The Rural Voice, 1998-09, Page 4412-25 pounds a day.
Dexters were first introduced to
Canada in the 1960s. At that time, 55
animals were registered in the
country. There was a lapse of 15
years before more Dexters were
imported. The original animals came
from England and the U.S.
The Canadian Dexter Cattle
Association was not formed until
1986 when interest in the breed
started to grow. By 1991, there were
close to 400 animals registered in the
country. Last year the number had
grown to 1,500, with 141 breeders
right across Canada, the majority in
Alberta.
Native to the south of Ireland,
Dexter cattle are a mountain breed
and used to roam the hillsides in an
almost wild state. They survived in
both lush lowland pastures and
sparse, more mountainous regions.
Over the last century in Ireland they
were often found in mixed herds with
the larger Kerry cattle. While they
most likely share some common
ancestry, genetic testing has
confirmed that Dexters and Kerries
are distinct breeds.
Carol and Gary Jaciuk's
introduction to Dexter cattle
was similar to the Stans.
Growing up in the city, Carol Jaciuk
was afraid of cows. She had no desire
to get near an animal that weighed
2,000 pounds and stood five feet tall.
When Carol and her husband Gary
moved to a 23 -acre farm in Dundalk,
Carol decided if she was going to
raise animals she wanted something
smaller and more manageable.
After reading an article on Dexter
cattle in Farmwoman magazine in
February 1995, Gary decided to buy
his wife some of the smallest
purebred cattle in the world. Standing
40 inches high and weighing 800
pounds, they are full-grown and a lot
smaller than an Angus or Limousin.
Dexter cows mature at 600 to 800
pounds, while bulls are full grown at
800-1,000 pounds. New born calves
weigh close to 40 pounds.
Finding someone close to
Dundalk who raised Dexters wasn't
easy. Gary finally got in touch with
the Canadian Dexter Cattle
Association in Keene, Ont., from
whom he got the name of a breeder
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in Crecmore, with a Dexter bull. The
bull was on its way to the butcher
when Gary decided to buy it for
Carol to start her own small hcrd.
Despite the growing interest in the
cattle, Gary, along with other
breeders, are doubtful Dexters will
make a major inroad into the high-
volume, highly -efficient cattle
industry.
"They are good for hobby
farmers. They are very economical
and hearty animals," said Gary.
Winona Crapp, president of the
Canadian Dexter Association
disagrees. She thinks Dexters are
good for more than just a hobby.
Crapp said farmers often don't see
much credibility in the cows because
of their size.
"You get a smaller cut of beef
because of their size," said Crapp,
"but the weight gain is as good as
other animals."
A side of Dexter beef might be
150-200 pounds, another breed of
cattle could be up around 600-800
pounds.
Crapp raises between 30-40
Dexters on her farm in Keene. She
said it is a waste of money to send
her cows to the sales barn. She sells
her meat right off the farm and she
has customers as far away as
Windsor. While she has seen an
increased demand for the meat,
prices have dropped a little for
Dexters in the past few years.
Farmers receive $2.25-$2.50 per
pound for a side of beef.
Crapp admits that finding a market
to sell your meat is difficult, but she
said, if you can do it — it's worth it.
She now has 32 Dexters on five
acres of pasture, using a pasture
rotation system. In addition to
pasture the animals are fed a
molasses -based liquid protein, salt
and minerals. Crapp vaccinates the
animals once a year in the fall but
said the Dexters are hearty animals.
The meat is naturally marbled
with little fat and Crapp thinks grain
feeding is a waste of money. She
performed her own on-farm
experiment and found the meat was
just as good on the cows that were
only on pasture as those who had
received a grain supplement.
The Canadian Dexter Association
is involved in research bcing done in
Alberta to chart the breed's weight