Rising supermarket costs have driven many families into turning their back gardens into mini-farms. “They’re a lifestyle really, I tell people not to expect to make a lot of money,” Ms [Bev Gardiner] said. “They’re prolific milkers and it’s very creamy milk. A lot of people are making their own cheese and butter.

Ms Gardiner said that if people were raising Dexters for meat, they usually took them to the local abattoir. “It’s a bit hard to kill them, especially if you’ve named them,” she said.

“But if you do, they’re the perfect size for a freezer. It is a very high quality meat, lightly marbled, tender, sweet …”

THE tree change phenomenon — thousands of people fleeing the cities and suburbs for a more fulfilling life in the country — has led to the revival of the once extremely rare Dexter.

These tiny Irish cows, which stand barely a metre tall yet give up to 10 litres of milk a day, have turned out to be the perfect animal for people with a little bit of land and not much farming experience. As long as there is enough grass, Dexters require almost no care.

Once known as Ireland’s house cow, they are now barely known in their country of origin. Yet they have a charming temperament.

Bev Gardiner, 68, president of the Dexter Cattle Association, had never heard of them until 15 years ago, when she was looking around for something to do with her husband in retirement.

Normal cattle were too big, horses were a lot of trouble, goats had dirty bottoms and suffered from lice — and then she read an article about Dexters.

She paid $10,000 for her first pure-bred Dexter.

They date back to ancient times and were first introduced into Australia during the 1880s. A century later there were so few of them and they were so poorly regarded by most cattle people that they were in danger of becoming extinct worldwide.

The tree change phenomenon has underpinned a turnaround in the breed’s fortunes, reflected in their falling prices. A pure-bred Dexter now fetches anything from $1000 to $3000.

A count by the Dexter Cattle Association in July showed an explosion in their population, with more than 6000 registered animals. A similar phenomenon has occurred in Britain, where their numbers have doubled since 2000.

Rising supermarket costs have driven many families into turning their back gardens into mini-farms. “They’re a lifestyle really, I tell people not to expect to make a lot of money,” Ms Gardiner said. “They’re prolific milkers and it’s very creamy milk. A lot of people are making their own cheese and butter.

“They have a very nice temperament and are easily trained. With the trend to alternative lifestyles, they appeal to people who do not have a cattle raising background.

“A lot of women like them because they are small and easy to manage. I had one bull; if he got out of the paddock you could lead him home by the ear.”

Ms Gardiner said that if people were raising Dexters for meat, they usually took them to the local abattoir. “It’s a bit hard to kill them, especially if you’ve named them,” she said.

“But if you do, they’re the perfect size for a freezer. It is a very high quality meat, lightly marbled, tender, sweet …”

Adding to their many virtues, the cattle are ready breeders, living for up to 20 years and having a calf most years.

The next major Dexter breed show will be held at Macksville showground in northern NSW on September 13.

Credit: John Stapleton