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By Jonathanrex1
07/14/2009 - 19:20:23

Type: Creature
Rating: 0.3 (Not rated)
Tags: cow, dairy, domesticated, earth, europe, farm, herbivore, mammal, milk, netherlands, worldwide

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Description

The Holstein (US) or Friesian (UK, Australia, Europe) is a breed of dairy cow known today as the world's highest production dairy animal. Originating in Europe, Holsteins were developed in what is now the Netherlands and more specifically in the two northern provinces of North Holland and Friesland (not from Holstein, Germany[citation needed]). The original animals were the regional cattle of the Batavians and Frisians, two tribes who settled in the coastal Rhine region around 2,000 years ago. The Dutch breeders bred and oversaw the development of the breed with the aim of obtaining animals which would make best use of grass, the area's most abundant resource. The result, over the centuries, was an efficient, high-producing black-and-white dairy cow. It is black and white due to artificial selection by the breeders. With the growth of the new world, markets began to develop for milk in America, and dairy breeders turned to The Netherlands for their livestock. After about 8,800 Holsteins had been imported, disease problems in Europe led to the cessation of imports. In Europe, the breed is used for milk in the North, meat in the South - Since 1945, European development has led to cattle production becoming increasingly regionalized. Over 60% of the cattle herd and under 50% of the usable agricultural area, but over 80% of dairy production, is to be found to the north of a line joining Bordeaux and Venice. This change led to the need for specialized animals for dairy (and beef) production. Until this time, milk and beef had been produced from dual-purpose animals, and the leading breeds, national derivatives of the Dutch Friesian, had become very different animals from their American counterparts. It was the obvious choice to import superior production animals to cross with the European black and whites. For this reason, in modern usage of the word Holstein is used to describe North American stock and its use in Europe. Friesian, denotes animals of a traditional European ancestry. Crosses between the two are described by the term Holstein-Friesian.