Irish Dexter Cattle

Here at Wahlman Farms we raise ADCA registered Irish Dexter Cattle.  We were looking for something that would meet our needs and after a little research, found that Dexters were more than a match.  They are the small farm/homestead breed of choice for us.  Bred with a dual purpose in mind, they are both efficient grazers and good milkers.  I have read that they are actually considered a triple purpose breed with the addition of being a draft animal like an ox, though I do not know of many who use them for this purpose. 

Irish Dexters are listed on The Livestock Conservancy as recovering.  As more small farms and homesteaders are introduced to this wonderful breed, I believe they will continue to recover and grow in numbers in the US.  There is some concern about maintaining the heritage characteristics, but there are many breeders out there that value the animal over making a quick buck.

The ideal three year old Dexter bull measures 38 to 44 inches at the shoulder and weighs less than 1,000 pounds. The ideal three year old Dexter cow measures between 36 to 42 inches at the shoulder, and weighs less than 750 pounds.  The colors are black, red, and dun.  But you will see all shaded of those colors.  Both horned (with some dehorned) and polled are accepted.  There are also long-legged and short-legged varieties.  A note that not all short-legged animals are chrondo-carriers, an animal needs to be tested to determine chrondo status.