They’re smaller than Holsteins and, while they don’t produce as much milk, they eat less, rarely require a vet and involve less labour
by SUSAN MANN
As their Holstein cows outgrew their stalls over generations, many dairy operators opted for remodelling their barns. Fenelon Falls area dairy farmer John Knox decided to replace the cows instead.
Knox, whose 400-acre farm is in Kawartha Lakes cottage country on the edge of the Canadian Shield, began switching to Milking Shorthorns almost 10 years ago because his barn wasn’t big enough for the Holsteins. Now less than 10 per cent of his 45 milking cow herd is Holsteins, while the rest is Milking Shorthorns.