The Ayrshire Breed

Ideal for Scotland

The Ayrshire dairy cow is suited greatly to the environment and terrain of Scotland and is a robust hardy breed renowned for longevity and ability to produce high quality milk. The traditional Ayrshire should be small of stature and red and white in colour. Have a look at the slideshow to get a closer look at our Ayrshires.

Increasing popularity

The breed lost favour in the late 1970s when the emphasis went from the quality of milk produced onto the quantity. As a result there was an influx, of the Holstein from Holland. The Holstein was crossed both with the Ayrshire and the British Friesian to increase milk production.

Nowadays, with cost increases in the dairy industry the longevity of the Ayrshire breed is attracting interest. The short working life of cows in the modern dairy herd has created a need for more replacements and the numbers required can no longer be home bred but must be bought in from overseas.  The Ayrshire is a hardier, longer lasting animal giving up to four times more service that her modern counterpart.

With ever increasing environmental awareness and European Union, the breed is increasingly relevant. The traditional Ayrshire is a smaller compact cow which causes less damage to the soil and can use poorer quality grassland so reducing the demand for fertiliser.