Alderney cattle
Encyclopedia
The Alderney was a breed of dairy cattle
originating from the British Channel Island of Alderney
, though no longer found on the island. The pure breed is now extinct, though hybrids still exist.
in the summer of 1940, because the island was then occupied by the Germans (during World War 2) and it was difficult for the few remaining islanders to milk them. On Guernsey, the cattle were interbred with local breeds. The few pure-breed cattle remaining on Alderney were killed and eaten by the Germans in 1944.
's poem The King's Breakfast:
Dairy cattle
Dairy cattle are cattle cows bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cows generally are of the species Bos taurus....
originating from the British Channel Island of Alderney
Alderney
Alderney is the most northerly of the Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The area is , making it the third-largest island of the Channel Islands, and the second largest in the Bailiwick...
, though no longer found on the island. The pure breed is now extinct, though hybrids still exist.
Description
Pure-breed Alderneys were smaller, more slender boned animals than the cattle of the other Channel Islands and in some ways they were more deer-like than bovine. They were docile animals and would even follow children passively to or from pastures. Their milk was copious and produced very rich butter.Extinction
Most of the pure-breed Alderney cattle were removed from the island to GuernseyGuernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
in the summer of 1940, because the island was then occupied by the Germans (during World War 2) and it was difficult for the few remaining islanders to milk them. On Guernsey, the cattle were interbred with local breeds. The few pure-breed cattle remaining on Alderney were killed and eaten by the Germans in 1944.
In literature
The Alderney is mentioned in a verse of A. A. MilneA. A. Milne
Alan Alexander Milne was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems. Milne was a noted writer, primarily as a playwright, before the huge success of Pooh overshadowed all his previous work.-Biography:A. A...
's poem The King's Breakfast:
- The Dairymaid
- She curtsied,
- And went and told
- The Alderney:
- "Don't forget the butter for
- The Royal slice of bread."
- The Alderney
- Said sleepily:
- "you'd better tell
- His Majesty
- That many people nowadays
- Like marmalade
- Instead."
