Any one who has raised cattle knows about calving. After years of pulling calfs, sleepless nights and huge vet bills, Rita and Allyn read an article in Harrowsmith© magazine about Irish Dexter cattle. Minimal calving problems, good temperament, and manageable size, it sounded too good to be true! They would have to get their own Dexter cattle to try.
In 1986 they found 3 head that met their requirements and brought them to their farm in Alberta, Canada. Those first animals exceeded the claims in the magazine article and were extremely adaptable to the rough terrain and winters at the Nelson farm. Since then the Nelsons have reinvested the money they saved on calfpullers and the herd has grown to a manageable size.
As the core herd of Dexters has grown, the Nelsons have also expanded
into crossbreeding with commercial beef production as a goal.
The Nelsons are open, honest people willing to share their expertise
and experiences.
"We welcome all inquiries whether from potential buyers or from
people just curious about the breed. We've met a lot of people since
we started with Dexters, and look forward to meeting many more."
Hillside Dexters are members of: