Kerry Cattle

Kerry Cattle are a dairy breed that likely descended from the Celtic Shorthorn and were imported to the United States around 1818. It is believed that they might be one of the oldest breeds from Europe. While they disappeared from North America for a time, they were reintroduced in the 1970s. There are very limited numbers in the United States and Canada today - less than 100, depending on the source.

According to the Kerry Cattle Society in Ireland, there were over 200 Kerrys registered in 2014, with 364 Kerry calves born that year. They ask their breeders to notify the Society of all births, even if they are not going to register them.   

The Livestock Conservation lists Kerry Cattle as critical which by their definition means that there are fewer than 200 annual registrations and an estimated global population of less than 2,000. We are beyond excited that we have a small herd of Kerrys.

You will find most Kerry Cattle to be registered with the Canadian Livestock Records Corporation and/or the American Kerry Cattle Association. 

Online sources show that an average Kerry heifer will produce between 5,000 and 7,000 pounds of milk during their lactation. On average the butterfat is 4%. 

Our heifers have been tested and confirmed to be A2/A2.

Why not? 

Kerrys are on the smaller side (about 750 to 1,000 pounds) and are docile, yet a little nervous around strangers. They are said to be great mothers with no difficulty in calving. As they are smaller than beef cattle, they are more agile and active, but great grazers and browsers.

We looked for some time to purchase a small herd of Kerry cattle and they were so hard to come by that we stopped looking. Amazingly, one small, unexpected email from a Kerry farm in Ohio led us to our first Kerry cows. We plan to increase the herd over time, in small baby steps. For now, we are content to get to know our small herd.