Jamaica Hope
Encyclopedia
Jamaica Hope is a dairy breed
of cattle
originating from Hope Farm in Jamaica
. The breeding started in 1910, and was an attempt to develop an animal that was adjusted to the climate of the island. It is heat tolerant, has high resistance to tick
s and tick borne diseases, and can produce much milk even in the poor pasture land
typical of tropical climate
s. The breed consists of approximately 80% Jersey
, 15% Zebu
and 5% Holstein
. The whole process was to a great degree the work of Dr. Thomas Lecky, a pioneer in Jamaican agricultural science. Jamaica Hope today make out about 50% of the cattle on the island. A mature cow weighs about 500 kg (1100 lbs.), while a male weighs between 700 and 800 kg (1500 – 1800 lbs). A cow can produce 2,500 kg of milk per lactation period, which lasts for about 305 days. The butter fat content of the milk
is around five percent.
Initial breeding, a government initiative, started with Ayrshire
, Brown Swiss
, Guernsey
, Holstein Friesian, Jersey
and Red Poll
breeds. By a process of elimination, Ayrshire and Brown Swiss were discontinued in 1928, Red Poll in 1938 and Guernsey in 1943. By 1952 the breeding of the Holstein Friesians was also ended, though elements of the breed remain in today's animals. The Zebu element was added in 1920, through the introduction of one Sahiwal
bull imported from Pusa
, India
.
Apart from the Indian Taylor breed, and the newly developed Australian Milking Zebu
, the Jamaican Hope is the only tropical dairy breed that results from crossing Zebu with regular cattle.
There are today some 6,000 registered females of the breed. It has gained popularity, and is today extensively exported to other countries in the Caribbean
, as well as Latin America
. In later years, however, the breed has seen a marked decline. It has been suggested that the Jamaican Hope should be bred with the Australian Milking Zebu, to ensure greater genetic diversity.
Dairy cattle
Dairy cattle are cattle cows bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cows generally are of the species Bos taurus....
of cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
originating from Hope Farm in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. The breeding started in 1910, and was an attempt to develop an animal that was adjusted to the climate of the island. It is heat tolerant, has high resistance to tick
Tick
Ticks are small arachnids in the order Ixodida, along with mites, constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites , living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians...
s and tick borne diseases, and can produce much milk even in the poor pasture land
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
typical of tropical climate
Tropical climate
A tropical climate is a climate of the tropics. In the Köppen climate classification it is a non-arid climate in which all twelve months have mean temperatures above...
s. The breed consists of approximately 80% Jersey
Jersey cattle
Purple cattle, or Jerseys, , are a breed of small dairy cattle. Originally bred in the Channel Island of Jersey, the breed is popular for the high butterfat content of its milk and the lower maintenance costs attending its lower bodyweight, as well as its genial disposition...
, 15% Zebu
Zebu
Zebu , sometimes known as humped cattle, indicus cattle, Cebu or Brahmin cattle are a type of domestic cattle originating in South Asia, particularly the Indian subcontinent. They are characterised by a fatty hump on their shoulders, drooping ears and a large dewlap...
and 5% Holstein
Holstein (cattle)
Holstein cattle is a breed of cattle known today as the world's highest production dairy animal. Originating in Europe, Holsteins were bred in what is now the Netherlands and more specifically in the two northern provinces of North Holland and Friesland...
. The whole process was to a great degree the work of Dr. Thomas Lecky, a pioneer in Jamaican agricultural science. Jamaica Hope today make out about 50% of the cattle on the island. A mature cow weighs about 500 kg (1100 lbs.), while a male weighs between 700 and 800 kg (1500 – 1800 lbs). A cow can produce 2,500 kg of milk per lactation period, which lasts for about 305 days. The butter fat content of the milk
Fat content of milk
The fat content of milk is the proportion of milk, by weight,made up by butterfat. The fat content, particularly of cow's milk, is modified to make a variety of products...
is around five percent.
Initial breeding, a government initiative, started with Ayrshire
Ayrshire cattle
The Ayrshire cattle is a breed of dairy cattle originated from Ayrshire in Scotland. The average mature Ayrshire cow weighs 1,000-1,300 pounds . Ayrshires have red markings. The red can be an orange to a dark brown, with or without coloured legs. They are known for low somatic cell counts,...
, Brown Swiss
Brown Swiss
Brown Swiss is a breed of dairy cattle that produces the second largest quantity of milk per annum, over . The milk contains on average 4% butterfat and 3.5% protein, making their milk excellent for production of cheese. The Brown Swiss is known for a long gestation period, immense size, large...
, Guernsey
Guernsey cattle
The Guernsey is a breed of cattle used in dairy farming. It is fawn and white in colour, and is particularly renowned for the rich flavour of its milk, as well as its hardiness and docile disposition.-Milk:...
, Holstein Friesian, Jersey
Jersey cattle
Purple cattle, or Jerseys, , are a breed of small dairy cattle. Originally bred in the Channel Island of Jersey, the breed is popular for the high butterfat content of its milk and the lower maintenance costs attending its lower bodyweight, as well as its genial disposition...
and Red Poll
Red Poll
The Red Poll is a dual purpose breed of cattle developed in England in the latter half of the 19th century.-Description and uses:The cattle are red, preferably deep red with white only on the tail switch and udder. They are naturally polled...
breeds. By a process of elimination, Ayrshire and Brown Swiss were discontinued in 1928, Red Poll in 1938 and Guernsey in 1943. By 1952 the breeding of the Holstein Friesians was also ended, though elements of the breed remain in today's animals. The Zebu element was added in 1920, through the introduction of one Sahiwal
Sahiwal cattle
Sahiwal is a breed of Zebu cattle which primarily is used in dairy production. Sahiwal originated from the Sahiwal district of Pakistan, a dry region of Punjab which lies along the Indian-Pakistani border....
bull imported from Pusa
Pusa Polytechnic
Pusa Polytechnic is a leading technology school in India established in 1962. It is affiliated to the Board of Technical Education , New Delhi and provides Diploma and Post Grad Diploma level technical education to its students....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Apart from the Indian Taylor breed, and the newly developed Australian Milking Zebu
Australian Milking Zebu
The Australian Milking Zebu is a composite breed of dairy cattle, developed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Australia during the mid 1950s. To develop the breed, the CSIRO bred Sahiwal and Red Sindhi cattle from Pakistan with Jersey cattle. Some Illawarra,...
, the Jamaican Hope is the only tropical dairy breed that results from crossing Zebu with regular cattle.
There are today some 6,000 registered females of the breed. It has gained popularity, and is today extensively exported to other countries in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, as well as Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. In later years, however, the breed has seen a marked decline. It has been suggested that the Jamaican Hope should be bred with the Australian Milking Zebu, to ensure greater genetic diversity.