History of Dexter
Cattle
Taken from World Cattle
Volume 1
John E. Rouse, 1973
The Dexter breed originated in southwestern
Ireland from which it was brought to England in 1882. The breed virtually
disappeared in Ireland, but was still maintained as a pure breed in a number
of small herds in England. The Dexter is probably the smallest breed that
was developed in the British Isles, with mature cows weighing between
600-700 pounds and mature bulls weighing about 1000 pounds. Considering
their small size, the body is wide and deep with a well-rounded hindquarter.
Although usually black, a dark-red or dun Dexter is sometimes found, all
animals are always solid, with only very minor white marking on the udder or
behind the navel. Horns are rather small and thick and grow outward with a
forward curve on the male and upward on the cow. The breed is typically a
dual-purpose type, although individual herd owners often concentrated on
growing either a beef or a milk animal.
Considering their size, the cows are unusually
productive. Individuals on reasonable feed may give 5,000-6,000 pounds of
milk a lactation with 4.5 percent fat content. Some have yielded as much as
12,000 pounds - a remarkable accomplishment for a 600 pound cow.
The occurrence of lethal "bulldog" calves was
unusually high. The breed society in England meticulously required the
recording of any bulldog calves so the parents could be culled. One
interesting theory that has been advanced for this factor in the Dexter is
involved in the early exportations to England. When they were first
introduced in Britain, because of their small size and productivity for
both milk and beef, the became very popular and were sought after as show
animals. The small Dexter and the larger Kerry cattle of Ireland derived
from the same base stock, and when the demand could not be supplied by pure
Dexter's, dwarfish-type Kerries were sorted out and shipped to England as
Dexter's. This concentration of abnormally small Kerrys in the English
herds is advanced as the reason for the excessive appearance of bulldogs in
the English strain.
[Editor's Update: A breeder by the name of
Beryl Rutherford in England demonstrated that carriers of the bulldog gene
could be identified by their outward appearance. This information made it
possible to breed "bull-dog free" Dexter herds. Technology has further
developed our understanding of "bulldog" calves. The gene that causes the
malformation has been identified and breeders may send in DNA of
their animals to determine if the animal carries the bulldog gene. See
article titled, "Short legged - Long Legged Dexters."]