^ Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007).The beef produced by Dexters is well marbled and tends to be dark.
The expected average dress out is 50 to 70%. īeef animals in the US are expected to mature in 18–24 months and result in small cuts of high-quality, lean meat, graded US Choice, with little waste. Dexters can reasonably be expected to produce 1.5 to 2.5 gal (7.6 to 9.5 L) per day. The breed is suitable for beef or milk production, although individual herd owners often concentrate on growing either one or the other.ĭexters produce a rich milk, relatively high in butterfat (4%) and the quality of the milk overall is similar to that of Jersey cattle. ĭexter cattle are very hardy, efficient grazers and are able to thrive on poor land. ĭexter cattle have short legs compared to other breeds increased shortness is displayed from the knee to the fetlock. Originally, Dexters were typically horned, but a naturally polled strain was developed in the 1990s. As with Chondrodysplasia, PHA-affected Dexters should not be bred together.
Unlike chondrodysplasia, which has many physical signs, PHA shows no outward signs and is only detectable through DNA testing. ĭexters can also be affected with pulmonary hypoplasia with anasarca (PHA), which is an incomplete formation of the lungs with accumulation of a serum fluid in various parts of the tissue of the foetus. Short-legged Dexter cattle are considered to be heterozygous, while bulldog foetuses are homozygous for chondrodysplasia genes. The occurrence of bulldog foetuses is higher in calves born with a black coat than a red coat, because black coat colour is more common. The aborted foetus is commonly called a bulldog, a stillborn calf that has a bulging head, compressed nose, protruding lower jaw, and swollen tongue, as well as extremely short limbs. A DNA test is available to test for the chondrodysplasia gene, using tail hairs from the animal. Breeding two chondrodysplasia-affected Dexters together results in a 25% chance that the foetus can abort prematurely. Chondrodysplasia-affected Dexters are typically 6–8 in shorter in height than unaffected ones. Some Dexter cattle carry a gene for chondrodysplasia (a semilethal gene), which is a form of dwarfism that results in shorter legs than unaffected cattle. This trait, along with the smaller size of the calf, has produced a small but growing market in the United States for Dexter bulls to breed to first-calf heifers among the larger beef breeds to eliminate problems at calving. Some produce enough milk to feed two or three calves, and often willingly nurse calves from other cows. The cows are exceptionally good mothers, hiding their calves almost from birth if they have cover for them to hide. Their versatility is one of their greatest assets, and probably has something to do with the number of countries where Dexter cattle are found, including North America, South Africa, Australia, and much of Europe. Management practices vary by breeder and country. While many Dexters are naturally hornless ( polled), many have horns that are rather small and thick and grow outward with a forward curve on the male and upward on the female.ĭexters are classified as a small dual-purpose breed, used for milk and beef, but they are often listed as a triple-purpose breed, since they are also used as oxen. Dexters should have no white markings except for some minor white markings on the belly/udder behind the navel and some white hairs in the tail switch. Dexters have three coat colours - black, red, and dun (brown). Considering their small size, their bodies are broad and deep with well-rounded hindquarters. The Dexter is a small breed with mature cows weighing between 600 and 700 lb and mature bulls weighing about 1,000 lb (450 kg).
0 kommentar(er)
