17 May 2025

Returning Dexter cattle to the hills of Kerry

In a return to their roots, Teagasc Growing Organics Monitor Farmer, Sarah Turner has added a group of Dexter cattle to her organic hill farm in Co. Kerry.

Sarah recently joined Teagasc Organic Advisor, Kevin Fitzgerald in the below video to detail her reasoning for returning this native Irish rare breed.

Five Dexter heifers were added initially, later mated with a certified organic Dexter bull – a joining which proved successful – and will lay way for calving in July of this year.

A novice to cattle ownership, Sarah noted that her experiences to date of the Dexter breed have been positive: “They are so well suited to the ground. They originate from Kerry and they’re very low maintenance. They kind of get in everywhere and eat everything that the sheep don’t eat, so it’s kind of a no-brainer.”

To find out more, watch the full interview with Sarah and Kevin below:

Find out more about Sarah Turner’s Growing Organics Farm here.