Royal Dublin Society-Herdbook I - Preface

[jamshundred]

In the preface of the first herd book there are several pages of information about Irish cattle and Kerrie cattle in particular.  .  ..  . .. .  .but tucked near the very end one will find this passage quoted from works of David Low;

" A few honourable exceptions, however, exist to this general neglect of the mountain dairy breed of Ireland.  One attempt had succeeded to such a degree as to form a new breed, which partially exists with the characters communicated to it.  It has been termed the Dexter Breed.  It was formed by the late Mr. Dexter, agent to Maude Lord Hawarden.  This gentleman is said to have produced his curious breed by selection from the best of the mountain cattle of the district.  He communiated to it a remarkable roundness of form and shortness of legs.  The steps, however, by which this improvement was effected, have not been sufficiently recorded; and some doubt may exist whether the original was the pure Kerry, or some other breed proper to the central parts of Ireland now unknown, or whether some foreign blood, as the Dutch, was not mixed with the native race.  One character of the Dexter breed is frequently observed in certain cattle of Ireland, namely, short legs, and a small space from the knee and hock to the hoofs.  This has probably fiven rise to a saying sometimes heard of, "Tipperary beef down to the heels".  However the Dexter breed has been formed, it still retains its name, and the roundness and depth of carcase which distinguished it.  When any individual of a Kerry drove appears remarkably round and short-legged, it is common for the country people to call it a Dexter.

( The bold emphasis on some text was added by me)

The foundation of the Dexter breed is DWARFISM.  For Dexters to remain Dexters. . . . the genetics most remain as well.

Judy

[genebo]

Tell us the year that this was published, please.

[jamshundred]

Gene,

This is the preface to the Royal Dublin Society herd book #1.   In herd book #1 all the animals that were originally recorded in the register of the 
"Farmers Gazette" starting in 1887.  These volumes only included the first 10 Dexter cows recorded however and no bulls.

This first volume of RDS was published in 1890.  This herd book, along with successive ones can be found on Google books by searching for "Kerry and Dexter cattle herdbook".   

Judy

[cascade]

This True-Short non-chondro Dexter certainly fits the description....

He's doesn't suffer from Chrondrodysplasia dwarfism.  You can bet that there were some of these true-shorts in the early Dexters.

[jamshundred]

Kirk

My screen shows a little blue box with a question mark. Questionable picture!  

Kirk,  you cannot change history.  Dexter cattle were a dwarf breed. Not all the cattle were dwarf whether tall or small but the important component of the discussion and science is this:  there are traits carried on the dwarf genes that defined the breed. Without those genetics the breed changes and is re-defined. We must NOT lose the foundation traits that afforded survival to the Dexters when their counterparts, the Kerry cattle did not.  Kirk, this IS very important. There were then and are today Kerry cattle that you would term true short.  The breed is all but lost. Please contemplate why.  They were basically the same breed except the non-carriers were registered as Kerry and the dwarf cattle as Dexter. One survived ...one faded to near extinction. 
Your field of true shorts minus the traits carried on the dwarf genes will fade as well over the decades.  

Kirk, I realize you do not comprehend the argument I make. ( not an insult). It is because you do not have the experience of raising and working with the dwarf cattle like those of is who have experience of both. The dwarf cattle ARE different. They ARE the brochure.  They ARE the Dexter breed.  There is an in-between place where I need to bring you so you work with us to save the breed rather than against us.  I am sure this breed will not survive the fad it now enjoys unless the essence of its genetic roots are preserved

Judy
.