WHY LEGACY?
Legacy is the ONLY voice fighting to preserve the traditional Dexter cattle bloodlines and raise awareness of the decreasing numbers of traditional cattle that do NOT have upgrading in the pedigrees. Legacy works not only for the Dexter breed but for its owners and breeders. Legacy was the FIRST to develop the Dexter genotype database and encourage breeders to maintain parentage confirmed herds. Legacy was the FIRST to encourage the preservation of unique Dexter qualities feared to be lost with the concentration of "other-than-Dexter" genetics now flooding our breed and changing not only it's exterior but likely the interior. Legacy was the FIRST to negotiate the most reasonable priced genetic testing in the Dexter breed where the rights of owners are maintained and protected. Legacy was the FIRST and only to participate in world wide research on the Dexter breed through Cardiff University in England. Legacy was FIRST to promote awareness of the A2 beta casein in milk and the research surrounding it and negotiated the FIRST permission for licensed testing in the US.
LEGACY loves Dexters. Legacy not only talks the talk. . . Legacy walks the walk.
Legacy and the Dexter breed needs help from YOU to continue the work of promoting and preserving the traditional Dexter breed. MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT. . . . NO ONE ELSE IS! Our established associations are promoting polled animals established from bloodlines with recorded outcrossing. The pages of their publications and their websites are awash in photos of animals without horns.
If you are a polled owner or breeder Legacy is also looking out for your Dexter interests. The Legacy registry will provide all breeders information and division as to bloodlines that will help make informed breeding choices and the validity of the pedigrees in the Legacy database will by the most trusted in the Dexter breed. By seeking to protect traditional horned bloodlines Legacy assures there is a genetic pool of the traditional genetics so valued by all Dexter breeders for use in future breeding.
If YOU admire this breed it is imperative that you consider the importance of preserving Dexters in their traditional form both for now and into the future.
ASK NOT WHAT DEXTERS CAN DO FOR YOU. . . . . ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR DEXTERS !
LEGACY IS WORKING TO BUILD HERDS OF DISTINCTION WITH TRUSTWORTHY PEDIGREES- -ONE DEXTER AT A TIME.
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The original focus for Legacy was to identify, record, and encourage breeding programs to preserve Legacy-qualified animals. (Legacy Dexters have pedigrees which denotea fullblood status). Much needs to be done in the future as well. There are roughly only about 25 of these Dexters remaining in the breeding programs in the US. The imported bull, Parndon Bullfinch has been excluded from Legacy-qualified status. Although the extensive research of Legacy leads to the belief that Parndon Bullfinch was indeed a fullblood Dexter bull there exists a problem with the recorded pedigree that has yet to be rectified. One of the ancestors was not recorded in the current records of the DSC in England, leaving a blank space on the pedigree. a Legacy continues to work to find early paperwork to remedy this oversight and Legacy encourages the preservation of these horned bloodlines believed to share the same importance to the Dexter breed as preserving the recorded fullblood lines.
Breeders who are interested in the preservation project will also need to become familiar with qualities of sound Dexters, and familiar with good bovine structural conformation that allows them to continue. Among their many qualities, Dexters are known for;
Small size
Gentle temperaments
Easy calving
Long life--long productive life
Milk production AND beef characteristics
Hardiness and strength
Fertility and good maternal traits
Intelligence and personality
Ability to live on “poor man’s” forage
These qualities are intrinsic to the DEXTER breed and must not be lost in an emphasis either on “purity” or on “commercial viability.” Therefore, knowledgeable breeders, whether in the current Dexter mainstream or the Legacy-pure stream, must be able to make reproductive decisions that maintain these qualities. In addition, some Dexters have shown negative traits that work against some of the above positive traits. For example, “bad feet” will tend to shorten a Dexter’s life, and to cut down on mobility and the “hardy” ability to forage on its own. Breeders make decisions, and it is important that breeders, especially Legacy breeders dealing with such small numbers, do not emphasize one trait to the exclusion of the many others that make a Dexter a uniquely wonderful bovine! Those of us who feel especially drawn to preserving the PUREST Dexters believe we can and must make breeding and culling decisions WITHIN the fullblood portion of the breed. And we must be extremely careful not to lose the primitive traits that have stood the Dexter animals in such good stead without large-scale human intervention over these many years. If this challenge appeals to YOU, join us!
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