About
The Alvecote herd of pedigree Dexter cattle was named after the tiny Warwickshire village where it was founded
almost two decades ago with the purchase of two heifers and is now, well established here in Ceredigion, Mid Wales. I chose the
Dexter for a number of reasons: because they were small and easy to care for, consumed less food and only required a modest acreage. As a dual-purpose breed the Dexter
produced a realistic amount of sweet creamy milk and great tasting beef, the perfect size for the family freezer.
Despite an increase in herd size over the years my cows remain more than just a number, they may look alike but each individual has their own personality;
all recognise their own name and are treated with
the compassion and respect they deserve.
I also truly believe that you only get out what you are prepared to put in,
so my philosophy has always been to provide the very best right
from the start in terms of good nutrition, management and health care.
Some may say my cattle are pampered but seemingly content to be kept in the manner to which they have become accustomed, my cows are certainly not complaining.
I take a special interest in producing red, dual purpose Dexter cattle and take great care in selecting a suitable bull for each of my cows and use a
combination of artificial insemination and natural service.
Those herd members designated for AI
are put on a synchronisation programme so all calve within a few days
of each other making management very easy.
The majority of my herd now comprises non short leg Dexter cattle, ideal for the practical smallholder like me to produce some
milk for the house together with an adequate amount of beef but still I retain a very small number of the short leg for historical reasons.
My herd is accredited free of BVD, IBR, Leptospirosis and Johne's Disease (Risk Level 1).
Bovine TB also remains a problem in large parts of the UK so in order to protect my herd from infection I have chosen to
subscribe to the bTB scheme and officially accredited as a 'low risk' holding for Bovine TB
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