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For several years we had bought and raised doggie calves for our freezer.  In 2005 I was lamenting to my hay man that I couldn’t find any and he said, “I’m going to bring you some Dexters.”  He brought me two cows and a bull.  The herd they came from had not kept up-to-date records, so they were all unregistered.  Thus began our enjoyment of these small, mellow cows.  We still have the daughter of one of those original cows.  We have butchered some of our Dexters, and the meat is lean and delicious.  Recently we have started milking some of our cows, and have enjoyed the rich milk, cheese, and butter.

Years ago the natural size of most breeds of cattle was much smaller than their modern descendants.  But, after decades of breeding for bigger animals, breeders not only had larger cattle they also had larger bills, too.  Larger cattle aren't as efficient at converting feed as smaller cattle.  Smaller cattle produce more pounds of beef on the same amount of feed as larger cattle.  Dexter cattle are a naturally small breed which originated in the rugged countryside of Ireland.  Known as the poor man’s cow, Dexters provided the dairy necessities for the family and the draft power to work the farm. Their hardy nature allowed them to be very productive, even on poor feed and with little shelter. 

Modern day Dexters continue to be known for their small size and hardy nature.  They are kept from the hot deserts of Arizona to the coldest reaches of Alaska.  Due to their ease of calving, Dexters are a great choice for the first time farmer.

In recent years there has been an increased demand for smaller cattle as people return to the concept of owning the small homestead cow - one that will produce enough milk, butter, cheese, and beef for the average sized family, and won’t break the bank with the cost of feed.  

We cannot say enough good things about Dexter cattle.  Even those we have purchased that have not been exposed to a lot of handling, are coming along nicely in their halter training.  As a breed, they are mellow and their small size makes them easy to work with. 

We have both purebred registered and unregistered stock.  Our aim is to maintain the breed standard of duel purpose cattle – beef and milk producers.  Also, our cows are handled almost daily.  They have all been haltered, and are lead trained, or in the process of being so.

We have become members of the Rocky Mountain Dexter Breeders Association, a community of Dexter breeders throughout the Rocky Mountain Area.  You can get some good information from their website at rockymountaindexter.com.

For even more information on Dexter Cattle, you could research the two Dexter breed registry sites - dextercattle.org or purebreddextercattle.org - or feel free to contact us.  We are always happy to talk “cow.”