Dexter distribution - Where are all the Dexters in the UK?

[Rob R]

Just looking through the sales ads on the site, most cattle appear to be in the South & Midlands- is this a true reflection of the numbers of the breed throughout the UK, or is it just the Northerners don't need to advertise, what does everyone think?

[Penny]

There certainly is a high demand for dexters here in Yorkshire, so it could be that we just don't have to advertise. There probably are more dexters in the South and Midlands, but when I thought about your comments, I did a quick count up about approx. how many dexters there are in an 8 mile radius of this farm and came to the surprising figure of 250 including a handful of unregistered ones ( and no, I don't have 240 of them!).

It does concern me, though, about the number of people who seem to go into dexters and then move on to other things. This is maybe a minus side for the actual cows themselves because whilst they may be a versatile breed, suiting many peoples wants, many cows are moved several times during their life, and split up from friends etc.
Other commercial breeds tend to be sold in herds, or at least groups. I have one girl here who is only 6 years old but has had five different homes ( and she has now been with me a year of her life).

Penny

[Inger]

Yes you are right Penny. It must be terribly disorientating for cows to be moved around singularly. We combined two herds when we first started out and then later added more animals from the same source as the first herd. Each time there was a bit a argy-bargy and it took time to settle down. We also bought a single, older in-calf cow and being on her own, she copped a fair bit of flak from everyone else. She was always on the outer and tended to keep to herself. Her calf ended up coming a month early and only just survived (with a lot of intervention on our part). But now things have settled down and I'm hoping that this year, everyone is going to get in-calf. Last year, a number of the new cows and a few of the original ones, didn't get in-calf. I think that adding in new animals in the middle of the breeding season, could have been the reason. There was too much fighting going on. Still, one learns as one goes along. We have more grass this year too, which helps.

[Rob R]

I quite agree. I prefer to buy stock close to source, as ones that have had more moves just don't seem to 'do' as well. This is a particular problem when you are looking at buying heifers, as many are sold in singles, and down south too, you are really adding to their stress taking them on their own to a new herd after a journey of several hundred miles.

[Duncan MacIntyre]

I think the distance involved is less important than the loading, the style of driving and the settling down with individuals in the new herd. Particularly if long distances are done in a suitable vehicle with careful driving on a motorway I do not think it makes much difference what the distance is. Travelling with plenty of bedding in a trailer I find most animals will settle very well and often lie down whilst travelling. This is a different story from travelling in a float with little bedding and lots of other cattle in the same space. I have moved quite a few from Bute to Stoneleigh, Stoneleigh to Bute, Bedfordshire to Bute, Bute to Perth, Perth to Bute, and the longest from Penzance to Bute, and he arrived in much better shape than I was after the journey. Ilsington Bramble did quite a bit of travelling in his time and was never up or down by it.
I would say again, the stress of travelling should be a lot less than the stress of joining a new herd.

Duncan

[Sylvia]

Ye Gods, Penzance to Bute! That's what I call brave.

[Rob R]

Yes Duncan, I agree, it is the number of moves (as well as the way they have been handled & transported), rather than the distance involved that is important. When I say 'close to source', I mean to say with least number of herd changes, rather than geographical location.