Dexter breed, the poor man’s cow

THE Dexter are a dual-purpose breed of cattle which are raised for both milk and meat production.

This is a miniature cattle breed originating in Ireland and is about half the size of a traditional Hereford breed, about one third the size of Friesian and is the smallest of the European cattle breeds.

The Dexters have almost disappeared in Ireland, but was still maintained as a pure breed in a number of small herds in England and also in the United States.

Dexters were later known as the “poor man’s cow” as the smaller farmer was able to provide enough meat and milk for his family, even on limited grazing.

It can be assumed that the ancestors of the Dexter breed in Namibia were originally imported from South Africa.

It is well known that South African breeders have sold several bulls of high quality (over the years) rather to Namibians than to fellow South Africans to restrict competition.

Unfortunately, most of these bulls have been deregistered in the process, but it can be assumed that they have made a huge contribution to the commercial Dexter herds in Namibia.

In 1917, one mother, Conroy van Paarl in the Western Cape introduced the first registered Dexters (bred by RT Robinson from Dublin) to South Africa – the bull (La Mancha Chief) and 10 pregnant cows formed the basis of the Dexter breed in South Africa.

In 1950 and along with the drastic increase in wool prices, Dexter imports continued to grow, especially to the Karoo where they were already popular among sheep farmers. Dexter cattle could be handled in the sheep facilities and were good mothers for orphaned lambs. Dexter cows also supplied milk to workers on the outposts of large sheep farms.

Since 2010, the Dexter Breeders’ Association of Namibia has been trying to breed a true dual-purpose Dexter that can thrive in extreme Namibian conditions and be bred in Namibia.

The Society is convinced that this step, the continued participation in shows, the promotion of Dexter meat, as well as the large number of customized commercial Dexters in Namibia (at least 40 different breeders), offers momentum to the Dexter breed and will continue to stimulate growth.

The exact origin of the breed is quite obscure, but the common assumption has been that these animals are a result of a cross between the Kerry and some other breeds (probably Devon cattle). They have many similarities with the Kerry cattle, and many people considered Dexters to be a dwarf type of Kerry. However, recent blood typing research has determined that the Dexter and the Kerry cattle, though closely related, are genetically distinct breeds. Currently, the total number of Dexters is around 2 000 in Ireland. And it’s a rare breed, but is now considered a recovering breed by The Livestock Conservancy.

Dexter cattle are small-sized animals. They have a wide and deep body with well-rounded hindquarters. They appear in three colours which are red, brown and black. They should not have any white markings except for some very minor ones on the belly/udder behind the navel and some white hairs in the tail switch.

They can be either horned or polled. The horned version has small and thick horns which grow upward with a forward curve on the bulls and upward curve on the cows. They have relatively short legs. The average live body weight of the mature cows is around 350 kg. And the mature bulls on average weigh around 450 kg.

The Dexter cattle are very hardy, forage-efficient animals and they are very friendly in nature. They are usually docile in behaviour and have pleasant temperaments.

As an old mountain cattle breed, they are well-adapted to the harsh landscape. They are often known to eat weeds and unwanted vegetation, and can thrive on low-quality pastures.

The cows are great mothers and they can protect their calves from predators very well. They have less issues in calving and usually calve quite easily.

The cows can produce up to 3 500 kg of milk per lactation. Their milk is of good quality containing about 4% butterfat and about 3,5% protein.

The meat of the Dexter cattle is also of very good quality with good marbling. The small size of the carcass makes the breed an excellent choice for use in direct marketing programmes. They have sometimes been marketed as a novelty or ornamental breed.

– roysfarm.com-Dexter Cattle Breeders Society of Namibia

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