Irish Dexter cattle is listed as Recovering by the Livestock Conservancy. They are the smallest full sized cattle in the world and tri-purpose being used as beef, dairy and as oxen.
Dexter beef is highly prized for its small flavorful cuts and its fine spider web marbling throughout, keeping the meat tender and juicy. Dexter beef placed well above angus beef in a blind taste test conducted in 2008- hosted by the partnership of the american livestock breed conservancy, humane farm animal care, slow food, usa and Ayshire farm.
Due to Covid 19 restrictions we are unable to offer cuts of meat at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience.
We raise our Dexters out on Pasture with barn access 365 days a year as they appreciate in the summer months as a respite from the summer heat, and in the winter months to get out of the wind. During summer, they spend much of their time out on “the range”, our largest hillside pasture, enjoying life as their ancestors enjoyed in the Irish hills, drinking from the many fresh water underground springs on the farm. For cold winter months our cattle get an unlimited supply of our own farm grown hay, brought to them fresh twice a day and water from our historic spring house located next to our large ruminant barn, the Van Swan Barn.
Traditional Irish Dexters are black, wild red, and dun (brown), and both male and female have a nice set of white horns with black tips. Over time, polled (naturally horn free) and red cattle have been accepted into the breed registry. Our herd contains both black and dun cows as well as both horned and polled. We do not dehorn our cattle as a general rule, as we feel it is not a necessary practice with Irish dexters and makes them less trustful of humans. All polled cows will produce polled calves, horned cows will produce horned calves unless bred with a polled bull.