The Irish Dexter Cattle Society is set to host its inaugural breeding show and sale of Dexter cattle on Saturday, October 7.
The event is set to take place at Gort Co-Operative Mart and will kick off at 1:00pm.
In a statement to Agriland ahead of the sale, a spokesperson from the Irish Dexter Cattle Society said: “With an ever-growing demand for the small cow with big advantages, the Irish Dexter Cattle Society is hosting its first annual breeding show and sale of pedigree registered breeding female and male Dexter cattle.
“The sale will feature maiden heifers, in-calf heifers, cows and breeding bulls.
“All cows will be scanned in calf for the day of the sale.
“Fertility testing of all bulls presented for sale will take place on the morning of the sale, by a specialist bovine fertility vet, at a subsidised cost to the seller, giving peace of mind for buyers and sellers alike.
“All animals for sale on the day are eligible for the conservation of rare breeds action of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) for members yet to fulfill this requirement.”
Entries must be booked in with the society in advance of the sale and the closing date for entries is Sunday, September 24.
Entry forms can be found on the Irish Dexter Cattle Society website or by contacting the society’s office.
The Dexter breed
The Dexter cow is one of the last remaining native Irish breeds left in the country today. The breed has many benefits and offers a hardy, compact animal suited to not only survive, but thrive in the harshest conditions with good feet and legs, high-quality milk and a fantastic mothering ability.
The breed has an easy finishing ability from grass-only diets and its beef is widely recognised as a premium beef product.