On 3 March 1866 the first entries were made in the Jersey Herd Book, the official register of all the Jersey cattle born in the Island since that date.
It is not the detail of the information recorded (owner, description of the animal, its ancestry, date of birth and name) that has proved to be most significant, but the fact that all pure-bred Jerseys in the world can be traced back to the Herd Book.
This level of documentation has long ensured the pedigree and pure blood lines of the Jersey cow which, along with its proven milk-producing qualities and ability to adapt to most climatic regions, has made it the second-biggest dairy breed in the world.
Find out more about the history of the Jersey cow in Tuesday’s JEP.
