About Dexters

Stone Meadow Farm

Purchasing

Photos

Directions

A Little History...

Dexter cattle were known as the "cottage cow" of Ireland. A family might have kept one for milk on as little as three acres of pasture. Offspring would be used for meat or sold for cash. Dexter cattle are the smallest bovine (beside "miniature" cows). Adult cows weigh 600-700 pounds. Adult bulls weigh up to 1000 pounds. In comparison, an adult Angus, Simmental or Herford can weigh over 1500 pounds. Dexters can be black, dark red or dun in color. They have small and thick horns that grow outward with a forward curve on the male and upward on the cow. A polled Dexter strain was developed in the 1990's.

Dexters were popular in England in the 19th century and the first registry began there in the early 1800s. They first came to the America's in the early 20th century. Their small size led to limited acceptance by the beef industry. But those who had herds were devoted to the gentle and easy to manage bovine and kept a breeding population alive.

Motherhood

Dexters are good mothers. Birthing is relatively easy as calves weight only 30 pounds at birth. Cows share guardianship of the herd's young which allows each mother some down time to graze and rest.

Popularity

Dexters, as a breed, have had somewhat of a resurgence of popularity during the last 20 years for the same reasons they were popular two centuries ago: they're small and can be managed on small farms; and, they're gentle and can be managed by farmers with limited experience.

© 2009 Stone Meadow Farm