Seven Jersey heifers 'moo've to Cornwall after being crowned fit for a King

Thursday, 11 July 2024 11:32

A group of seven Jersey heifers will be gifted to the King and Queen when they visit the island.

The young cattle were due to be given to Her Majesty the Late Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee.

The Jersey Milk Marketing Board and Royal Jersey Agricultural & Horticultural Society wanted to choose a set of cows, representing an 'outstanding cross-section of breeding' from the best herds in the island.

Following the King's accession to the throne, the heifers were about to embark on their journey to Windsor in December last year.

However, one of the herds suffered a huge loss of cattle, which caused a loss in milk supply to the island.

When King Charles III heard of the tragic incident, he regifted his seven heifers to help Jersey recover and to support the dairy farming community here.

Left to right: Phil Le Maistre Jnr and his son Philip, team members Will Waller, Hannah Saxby and Phil Le Maistre Snr. Left to right: Farmer Henry James Gay and Charlie Le Boutillier

Now the herds have bounced back in numbers, it felt fitting to both boards to give King Charles III and Queen Camilla their heifers back.

As Windsor's Jersey herd is complete, the young cattle will go to Home Farm in Cornwall instead.

Ran by farmer Henry James Gay, the farm in the Duchy of Cornwall houses an organic herd of Ayrshire cows, which our Jersey heifers will join.

The farm at Highgrove was transformed over 35 years by the then Duke of Cornwall, King Charles III, to create an organic farm which prioritises sustainability.