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Friesians were imported into the east coast ports of England and Scotland, from the lush pastures of North Holland, during the 1800s until live cattle importations were stopped in 1892, as a precaution against endemic foot and mouth disease on the Continent. So few in number were they, that they were not included in the 1908 census.
However, in 1909, the Society was formed as the British Holstein Cattle Society, soon to be changed to British Holstein Friesian Society and, by 1918, to the British Friesian Cattle Society.
The Livestock Journal of 1900 referred to both the "exceptionally good" and "remarkably inferior" Dutch cattle. Some were "handsome in form and good milkers," others "so ugly and so poor in appearance that they almost shamed their owners". The Dutch cow was also considered a "great eater" and "needs more help" than some English cattle that could easily be out-wintered.
It is interesting to note that, in an era of agricultural depression, Breed Societies had flourished as a valuable export trade developed for traditional British Breeds of cattle.
An enormous task for our Society was the inspection of nominated animals for the herd book, a job finally completed by the end of 1912, with 1,000 males and 6,000 females, the stock which originally formed the foundation of the breed in this country. (Entry from then until 1921, when grading up was introduced, was by pedigree only.)
No other Friesian cattle were imported until the official importation of 1914, which included several near descendants of the renowned dairy bull Ceres 4497 F.R.S. These cattle were successful in establishing the Friesian as an eminent long living dairy breed in this country. This role was continued in the 1922 importation from South Africa by Terling Marthus and Terling Collona, who were also near descendants of Ceres 4497.
The 1936 importation from Holland introduced a more dual purpose type of animal, the Dutch having moved away from the Ceres line in the meantime.
The 1950 importation has a lesser influence on the breed today than the previous importations, although various Adema bulls were used successfully in some herds.
The Friesian enjoyed great expansion in the 1950s, through to the 80s, until the North Americanisation of the national herd in the 1990s; a trend which is being questioned by commercial dairy farmers in the harsh dairying climate that prevails today, with the need to exploit grazing potential to the full.
Friesian semen is once again being exported to countries with grass based systems of milk production. The modern Friesian is pre-eminently a grazing animal, well able to sustain itself over many lactations, on both low lying and upland grassland, being developed by selective breeding over the last 100 years. Some outstanding examples of the breed have 12 to 15 lactations to their credit, emphasising their inherent natural fecundity. In response to demand, protein percentages have been raised across the breed and herd protein levels of 3.4% to 3.5% are not uncommon.
Whilst the British Friesian is first and foremost a dairy breed, giving high lifetime yields of quality milk from home produced feed, by a happy co-incidence surplus male animals are highly regarded, as producers of high quality lean meat, whether crossed with a beef breed or not. Beef cross heifers have long been sought after as the ideal suckler dam replacement.
Although understanding the need to change the Society's name to include the word Holstein in 1988, British Friesian enthusiasts are less than happy now that the word Friesian has been removed from the Society's name. With the history of the breed spanning 100 years, the British Friesian cow is continuing to prove her worth. The general robustness and proven fertility provide an ideal black and white cross for Holstein breeders seeking these attributes.
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