A very small, short-legged breed from the south-west of Ireland, the Dexter has long been popular as a smallholder’s cow, notable not only for its milk production, but also its beef. Because the carcase is so small, it is ideal for home freezers. It was developed by a Mr Dexter, agent for Lord Hawarden, on Valentia Island in County Kerry: traditionally Dexters were bred by mating Kerry cows to Dexter bulls. First exported to England in the 1880s, a herdbook was opened in 1900.
The fashion for breeding these cattle as small as possible has created health problems, and today most breeders opt to produce slightly longer-legged animals, standing between 100cm and 112cm at the withers. Most Dexters are black, though some are dun or red. They are a horned…
