By Sue Pollington
So, now you are ready to buy your first Irish Dexter. You have your land, fencing, a water source, a farm vet who makes farm calls (or a trailer to take them to the vet), a shelter, hay or a hay source, a mineral source and the money to buy.
Now you need to find your cow or cattle as the case may be and the confusion starts. What’s the difference between an Irish Dexter and an American Dexter? Are the white ones really Dexters? Do I want registered or unregistered? What registry is better?
Remembering I am not an expert, and I can be wrong. This is what I learned in my own Dexter journey. There is an American Dexter Cattle Association (which is the largest), a Purebred Dexter Cattle Association and many more that I won’t get into. A registered Dexter is more expensive. This is because the market will pay a higher price to know the genetic testing, DNA and pedigree. But even with registration it doesn’t mean they are all perfect cows, if there is such a thing. I personally don’t care about registration yet I have chosen to buy registered Dexters because there is less chance of deception ie I know what I am getting.
I have a cousin, we will call him Dale who has cattle in MI and he claims if someone comes to him he sells them an Aberdeen and tells people they are the same as a Dexter (they are not) and Dale’s cows aren’t registered and most are mixed in breed. I don’t buy from Dale as I want to know what my cows are, Dexters. There are more people than just my cousin Dale pulling shady things in cattle sales just like with any animal sales. Buyer beware.
Find a reputable breeder, with references. Go see their place and their cows in person. It’s worth the cost. Or if you have a trusted friend who can do this for you, for breeders out of your area, ask them. I found a breeder about 2.5 hours from me and went to visit. .The breeder was open to visitors and she had a great place and super good looking cows that were friendly and approachable. She also wasn’t trying to sell me a cow but made it more educational as my first visit was for that and to see if I would even like Dexters. By the end of the visit I was in love and wanted to buy a cow. This breeder wasn’t sure if she had anyone for sale right now but said she would think about it and the kind of cow I needed as my first cow. I was looking for the unicorn of cows, trained to milk, bred, with a calf at her side. The breeder did offer me an ADCA Dexter at a registered Dexter price. I did not get the perfect cow but I did get the perfect cow for me as a 1st time cow owner, she was patient, easy going, was pregnant with a yearling steer included. She also didn’t have the perfect udder, it was good but she had large teets with small orifices. So she hand milks slowly. She was a great first cow and taught me a lot of good things. I was lucky to end up with her. I still have her.
Take your time, know what you want and be willing to either wait or compromise where you can. Make sure you feel good about the purchase as this is an investment. Cows are not cheap and if they are I want to know why.. Listen to the good stories and the horror stories and learn all you can. Get a cow mentor to guide you who is not trying to sell you something. Let me know if I can help. I am happy too. Good Luck. Getting the Dexters I have,, was a great choice and they make my life so fun. I wish the same for you.
Sue Pollington
