#Dexture cow plus

Our 82 acre farm in Missouri was in dire need of fence repairs, maintenance and renovation. We accepted an offer on the Virginia property the day we were moving west and took it as an auspicious sign. The goat learning curve was steep enough and during a summer trip we realized that what we really needed was a bit more grazing land, so we put the property up for sale and located a farm in Missouri that had everything we desired. We realized the cattle would have to wait as our goat herd increased with the addition of three does and a buck. Could we handle cattle too? The Irish Dexters seemed to be the perfect animal for small-scale farming. It was here we began our farming adventure with a batch of hatchery chicks and two Spanish wethers. Our property was only partially open, maybe 4 acres, with the rest in a wooded swamp.

#Dexture cow plus

'If you've got a bit of land, a breed like the Dexter can work out a lot cheaper than the supermarket, plus they do a pretty good job of mowing the lawn.Recently moved from the mountains of North Carolina to 10 acres in Virginia, between Richmond and Washington, D.C. 'The government has no interest in where our food comes from or how it tastes, so it's nice to set your own welfare and quality standards,” said poet and songwriter Pam Ayres, who has a small herd of Dexters on her 20-acre (81,000 m 2) Cotswolds property. The popularity of Dexters has been fueled by a desire for organic food, health concerns over factory farming, and food prices. They do largely look after themselves and they've been hugely popular with the children.' 'Both my husband and I have full-time jobs, so we're keeping them on the side as an interest. 'With high food prices, they are actually quite an attractive option if you like producing your own food,” said Sue Farrant, owner of four Dexters. Once very rare in both the UK and the US, Dexters have been having a resurgence in both countries, with over 4,100 Dexter cows registered in 2007 by the Dexter Cattle Society in the UK – double the figure for 2000. Originally, Dexters were typically horned, but a naturally polled strain was developed in the 1990s.ĭexter cattle have short legs compared to other breeds increased shortness is displayed from the knee to the fetlock.ĭexter cattle are very hardy, efficient grazers and are able to thrive on poor land. Chondrodysplasia-affected Dexters are typically 6–8 in shorter in height than unaffected ones. Some Dexter cattle carry a gene for chondrodysplasia (a semilethal gene), which is a form of dwarfism that results in shorter legs than unaffected cattle. This trait, along with the smaller size of the calf, has produced a small but growing market in the United States for Dexter bulls to breed to first-calf heifers among the larger beef breeds to eliminate problems at calving. Some produce enough milk to feed two or three calves, and often willingly nurse calves from other cows.

The cows are exceptionally good mothers, hiding their calves almost from birth if they have cover for them to hide. Dexters can reasonably be expected to produce 1.5 to 2.5 gal (7.6 to 9.5 l) per day. The beef produced by Dexters is well marbled and tends to be dark.ĭexters produce a rich milk, relatively high in butterfat (4%) and the quality of the milk overall is similar to that of Jersey cattle. The expected average dress out is 50 to 70%. Their versatility is one of their greatest assets, and probably has something to do with the number of countries where Dexter cattle are found, including North America, South Africa, Australia, and much of Europe.īeef animals in the US are expected to mature in 18–24 months and result in small cuts of high-quality, lean meat, graded US Choice, with little waste.

Management practices vary by breeder and country. Dexters are classified as a small, friendly, dual-purpose breed, used for milk and beef, but they are often listed as a triple-purpose breed, since they are also used as oxen.