Summary of Article About Dexters

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"Kerry and Dexter"

pages 34-36 of Two Hundred Years of British Farm Livestock
by Stephen J.G. Hall and Juliet Clutton-Brock

This book was published in 1989 by the British Museum (Natural History)

This book provides an illustrated description of the development of more than 50 breeds of British cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and horses. It was produced under the aegis of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust for the 1989 Celebration Year of British Food and Farming.  At the time of publication, Stephen Hall was a member of the Research Group in Mammalian Ecology and Reproduction, Physiological Laboratory, Cambridge University. He has published important studies of the Chillingham herd of wild cattle. Juliet Clutton-Brock was a Principal Scientific Officer in the Department of Zoology at the British Museum of Natural History.

In 1780, Arthur Young toured Ireland and remarked on the "poor people's breed of little mountain cow or Kerry cow". There were moves to conserve and improve these native cattle. In 1844 the first classes for Kerry cattle were held at the Royal Dublin Show.

Dexters are referred to as "a miniature version of the Kerry" which had emerged in south-west Ireland by the 1840s. In 1845, David Low was one of the first to write about the Dexter, describing it as a breed arising from the best of the local mountain cattle due to selection by "Mr Dexter, agent to Maude Lord Hawwarden" [sic]. The authors then observe that "these dwarf cattle have since become more popular in England than in Ireland" (page 34).

The authors note that it is not known exactly when Dexters were first taken to England, but in 1882, Mr M. J. Sutton brought some over. A Dexter cow was exhibited at the 1886 Royal Show at Norwich in the Any Other Breed class. The year 1887 saw a combined Kerry-Dexter herd book started, which was taken over in 1890 by the Royal Dublin Society. The 1890 herd book listed 118 Kerry bulls, 943 Kerry cows, 26 Dexter bulls and 210 Dexter cows. Included were cattle registered by English breeders such as Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales. In 1892, English breeders formed their own society and started their own herd book.

Drawing of a Kerry bull, 1856 (page 36)

Irish breeders showed a "general lack of interest in the Dexter" (page 34) whereas the Kerry received government support. For example, in the period 1888-1902, money was paid to breeders to ensure the availability of good Kerry bulls, to try to offset their sale to England. Also, the Livestock Breeding Act of 1925 created a Kerry Cattle Area in which, with rare exceptions, only Kerry bulls could be kept. These regulations were eventually relaxed.

The Kerry in Britain has not reached great numbers while the Dexter has done well, mainly on the good land in the south of England (page 36). In 1900, there were 237 registered Dexter females in 15 herds in Britain, increasing in 1925 to 1,119 in 69 herds. By 1940, however, there were only 317 in 24 herds, though numbers have since recovered. "Pedigree analysis has shown that the Dexter is not notably inbred even though one large and long-lasting herd, the Grinstead herd founded in 1912, had a significant influence on the breed" (page 36).  

Breeding Dexters has been difficult because of "a tendency for 'bulldog' (achondroplastic) calves", genetically-deformed calves that are always born dead and that "are more common from dwarf parents" (page 36).

[This book also includes a photo on page 34 of Dexter cattle from the Knotting herd of Jane Paynter at Yelden, photographed in 1988 - this herd contained 30 milking cows, both red and black in colour.]

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