Dexter cattle

The Dexter cattle are a beef breed of cattle house and is originally from Ireland.

Dexter cattle

History and origin

In 1840 the breed Dexter was first introduced by Mr. Dexter, a Gutsinspektor in the southwest Irish County Kerry. He had picked out the best wild mountain cattle and crossed with a smaller dairy cattle breed. 1882 was the breed to England and Australia.

The small and robust dual-purpose cattle had almost died out in the 1960s and 1970s, there was competition from modern performance cattle. The Dexter cattle are not more at risk in their present existence, but they are rare breeds.

Breeders this house cattle there, especially in the United Kingdom, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In Europe you meet the breeders, especially in Scandinavia, Holland and Germany. In Switzerland, increases the number of breeders.

Dexter were in the 19th century as the ideal " cow of a country house owner ", which produced a lot of milk for the household and a calf every year for the meat. The animals are very different in size, but are half the size of a Hereford cattle and about a third of a Holstein - Friesian dairy cow in about.

Economy

Dexter Cattle are a dual purpose breed and provide milk and meat. You pretty undemanding in food and entertainment. Especially in the meager mountain scenery and fertile meadows, they feel most comfortable. Since they are sturdy and tough, to protect themselves very well in the winter. Since they only have a small size, they are ideal for the part-time farming. Dexter are ideal recycler of roughage. Most of the young bulls to be slaughtered until the age of three. Due to the BSE crisis, however, over 30 months were banned in the UK sale and utilization of cattle. This had the effect that the bulls concentrate was fed in order to " fatten " before 30 months. An unfinished " ausgemästetes " animal tends to be very little fat in the carcass.

The Dexter cattle are precocious. Therefore, a Erstkalbalter 24-27 months is ideal. Since the cattle have good mothering ability, they can be 14 years and longer used for breeding. That is, they can more calves per cow produce than in other breeds. They produce enough milk to feed two to three calves, and are very easy calving. The calving ease of the race had performed in the United States to a growing market for Dexter bulls that should cover heavier meat breeds erstkalbigen heifers to eliminate the birth problems.

With 10 to 18 months, the animals can be slaughtered already and weigh 100-250 kg depending on feeding. Meat from Dexter beef is part of the " traditional type ", ie it has a higher proportion of marbled fat than the average supermarket beef. It is also tends to be darker, partly due to race, partly by the fact that the carcass is suspended usually longer, resulting in a more tender and flavorful meat other things. Some people claim that the Dexter beef is " sweeter " than other meats.

Dexter cows can produce milk yield from 2000 to 3000 kg at about 4.3 % fat. Some claim that the milk is naturally homogenized better than other milk by the smaller fat globules. Dexter spend an average of 7.6 to 9.5 liters per day.