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Cattle
Northern Dairy Shorthorn
2008 Watchlist; Category 1, Critical.
The Shorthorn clan of cattle originated on the boundaries of Yorkshire and Durham in the Tees valley from the old Teeswater type. The Northern Dairy Shorthorn evolved as a dual-purpose breed in the Pennine Dales of northern England, and the adjacent areas of Durham and Westmorland, adapted to upland farming and low-input systems. It was kept pure from the early nineteenth century until a Breed Society was formed by the interchange of bulls between farmers in the Dales.
When the Northern Dairy Shorthorn Society was formed in 1944, 10,000 females and 750 bulls were registered. Later, as farming practices changed, the number of registrations began to fall and from 1969 the Northern Dairy Shorthorn was registered in Coates Herd Book, with the risk that the breed could lose its identity. Since that time some breeders have maintained the Northern Dairy Shorthorn as a distinct breed, and today 35 females are recorded in the Register and the semen from 8 bulls is stored in the RBST GeneBank, of which 4 are for sale.
It is a hardy dual-purpose animal, and produces quality milk and beef from home grown food. Originally the milk was used for the manufacture of local Cotherstone cheese. It exhibits the full range of Shorthorn colours - red, white, red-and-white and roan, but light roan is preferred. It holds itself alert, with head erect and short horns upturned. Also noteworthy are other attributes such as ease of calving, docility, fecundity and sound feet.