be doing them justice, they deserve their place in the homestead landscape, they deserve to have a useful purpose. Don’t we all?