Dexter FAQs

Looking for more information on Dexters? Have a look at these FAQs or try our website search engine.

Can anyone join the Dexter Cattle Society NZ? +

Anyone with an interest in Dexter Cattle can join the Society.  Please contact our Membership Secretary or see the Join us page for more information.

How do I buy Dexter Cattle? +

Below is a flow chart showing the steps required. Your Area Representative may also be able to help.

What do I need to do to ensure I buy bona fide (registerable) Dexter Cattle? +

You need to ensure that the person you are buying from is a current member of the DCSNZ, that you join the Society and that the animals that you are purchasing are registered.

All cattle must be registered by the breeder. You cannot buy unregistered cattle and register them later.

Why is Dexter meat so tasty? +

The meat is high-quality, lean and tender, with rich marbling.  Those who eat it always come back for more! Here are some mouth-watering examples from a two-year-old steer.

If I buy a Dexter from a lapsed or non-member can I have it registered in my name? +

Yes you can BUT you need to be a financial member of the DCSNZ and then prove to the Herd Registrar that it had already been registered by the breeder.

You will need to complete the form “Transfer from a Non-Member to a Member”, in our Members’ Area, and forward this to the Herd Registrar.

What colours of Dexter Cattle are there? +

The breed comes in three colors: red, black, and dun.  Black is the most common colour, followed by Red and then Dun.

Many breeders have a preference for one colour or another, and often specialise in producing a particular colour.  Irrespective of colour, the breed is intelligent, calm and productive. 

Tony Cutten (member #59) presented this excellent presentation (PDF) at the 2016 AGM in Nelson.

What grades of Dexter Cattle are there? +

There are 5 grades of Dexter Cattle.

Grade 1 – is half Dexter and half another breed of cattle.

Grade 2 – comprises 75% Dexter and 25% another breed. The Sire must be a registered pure bred Dexter and the Dam is a Grade 1.

Grade 3 – comprises 83% Dexter and 17% another breed. The Sire must be a registered pure bred Dexter and the Dam a Grade 2.

Grade 4 – comprises 92% Dexter and 8% another breed. The Sire must be a registered pure bred Dexter and the Dam a Grade 3. Grade 4 cows (females) are registered as pure bred cattle. Bulls must be classified as Grade 5 to be registerable and must have a certified DNA Certificate.

Grade 5 – is a pure bred animal.

From a Grade 3 heifer you can produce a pure bred heifer. From a Grade 4/pure bred heifer you can produce a bull. The purity of a bloodline can be improved by breeding with pure bred animals..

How do I register a Bull? +

If selling a bull, it is the vendor’s responsibility to provide a current Registration Certificate and a copy of the DNA Profile with Sire Verification and PHA status shown. The vendor must register the bull and have it DNA profiled with sire verification, and an additional test for PHA. This cannot be done by the purchaser.

DNA Profiling, Sire Verification and PHA testing is usually done by Massey University and the tests may be ordered here.

Tail Hairs will need to be taken from the bull, prior to sending off the form. A helpful guide to the procedure is here.

Once the DNA Profile, Sire Verification and PHA test have been paid for, the results will be sent to the applicant, either by email or post, according to the option chosen on the application form. A copy is also sent to the Herd Registrar by Massey University but it would pay to check that they have it when the applicant receives the profile. Registration of the bull with the DCSNZ Herd Registrar may then proceed.

Currently there is no mandatory requirement for heifers to be DNA profiled or PHA tested. The bloodline of the heifer is taken on the good word of the breeder. Prospective purchasers of cattle cannot always verify the bloodline of a Dam and hence cannot register cattle that they haven’t bred. A trustworthy member will have no problems or issues with registering cattle that they wish to sell, as they will want to maintain their reputation. All DCSNZ members must be prepared to follow these requirements.

Further information on Registrations and Transfers is here.

Why do I have to bother with keeping and looking after paperwork from the Society? +

The paperwork generated by the Herd Registrar is important as it provides proof of your cattle’s status.  For example, if you have a bull and it dies, the Herd Registrar must be notified.  There is an online form for this purpose in the Members’ Area of this website.

Further information on Registrations and Transfers is here.

Why do cattle need to have NAIT ear tags? +

The Herd Registrar requires a NAIT tag number on a registration form, so that the animal can be registered correctly, and so that the DCSNZ registration number correlates with the NAIT tag number. Cattle can lose tags and therefore by recording both numbers the authenticity of the animals registered can be maintained. In July 2012, the use of NAIT tags became a legal requirement for cattle.

What should I do when a registered animal dies or is culled? +

The Herd Registrar needs to be notified so that the animal’s entry in the registry can be updated to reflect the new status e.g. Culled.

There is an online form for this purpose in the Members’ Area of this website.

Who is responsible for notification of transfer of ownership and what is the cost? +

All Transfers to other DCSNZ members are to be paid for, and submitted by, the Seller who must be a financial member at the time of sale. Within 30 days of sale the cost is $15; afterwards the cost rises to $30.

If the transfer is to a non-member, no fee is payable.

There is an online form for this purpose in the Members’ Area of this website.

What is Facial Eczema? +

Facial eczema is caused by spores in the grass, animals become hyper-sensitive to light, the liver is damaged and the skin starts peeling off. Helpful info on facial eczema can be read here (PDF).

What is Chondrodysplasia? +

Also known as the ‘Bulldog’ gene. This is quite a complex subject, and we have a PDF resource here (with photographs and all information regarding tests.

What are BVD, Lepto and Neospora, and how do they affect Beef cattle? +

Leptospirosis (Lepto) is caused by a bacteria with many different species and strains affecting different animals. It is a serious disease which humans can get from animals with farmers, vets and meat workers being at highest risk of infection.

The bacteria survives in wet soil and stagnant water for months and can enter animals through the soft tissues of the eyes, nose, mouth and genital tract. Infection can cause different conditions such as destruction of blood cells (seen as red urine in calves), kidney problems, and mastitis are seen following infection.

It is also an important cause of late pregnancy abortions, stillbirths, birth of weak/premature calves and retained membranes after calving. An effective vaccine is available and widely used in dairy herds, which reduces the severity of disease and provides protection for people in contact with animals.

Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) is caused by Bovine Viral Diarrhoea virus. It is a complex disease with different effects depending on the animal’s age and stage of pregnancy. In young stock, scouring, ill thrift, rough coats and a depressed immune system are often seen, and look similar to worms.

In pregnant cattle, a range of effects can be seen with infection, from early loss of pregnancy, abortions, birth defects, stillbirths and weak calves, through to persistently infected calves. The persistently infected (or PI) calf carries the infection for life, providing the source of infection for the herd.

Bulls that become infected suffer from decreased fertility for at least 8 weeks and if introduced to a herd that has not been exposed to BVD they can have devastating effects on reproduction. The virus is released in every bodily fluid of infected animals, can be carried across fences and survives for up to 7 days in the environment or on contaminated objects.

For more information check out www.controlbvd.org.nz

Neospora is a protozoan parasite, much like toxoplasma. Like toxoplasma another animal is involved in the parasite lifecycle and infection of cows is through contact with dog faeces, which leads to formation of cysts in muscle, nerves and placenta. Infection during pregnancy leads to either the birth of a carrier calf, or abortion of the foetus. Abortions often occur between the 5th and 7th month of pregnancy and can involve many cows in a short time. Concurrent infection with BVD triples the risk of abortion

A 2008 survey on New Zealand farms, looking at effects of reproductive diseases on pregnancy rates in beef herds found 65% of herds had active BVD infection, with high challenge in young stock indicating the presence of persistently infected animals on the farm.

BVD was shown to reduce pregnancy rates by 5% in herds with established infections, and up to 15% if severe infection occurs. Around half of the herds were infected with Neospora, with the majority of the young stock on these farms infected. Over half of the herds were infected with Leptospirosis with less than 10% of beef herds being vaccinated.

DCSNZ would like to thank Dr William Cuttance for providing this information.

What is PHA? +

PHA causes ‘Waterbaby’ calves, which are usually aborted prematurely. This is quite a complex subject, and we have a PDF resource here with photographs.

PHA Testing is usually done by Massey University and the test may be ordered here.

Tail Hairs will need to be taken from the bull, prior to sending off the form.  A helpful guide to the procedure is here.

Once the PHA Test has been paid for, it will be sent to the applicant, either by email or post, according to the option chosen on the application form. A copy is also sent to the Herd Registrar by Massey University but it would pay to check that they have it when the applicant receives the profile. Registration of the bull with the DCSNZ Herd Registrar may then proceed.  Currently there is no mandatory requirement for heifers to be PHA tested.

How do I order DNA Profiles, Sire Verification and PHA tests from InfogeneNZ? +

IMPORTANT MESSAGE from Massey University…’

In an effort to minimize the chances of errors at all stages, from specimen reception and registration onwards, we have changed to an on-line ordering system. Here is the link: https://epagsc.myshopify.com

Order confirmations are sent to your nominated email address, so you have that record on hand as well.

Instructions:

  • You will need to create an account but it is a simple process and will only take a minute to set up.
  • Sire Verification is referred to as ‘Paternal Verification’ in the list of ‘Genotype Testing’ options.
  • If registering a bull, remember to tick the ‘Dexter PHA’ option in the list of ‘Bovine Genetic screening tests’.
  • You can submit multiple samples in one order.
  • At checkout, please select the “Invoice (For pre-approved customers only)” payment method.
  • When you’ve completed your order you’ll receive a confirmation of these details and an Order #.
  • Samples/batches must be submitted with the relevant Order # attached.
  • You can log-in to your account at any time to view your submissions and see when they’ve been received by our laboratory.