Australian Illawarra Shorthorn

The Dairy Shorthorn is a British breed of dairy cattle. It developed from the Shorthorn, which itself came from County Durham, Northumberland and Yorkshire in north eastern England.

The breed is known as the Dairy Shorthorn in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and South Africa, and as the Milking Shorthorn in Canada, New Zealand and the United States. The Illawarra cattle breed of Australia is largely descended from the Dairy Shorthorn. The Swedish Red and Norwegian Red breeds also have some Shorthorn ancestry.

The Dairy Shorthorn is an average-sized breed, with mature cows averaging 140 cm (55 in) tall at the tailhead, and weighing 640 to 680 kg (1,410 to 1,500 lb). They are red, red with white markings, white, or roan. Red and white coat colour genes in purebred Milking Shorthorns are co-dominant, resulting in the roan coloration and unique colour patterns seen in the breed. Average milk production for the breed is about 7,000 kg (15,000 lb) in an annual lactation of 305 days, with 3.8% butterfat and 3.3% protein.

Milking/Dairy Shorthorn cattle are also known for high levels of fertility, grazing efficiency, and ease of management that result in the breed being high suitable for low-input dairy operations in various production environments. Milking Shorthorns are known for their durability, longevity, and ease of calving as well as their versatility in a number of production environments.

The breed was established in the 18th century in Northeastern England, in the Valley of the Tees River bordering the counties of Durham, Northumberland and York. Bates and Booth established a "dairy-type" strain of Shorthorns on their farms in the region, and that strain has remained until this day.

Dairy Shorthorn cattle, known at one time as Durhams, were among the first cattle to be imported into Australia.

The first importation of Shorthorns to the United States was to Maryland and Virginia in 1783. With further imports through the 1800s the breed spread across the whole country.

One of the first official demonstrations of the production ability of Milking Shorthorns was made at the World's Exposition in Chicago in 1893 where two of the leading cows of the test were Kitty Clay 3rd and Kitty Clay 4th, the latter standing third in net profit over all breeds. These sister cows became the foundation for the Clay cow family of Milking Shorthorns, developed at Glenside Farm, Granville Center, Pennsylvania.

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