Rachael Savoy’s Dexter Cattle

Story, photos and recipes by Cynthia Nobles

Rachael Savoy of S5 Farms in Welsh raises registered Dexter cattle, a heritage breed that originated in the Kerry region of southwest Ireland. They first appeared in the U.S. around 1905.

Purebred Dexters are famously small, ranging from the size of a large dog, like a Rottweiler, and up to a small Jersey. Their weight range is 700-900 pounds. 

“Mine are definitely smaller than full-sized cattle,” Rachael said, as we wandered through her docile herd. “But they’re not miniatures. Some breed them a lot smaller. Some people want them just as a pet, and I don’t like selling to them. They don’t know how to care from them.”
            
​Rachael sells most of her calves for meat. Every year she also slaughters a couple for her family, and she milks nursing cows twice a day. 

Her first exposure to the breed came from her brother, Rusty. “He had some Dexters but they weren’t registered. I got on Facebook with some people in Texas who knew about them. My first 4 registered cows came from DeRidder. Now I get them from all over.” Her current herd totals 17, but goes higher, depending on selling conditions.

Rachael and her husband, David “Ashley” have been married 19 years and have been living in Welsh’s Ardoin Cove area for 8 years. She started raising Dexters right after their move.

“Ashley is an auto mechanic and I drive a school bus,” Rachael said. “He’s not a farm person. I have a lot of free time during the day so I do most of the work with the cows myself.  

“Growing up I spent a lot of time with an uncle who was a rice and cattle farmer. He had butcher steers and calves. I’d help bottle feed. In high school I showed market steers and lambs. I wanted to be a veterinarian and went to McNeese 3 years. But I didn’t quite finish.”

Since then Rachael has taught herself a lot about Dexters. “Hide colors accepted by the American Dexter Cattle Association are solid-colored black, red, or dun,” she said. 

​“Dexters are hardy, have a high fertility rate, are easy calfers, and produce high-quality meat. 

“The original Irish Dexters were black and they were horned.” The breed’s horns are mid-sized and white with black tips. “Most of mine are homozygous polled; they won’t produce horned offspring. I’m trying to get all polled for safety of the herd.”  

Calves get tagged when they are older, at least 6 months old, because their ears are so little. “Bull calves are so tiny,” Rachael said. “I use a Callicrate Bander and can band them up to 2 years old.”

Rachael keeps just 1 bull at a time. “I usually let mine stay with the cows year-round. But last year I kept him out so they weren’t birthing all year. I like a fall calving, like early November. I don’t want to tend winter calves. They can take the heat, but not the cold.”

To memorialize her first bull, Clyde, Rachael had his hide tanned, and she displays it on her sofa. Clyde’s hide was white. “There was only one cross to get the white color,” she said of the bull she had bought as a calf. 

Despite their lack of size, Dexter cattle are solid and compact. “At one time they were used as plow animals,” Rachael said. “Sure, they’re great for milk and meat. But a long time ago lots of people used to work them like oxen.” 

One reason Rachael likes raising Dexters is that they are easy on pasture. “We can do 1 an acre,” she says of her grass-fed herd. “I’ve kept up to 20 on 12 acres, although some were calves.”

For winter hay, Rachael drives a tractor and bales with her brother. She also puts out liquid feed. All year long she keeps out mineral tubs.

​A remarkable thing about Rachael’s herd is that they are so gentle, which is another trait of the breed. Her cows have names like Matilda, Claire Bear, Vega, Dawn, Jack, and Jim. Then there’s Francine, who was born during the also-named hurricane. “I call them and they come to the pen,” she said. “I’ll feed them and they go through the chute without me prompting. They go into the trailer on their own. Their temperament is almost like a pet’s.

“And they are great mothers. The mamas are so protective. They get in a circle and keep out cayotes. Some won’t let others’ calves nurse, but some will let any cow’s calf nurse.”

Rachael’s biggest challenge is grazing. Although she has taken grazing classes at McNeese and keeps experimenting, there always seems to be a problem with pasture quality. “I keep trying to figure out my grass,” she said. “I’m always fighting smut grass. The first year I planted ryegrass and nothing but buttercups came up.”

Rachael remains determined to win the battle with her grazing grass. And although she has given up on becoming a veterinarian, her daughter might carry out that dream. “She wants to be a veterinarian,” Rachael says. “So one day she’ll hopefully take over my Dexters.”
 
 
 
Smothered Rib Eyes
Makes 4 servings
 
This recipe is an adaptation of one of Rachael Savoy’s specialties. Although you can cook the meat to only medium, Rachael says her family likes it cooked all the way through, which still results in tender, juicy beef. 
 
2 (1-inch-thick) boneless beef rib eye steaks
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
½ medium onion, thinly sliced
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms 
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup water
For serving: hot cooked rice or mashed potatoes
 
1. Place a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. While pan is heating, pat steaks dry and season them well with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the hot skillet and sear the steaks well, about 3 minutes per side. 
2. Remove the meat, add the remaining tablespoon oil to the pot and cook the onion, peppers, and mushrooms until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds. 
3. Add the steaks and any accumulated juices to the pan. Lower heat to medium and add the water. Cover the pot, simmer 5 minutes, and check for water. Simmer for 2 more 5-minute intervals, checking for water each time. Steaks should just be cooked through after 15 minutes. If gravy is too thin, thicken with a little cornstarch mixed in water. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.
 
 
Easy Chili and Bean Stuffed Bell Peppers
Makes 4 servings
 
4 medium bell peppers
2 cups cooked rice
1 (15-ounce) can beef chili
1 (15-ounce) can black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup your favorite salsa
¼ cup bread crumbs
 
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut tops off bell peppers and remove seeds. In a large bowl, combine rice, chili, beans, cheese, and salsa. Fill the bell pepper shells with the chili mixture and top with bread crumbs. 
2. Place stuffed peppers in a foil or parchment-lined pan. Cover pan with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until bell pepper tops are deep golden brown, about 30 more minutes or so. Serve hot.
 
 
Soured Milk Biscuits
Makes 12
 
If you don’t have a cow and can sour your own raw milk, feel free to use store-bought buttermilk.
 
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup cold soured raw milk or buttermilk
 
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Use your fingers to work in the butter until it’s the size of peas. Stir in the milk until the mixture forms a slightly sticky ball.
2. Dust a hard surface well with flour. Transfer the dough to the floured surface and pat it into a 1-inch-high rectangle. Turn the dough over on itself 3 times. Press the dough into a ½-inch-high rectangle. Use a 2½-inch biscuit cutter to cut out dough rounds. (Or you can use a knife and cut the dough into squares.) 
3. Place biscuits a half inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Serve hot.