Cows

The Jersey is the most efficient of the dairy breeds that produce milk in this country. The small brown cow, she has roots to the Island of Jersey.

Iowa is home to some of the country's leading Registered Jersey herds, including the top herd for Jersey Performance Index (JPI): the 453-cow herd owned by Trans-Ova Genetics of Sioux Center. The fully-genotyped herd has a herd average JPI of +67 after the December 2020 genetic evaluations. With a strong emphasis on components in the breeding program, the herd has average Predicted Transmitting Abilities (PTAs) of +20F, +11P and +236CM$.

The top milk and protein-producing Jersey herd in the nation hails from Iowa as well. The 197-cow herd at Cinnamon Ridge Dairy of Donahue has a 2020 lactation average (mature equivalent) of 26,503M, 1,250F and 995P. Actual production is 25,077M, 1,173F and 931P.

Doug Fairbanks, Anamosa, ranks eighth in the country for fat, with an actual 2020 average of 20,567M, 1,120F and 751P on 66 cows.

Three other Iowa dairies also rank among the top 10 in the nation in categories based on herd size: Trans-Ova Genetics, among herds with 150-299 cows; and Kaitlin Hanson of Decorah and Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation of Calmar, among herds with 10-39 cows.

A Jersey matriarch from Iowa has also earned laurels in the 2019 Leading Living Lifetime Production Contest. Summetz Stephen Fence Fanny, Excellent-94%, owned by Summit Farm Inc., Lester, placed sixth for milk and protein and eighth for fat with 280,083M, 12,317F and 9,963P in 4,914 days.

Several other Jersey cows have placed well in show rings across the country. A few of the standouts are shown below.