The original Irish Dexter Cattle hail from the mountainous region of Kerry located in Southwestern Ireland. The living conditions were harsh, rugged and unforgiving with sparse forage. It was truly survival of the fittest. This early adaption to this less than ideal environment is what developed their reputation for being the hardy, easy keepers that many know and love today. Between 1905-1915, the first recorded Dexter cattle were imported into the United States but by the late 1960’s, the breed was in serious decline and considered rare and endangered with very few small purebred herds left in the world.
Dexters are a small to mid-sized breed of cattle but they are not considered “miniatures” like many people claim. Due to their size and thriftiness they are highly sought after by many small land holders and homesteaders but they also make sense for larger farms and ranches too. They fatten extremely well on good pasture alone and have extremely low birthing difficulties. Our Dexter cattle are not fed any grain or commercially produced feeds. Dexters are very efficient grazers and not nearly as hard on the land and infrastructure as the massive, industrial sized modern breeds of today.
Dexter cattle can come in three colors, Black, Dun and Red. Black is the most common while red is the least. Excessive amounts of white is discouraged but small amounts are permitted and normal behind the umbilicus or on the udder area. The original Dexters boasted beautiful horns that are an off-white color with black tips. In recent years, polled genes were introduced to the pool and now you can get them in horned or polled (naturally no horns). Some breeders elect to have their horned cattle disbudded at a young age so their horns will not grow but their offspring can still have the horned genes. We have mostly horned genetics in our herd although some were disbudded early on.
Dexter beef is highly sought after by many artisan chefs and butchers all over the world. Their meat is dark red. Grass-fed, grass-finished Dexter beef is nothing like the typical grass-finished beef found in the supermarket. It is well marbled, tender and full of flavor. It does not have that grassy or gamey taste that most people associate with grass-finished. Dexter beef recently received a lot of well deserved publicity and recognition by winning the top steak competition in the US, The American Royal! The Dexter steaks were the only Dexter beef submitted into the grass-fed category and they beat out all the other competition from Angus, Angus cross, Jersey, Murray Grey, Beefalo and even the Wagyu steaks submitted.
The milk from Dexter cows is notably rich and creamy with high butterfat content. The high butterfat ratio of their milk makes for wonderful gourmet cheese. Although controversial, many people that claim to have been diagnosed with lactose intolerance say they have no problems with dairy products from Dexter cows. If you are wanting a family milk cow a Dexter is a great option. A well bred mature Dexter cow can produce on average 1-2 gallons of milk a day all while still feeding her calf. This amount is perfect for people that are just wanting fresh milk for their family or don’t want the commitment of milking a cow everyday. Calf sharing is a common practice amongst Dexter owners. Calf sharing is when the cow and her calf are separated during the night usually by a fence line. The cow and the calf can still be near each other but the calf cannot nurse over night. In the morning, the cow is milked partially out then the calf and the cow are reunited the rest of the day. This leaves plenty of milk for the growing calf yet the farmer still gets a great return for his or her family. Calf sharing is a wonderful way of keeping the cow and her calf together but still being able to utilize the cow as a dairy cow.
Dexters are one of the last surviving tri-purpose cattle breeds in the world. They are most commonly used for both dairy and beef. But due to their gentle, easy going temperament and surefootedness some still use them today for draft work (oxen), just as the Irish did back in the 18th century. Even though the draft aspect of the breed has been pretty much completely replaced by tractors and modern equipment. Training a Dexter for draft can still make a fun and useful project. Perfect for parades, kids in 4H or those just looking for a furry, energy efficient friend to help out with the heavy lifting around the homestead.
Over the last couple of decades the numbers of Dexter Cattle are growing steadily and now are listed as a “recovering” breed. Thanks to the dedication of many wonderful people and organizations like the American Dexter Cattle Association (ADCA) and the Livestock Conservancy this breed is alive today. We are proud and honored to be able to play a small part in the preservation of this magnificent, yet almost forgotten heritage breed!