2: Dexters as a Small Breed

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When you first see a Dexter, its small size is most striking. A Dexter is half to two-thirds the size of traditional breeds of dairy and beef cattle. The Dexter's smallness is perhaps its greatest attribute, being the basis of many of its other valuable characteristics. The Dexter is widely recognised as the smallest of the traditional British breeds. There are now breeds of a similar size, including the Lowline Angus and Miniature Hereford, but they have emerged very recently relative to the Dexter and, as specialist beef breeds, lack the Dexter's versatility.
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A Friesian heifer and a Dexter heifer, both the same age, 15 months (Photo, JLP, 2005).

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It is generally accepted that the preferred height for Dexter cows is between about 96 to 106 centimetres (38 to 42 inches) at the rump; for Dexter bulls, it is 101 to 111 centimetres (40 to 44 inches), though breed standards in different countries vary a little from these. The average height of the Lowline Angus and Miniature Hereford breeds are very similar, at about 100 to 110 centimetres. By contrast, a small Jersey cow may be 120 cms high while a Friesian cow will stand up to 136 cms, a Friesian bull up to 150 cms.

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Two Dexter calves in a herd of Friesian calves of the same age (Photo: JLP, 2005).

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Dexters are shorter than other traditional breeds but they also have a smaller body. The average weight of a Dexter cow is usually put at between 300 and 350 kgs (660 to 770 pounds). By contrast, a Jersey cow weighs between 320 and 440 kgs (700 to 970 pounds) while a Hereford cow weighs between 680 and 770 kgs (1,500 to 1,700 pounds).

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However, the smallness of the Dexter can be due to either its genetic makeup or a selective breeding strategy. See Post 2a for an explanation of these. Whatever its source, the smallness of the Dexter means that it can be managed more easily by the smallholder. In these days when the norm is "bigger is better", a small cow provides a point of difference and interest. There is no denying the "cuteness" appeal as well.
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Langley End Forsythia (left), with breeder Stuart Creasey (right) (From 1988 Herd Book of the UK Dexter Cattle Society. Scanned by Duncan MacIntyre).

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Some Dexter breeders refer to Dexters as a "miniature" breed. There is increasing interest in "miniature" livestock, and cattle breeds that are referred to as "miniature" are usually about the same size as a Dexter. But please note: a miniature cow is still larger than a sheep - it is heavy enough to be very painful when it is standing on your foot!

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