Raising Dexter cattle

Small but mighty

Listen to this radio show (MP3 download) or read below.

Radio interview source: Chuck Daggett, Dexter cattle owner

Calves are so cute when they're little, but when they grow to be a full-sized 1,200-pound animal, it's a little intimidating. And they eat a lot, too!

Not everyone has the space or resources to raise full-sized cattle, so an increasing number of acreage owners are turning to tiny Dexter cattle. The breed is over a 100 years old and one of the world's smallest true breeds of cattle, not a miniature developed from a larger breed. Dexters grow to be about half the size of their bigger relatives.

Chuck Daggett raises Dexters, and says anyone from city folks new to the country to a seasoned farmer can easily raise them for a number of reasons.

"Some people treat them almost as a pet," Daggett says. "Some people raise small petite beef. The cuts are smaller, it's cheaper to buy, and they're good eating. Some people still like to milk a cow and they're heavy milkers. And so the homesteader milks them in the morning and gives them the calf in the afternoon."

Dexter cattle are generally docile creatures and if they're around people a lot, they're easy to halter-train. Kids enjoy walking them like a dog.

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