An example of an Irish Moiled cow and calf
The UK’s split from the EU since 1 January meant two rare breed societies have had to set up a new EU herdbook in which to register animals. These breeds are the Dexter and Irish Moiled.
Dexters
Dexters are a native Irish rare breed of dual-purpose cattle. They are thought to be the smallest breed of cattle in Europe.
Dexter and Kerry cattle come from the same gene pool. In the second half of the 19th Century, Dexters became very popular in Britain and commanded high prices.
As a result, most Dexters in Ireland were exported to Britain. In the early 20th century the Irish Kerry Society stopped accepting Dexters for registration.