The big promise of the mini-moo

In a world where technology gets smaller and smaller every day it's not a surprise that the 'tiny' trend has spread outside the computer world.
 
Meet the Dexter cow: small, personable and quiet. Fully grown, these 'mini-cows' are the size of large dogs, less than half the size of a full-sized cow. Dexters eat half as much as full-sized breeds such as Holsteins and require half the amount of space to grow. They're intelligent and friendly, yet these tiny cows are still a rarity on the Canadian farming scene.

Ellen Riopelle and her husband Dan have been raising Dexter cows on their farm in Pembroke, Ont. for seven years. They bought their first Dexter from a petting zoo near Arnprior, Ont. and have been breeding these miniature cows ever since.

Ellen and Dan Riopelle have been farming Dexter cows for seven years."I love them," Ellen says of her eight Dexters. "I like that I can go out and pet them. I'm not afraid of the cows. They're very gentle and quiet."

"They don't smell as bad as big cows," she says with a laugh. "I know it sounds silly and, yes, their poop stinks, but not as bad as the big ones."

Small cow, big advantage

Dexters don't require the same quality of hay as full-grown cows, and while they don't grow as quickly or yield as much meat as a full-sized Holstein, the quality of their meat and milk is just as good — and in some cases better — than other larger breeds. Because Dexters are not bred to grow as quickly as possible in the shortest amount of time, they're healthier than a commercially-grown cow.

There's definitely a move afoot to focus on these smaller cattle breeds." 
— Tom Henry

Dexter cows have yet to become popular on the Canadian farming scene, but that's not for a lack of interest in the breed.

"There's definitely a move afoot to focus on these small cattle breeds," says Tom Henry, editor of Small Farm Canada.

The publication recently featured Dexter cows in response to reader interest in smaller breeds of cattle.

Henry says smaller cattle are ideal for small farms. They’re less expensive to keep and are less likely to compact the ground they graze on. The smaller proportions of red meat they yield are a better fit for smaller families. The restaurant industry is increasingly interested in Dexter cattle, if not for taste than for novelty.

"It's a niche, for sure," says Ron Black, the secretary of the Canadian Dexter Cattle Association.

  Small cattle is ideal for small-scale farms.

Dexters are chosen by people who have a small acreage, Black says. Ontario has the greatest number of registered Dexter farms, with Alberta a close second. It's not because Dexters are less popular out West but because farms there are larger and farmers are able to graze larger breeds.

'Dexter for life'

In addition to raising Dexter cows for meat and milk, the Riopelles breed Dexters for sale.

"I wouldn't go back to a big cow. Ever." — Ellen Riopelle

"We usually have a waiting list for calves in the spring," says Ellen.

They’ve built a reputation for breeding healthy Dexter cows, prompting farmers across Ontario and Quebec to request calves from them in the spring breeding period.

On top of that, the small Dexter community is a friendly one, says Ellen. If one farmer is unable to sell a Dexter cow during the breeding period, they're likely to point to another farmer with available Dexter stock.

Ellen Riopelle says she's hooked now on raising Dexters and has declared herself, "Dexter for life."

"I wouldn't go back to a big cow," she says. "Ever."