Dexter Cattle

Everything that is old is new again. And such is it with Dexter cattle. Dexter cattle are an old Celtic breed of cattle bred since at least the very early 1800s in Ireland. There is much mythology about the breed's origins. What we do know is that it originated in Ireland, along with the Kerry, with whom it was grouped indiscriminately for many years, was brought to the U.S. by the very early 1990s, and has always been predominately black, although we know from paintings that the dun color has existed from the 1800s, and that red is also, at least now, the predominant color in a minority of Dexters.

Dexters are a dual purpose, small, family cow. They are a beef cow that is coveted because of its smaller cuts of lean quality meat, which scores high on taste test of heritage and conventional breeds. They produce milk high in butterfat content at the highest rate per pund of any known breed. They are docile, calve easily, and are highly adaptable.

There are multiple breeder associations for Dexters in the U.S., and these associations, together with the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy have increased the focus on the Dexter as a breed and have caused its numbers to recover in recent years. The benefits of the Dexter are obvious. They are small, highly efficient, and are, therefore, a great breed for the small farm. They were never "bred up" as were other breeds in the U.S. which generated commercial interest, and have none of the birthing and other problems associated with such breeds. They are truly dual purpose, yielding succulent beef and yielding high amounts of quality milk. These attributes have made the Dexter an increasingly popular choice, especially on relatively small farms.