Guernsey

The Guernsey comes from the Channel Islands and is named for the westernmost of them. Its neighbor Jersey produced the Jersey, and the two breeds are related.

Cattle first arrived on Guernsey from Brittany more than a thousand years ago, with later imports from Normandy. The founding population was a mixed bag, variable in size and in color, white, red, black, brindle and fawn among them. Several centuries of selection for the richness and volume of the milk turned that into a dairy breed.

Channel Islands cattle went to England from the 1700s and were used to establish and improve other breeds. Then in the early 1800s Guernsey stopped importing and closed its herds entirely, and exporting breeding stock became a major island industry in its own right.

The distinguishing feature is the milk. It carries enough carotene to come out golden rather than white, which is what the breed is marketed on.

They graze well, are hardy and sociable, and adapt to a wide range of climates.