Jamaica Hope (also known as a Jersey-Zebu or Montgomery-Jersey) is a
dairy breed
Dairy cattle (also called dairy cows) are cattle bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cattle generally are of the species ''Bos taurus''.
Historically, little distinction was ma ...
of
cattle originating from Hope Farm in
Jamaica.
Origins
The breeding started in 1910, and was an attempt to develop an animal that was adjusted to the
climate of the island. It has a high heat tolerance, high resistance to
ticks and
tick-borne diseases
Tick-borne diseases, which afflict humans and other animals, are caused by infectious agents transmitted by tick bites. They are caused by infection with a variety of pathogens, including rickettsia and other types of bacteria, viruses, and proto ...
, and can produce much milk even in the poor
pasture land typical of
tropical climates.
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
Thomas Phillip Lecky, known as T.P. Lecky (1904-1994), was a Jamaican scientist who developed several new breeds of cattle. Lecky is known as one of Jamaica's earliest environmentalists, and a strong advocate for conservation of hillsides. His rese ...
, a pioneer in Jamaican agricultural science.
[''TP Lecky, Great Jamaican Scientist'' https://www.real-jamaica-vacations.com/jamaican-scientist.html Retrieved 25 October 2020.]
Breeding
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 led by Lecky, started with
Ayrshire
Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...
,
Brown Swiss
The Brown Swiss or American Brown Swiss is an American breed of dairy cattle. It derives from the traditional triple-purpose Braunvieh ("Swiss Brown") of the Alpine region of Europe, but has diverged substantially from it. It was selectively bre ...
,
Guernsey
Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency.
It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...
, 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
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South As ...
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.
Legacy
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
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
, 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.
See also
*
List of breeds of cattle
List of cattle breeds — Over 1000 breeds of cattle are recognized worldwide, some of which adaptation, adapted to the local climate, others which were bred by humans for specialized uses.
Cattle breeds fall into two main types, which are regar ...
References
{{reflist
Cattle breeds originating in Jamaica