A few years ago we began to research different breeds of cows, trying to find an appropriate `house' cow for our small farm. No that doesn't mean that she would live in the house, as our city friends often asked, but rather a cow to provide for all of our dairy needs as well as putting beef in the freezer every year. The high milk production and potential calving problems of most modern dairy breeds, was quite frankly intimidating. We were beginning to think that we would stick to goats when a friend in Rare Breeds of Canada, suggested that a Dexter cow might suite our needs and also be an appropriate size for our farm. Well that was a few years ago and here we are today with three cows and two heifers!

They are the perfect dual-purpose family cow for a small land holding. So far they have calved on their own without any human intervention. They and their calves thrive on about four acres of good pasture in the summer and a half bale each of good quality hay each day in the winter. Dexters are a breed of cattle originating in Ireland. They are generally considered to be a non-improved breed and anyway I really don't think that you could improve them! I think they are marvelous just as they are. Cows achieve a mature weight of 650-800 lbs and bulls weigh in about 1000-1100 lbs. They produce milk with a butterfat content that would put a Jersey to shame as well as calves that dress at 27 months to about 350 lbs with perfectly proportioned bone to muscle ratio, beautifully marbled, tender, tasty meat only on grass!

Each cow gives us a respectable two to three gallons of fresh rich milk each day. An amount that is more than sufficient for our needs, providing us with a variety of cheeses, yogurt, butter and drinking milk as well as enough extra to raise fat, healthy calves. We are so impressed with the true dual-purpose qualities of this breed that we are trying to breed our cows with an eye to passing both milking and meat traits to their offspring while keeping that lovely easy to handle temperament for which they are so famous. We breed using only top quality, proven AI bulls. And all our stock is tested Chondrodysplasia and Pulmonary Hypoplasia with Anasarca, (PHA). Occasionally we have a trained milking cow, or promising heifer calf for sale, and these are always certified free of both chondrodysplasia and PHA.

Dexter cattle are sadly still one of the `best kept secrets' of old, hardy, dual purpose breeds in the cattle industry. They are the perfect answer for people like us who have made a small move towards self-sufficiency and we certainly are doing our best to bust this secret by bragging about our `girls' every time we get the chance!