Jersey cattle
The Jersey is a dairy cow kept for rich milk, about 5% butterfat. Cows weigh 800–1,200 lb, are usually docile and rather easy to manage, and graze well. Bulls are another matter: Oklahoma State says Jersey bulls are the least docile of the common breeds.
- Temperament
- Docile, Somewhat nervous
- Heat tolerance
Is the Jersey right for you?
Good fit if
- You want rich milk: about 5% butterfat
- You want a dairy cow averaging about 1,050 lb
- You graze your cattle. Oklahoma State calls Jerseys excellent grazers
- Your summers are hot
Poor fit if
- You plan to keep a bull. Oklahoma State says Jersey bulls have the least docile temperament of the common breeds
- You want a beef animal. Every source here treats the Jersey as a dairy breed
- Pasture would be your main feed. New Hampshire's guidance for cattle in general is 1-2 acres of good pasture per animal year round
Appearance and varieties
A Jersey cow is refined about the head and shoulders, with a long straight topline and a deep body for her size. Oklahoma State calls the breed unexcelled in dairy type.
Colour runs from a very light grey or mouse colour to dark fawn or nearly black. Both solid and broken colour patterns are accepted, and most animals are darker about the head, shoulders and hips than on the body. Most breeders like a dark tongue and switch, but treat it as a point of identification, not a fault if missing.
Bulls are small next to other dairy bulls but muscular through the crest and shoulders, at 1,200–1,800 lb.1
Temperament and handling
Oklahoma State describes the Jersey cow as usually docile and rather easy to manage, though somewhat more nervous than other dairy cows.
Bulls are a different matter. The same source says Jersey bulls have the least docile temperament of the common cattle breeds, and that it is folly to trust any dairy bull, and Jerseys in particular, past eighteen months of age.1
Animals vary within a breed. Treat this as what to expect, not a promise, and meet the animal before you buy if you can.
Production numbers
What our sources report for the breed. If two sources disagree, you see the full range.
| Measure | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Milk per lactation | 20,711 lb2 | 2025 average, mature-equivalent adjusted, for Jerseys in American Jersey Cattle Association testing programmes. |
| Fat and protein per lactation | 1,059 lb fat, 788 lb protein2 | Same 2025 average. |
| Milk components | 5.0% fat, 3.8% true protein2 | The association's market-average Jersey milk. |
| Butter yield | 6.30 lb per 100 lb of milk2 | The association's estimate; it gives 13.0 lb for Cheddar. |
| Milk for bodyweight | Most cows give well over 13 times their bodyweight in milk each lactation1 |
Housing, feed and health
Housing
New Hampshire's state guidance for cattle of any breed recommends well-ventilated shelter, dry bedding that is cleaned regularly, and at least 75 sq ft per mature animal in an open bedded barn. Where pasture is the main feed, it recommends 1–2 acres of good pasture per mature animal year round.
Jerseys suit grazing. Oklahoma State calls them excellent grazers that do well in intensive grazing programmes, and says they tolerate heat better than the larger breeds.61
Feed
These figures are for dairy cattle in general, from New Hampshire's state guidance. A milking cow drinks around 30 gallons of water a day, give or take 15, depending on temperature, stage of lactation, bodyweight and feed. Fresh, clean water should always be available.
Give good-quality forage or adequate pasture, with grain added when lactation, pregnancy, growth, cold weather or poor forage call for it. As a guide, a dry cow eats 2-4% of her bodyweight in dry matter a day and a lactating cow up to 4%. Offer salt, preferably trace-mineralised, unless the ration already supplies it.6
Health
New Hampshire's guidance for all cattle says to vaccinate and deworm on a vet's advice, and lists warning signs to watch for in a dairy cow: a red, swollen or hot udder, clotted or blood-tinged milk, a dull unkempt coat, overgrown hooves and swollen joints. Dairy cows are naturally bony about the hips and may look thin early in lactation.
This is a starting point, not veterinary advice. If a cow goes off her feed or her milk or udder looks wrong, call a large-animal vet or your county extension office.6
Price and where to buy
Prices are per animal, read on 9 October 2026. Hill Top Jerseys' archive of sold cows lists registered cows at $3,500-5,500, including one bred in January 2026; the archive also includes two Guernseys. 7B Farmstead listed a registered four-year-old milk cow at $4,000 and a registered heifer due April 2026 at $3,800.
Where to look
Start with a breeder you can visit. Nobody pays to be on this list.
| Seller or directory | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jersey Marketing Service | Breed association | The American Jersey Cattle Association's sales arm; public auctions and private treaty |
| Hill Top Jerseys | Breeder | Registered family milk cows, $3,500-5,500 on its sold-cows page |
| 7B Farmstead, Victor, Montana | Breeder | Registered milk cow $4,000, bred heifer $3,800 |
History
The breed comes from the Island of Jersey, a small British island off the coast of France. Oklahoma State calls it one of the oldest dairy breeds, reported as purebred for nearly six centuries. It was known in England by 1771, when the island's cattle were often called Alderneys, and was valued even then for milk and butterfat.
Jerseys reached the United States in the 1850s. The American Jersey Cattle Association was organised in 1868 and is the oldest dairy breed association in the country. By the end of 2025 it had compiled pedigree records for more than 7.5 million animals, and it estimated the US Jersey cow population at 1.8 million, about 14.2% of all dairy cows.
American breeders once spoke of two types: the refined Island type that won in the show ring, and a larger, plainer American type bred for production. Oklahoma State says the distinction is not commonly made now.12
Common questions
How big is a Jersey cow?
Cows weigh 800–1,200 lb, with the American Jersey Cattle Association giving 1,050 lb as the average. Bulls weigh 1,200–1,800 lb.12
How much milk does a Jersey cow give?
Jerseys on test with the American Jersey Cattle Association averaged 20,711 lb of milk per lactation in 2025, carrying 1,059 lb of fat and 788 lb of protein. That is an adjusted average for recorded herds, so a family cow may give less.2
What is the butterfat of Jersey milk?
About 5%. The association puts market-average Jersey milk at 5.0% fat and 3.8% true protein.2
What colour are Jersey cows?
Anything from very light grey or mouse colour through dark fawn to almost black, in solid or broken patterns. They are usually darker about the head, shoulders and hips.1
How much does a Jersey cow cost?
On the two breeder pages we checked in October 2026, registered milk cows and bred heifers were priced at $3,500–5,500.45
Where do Jersey cattle come from?
The Island of Jersey in the English Channel. They were known in England by 1771 and came to the United States in the 1850s.1
Are Jersey cows good for beginners?
The cows can be: they are usually docile and rather easy to manage, though somewhat more nervous than other dairy breeds. Oklahoma State says Jersey bulls are the least docile of the common breeds.1
Do Jersey cows handle heat?
Better than the larger dairy breeds, according to Oklahoma State, which also says the breed adapts to a wide range of climates.1
Sources
The small numbers beside each fact point to one of these.
- Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock: Jersey Cattle (archived copy).
- American Jersey Cattle Association, About Us.
- BreedBarn, Editorial rating, method on the editorial policy page.
- Hill Top Jerseys, Sold Jersey Cows.
- 7B Farmstead, Jersey Cattle at 7B Farmstead.
- New Hampshire Governor's Commission on the Humane Treatment of Animals, Caring for Cattle: Recommendations (PDF, archived copy).
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