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Cows
At The Sanctuary we only have one cow at present. Her name is Tia. She is a Dexter cow and a very friendly one at that.
Tia arrived at The Sanctuary in October 1999. She likes to have a fuss made of her, so if you visit make sure you give her
a fuss. Tia spends time out in the fields but some days you might catch her in her large pen.
Some Facts about Dexter Cows
Dexters are the smallest breed. The average Dexter stands around 3 feet high and weighs between 800 and 1000
pounds.
They are very well proportioned, however, so without a frame of reference they do not look small.
Some Dexters have short legs, others have long legs.
Dexters are normally a solid brownish black or sometimes a dark red.
They also have black skin, a short face with a broad forehead, a hair foretop and short horns.
Dexter cows are perfect family dairy cows, producing about 2 gallons of milk and 3 quarts of cream a day.
Dexters are also strong and can pull plows; they are also tractable animals.
There are a couple of theories about the origins of the Dexter.
Both theories have the origin as the Kerry, a rare Irish breed.
The Dexter started to become known in the 1700s when small farmers found the Dexter very practical for use on small plots
of land.
Later, the novelty of the cute, small bovines, made them popular on English estates.
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