A History of Dexter Coat Colors
Dec 30, 2014 23:59:38 GMT -5
Olga, zephyrhillsusan, and 1 more like this
Post by kansasdexters on Dec 30, 2014 23:59:38 GMT -5
Several years ago I wrote a series of articles for the Central States Dexters (Region 6) Newsletter. With all the recent discussion concerning the Dun (brown) Dexter color, I thought that the first article, which I have updated, might be of interest:
A History of Dexter Coat Colors - by Patti Adams
The wild ancestor of many cattle breeds is the now extinct Auroch. The Auroch became extinct around 1627. The coat color of Aurochs was basically reddish-brown to brownish-black with a tan or dirty white muzzle ring. The bulls were darker in color than the cows and calves. Today's cattle that carry this "wild-type" coat color gene (E+) are typically darker at the head, neck, feet, and hindquarters than in the rest of their coat. These cattle are born a reddish-brown color and then darken as they mature to become brownish-black or blackish-brown. The most commonly observed variants from the wild-type coat color in cattle are red and solid black.
Kerry cattle are considered to be one of the oldest breeds of cattle, a remnant of the ancient Celtic cattle that originated in central Asia and migrated with the Celtic tribes as they moved and settled in parts of western Europe and the British Isles. Kerry cattle were one of the dominant types of cattle in Ireland until the end of the 17th century. The Kerry has the distinction of being one of the first breeds developed primarily as a dairy cow. While the predominant color of Kerry cattle was black, there were also reds, blacks with white markings, and brown cattle found within the Irish herds.
By the mid-18th century, a distinctive race of predominantly small, black cattle was common in County Kerry and western County Cork. Arthur Young, in his "Tour of Ireland" (1776 - 1779) made the first well known written reference to the "Kerry Cow". It was also about this time that the phrase "the poor man's cow" came to be used and associated with the Kerry cow. For a time, the color preferred in Kerry was black with a ridge of white along the spine, and a white streak along the belly. In the late 1700's and into the 1800's, when the pedigreed English breeds were being developed, breeders tried to produce uniform coat colors or distinctive markings within a breed, in order to facilitate breed identification. That is when it appears there was deliberate selection for the black colored animals, beginning early in the 19th century. Purity of color was associated with purity of breeding.
Into the 19th century, recorded herds of Kerry cattle could be comprised of Kerries and Dexter-Kerries. The Dexter-Kerries were the shorter-legged, stockier version of these cattle. Kerry and Dexter-Kerry cattle during this time were kept and promoted by noblemen and other prominant and wealthy people. Pedigree records were kept (by some owners and breeders) for more than 40 years before the first Kerry and Dexter Herd Book was established. There was unofficial recognition of the Dexter as a "type" within the Kerry breed. In those days, Kerry and Dexter cattle were mostly red or black or these ground colors were mixed in various ways with white.
The separation of the "true" Kerries from the Dexter-Kerries into separate livestock classes didn't take place at the Royal Dublin Society shows until 1863. After 1863, the Royal Dublin Society reverted back to staging "Kerry" classes consisting of mixed Kerry and Dexter-Kerry groupings. It was only after 1876 that consistent attempts were made at separating the two breeds into distinct classes in the show ring. In January 1887, the Farmer's Gazette published the first register of Kerry and Dexter cattle in Ireland. This ran for about three years and was then published by the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) as the Kerry and Dexter Herd Book, with Volume I distributed in 1890.
While red bulls and cows were allowed entry in the first RDS Kerry and Dexter Herd Book of 1890, a decision was made to accept black as the official breed color for Kerries. The Rules and Regulations for the RDS Kerry and Dexter Herd Book stated that Kerry bulls must be pure black, with the exception of a few grey hairs about the organs of generation, in animals of exceptional merit. Kerry cows and heifers must also be pure black, with the exception of white on the udder, in animals of exceptional merit. Dexter bulls and cows could be either black or red, with a little white. Thus, in Ireland, there was intense selection against the red color and any white markings in the Kerry breed. However, in Britain, where a society supporting and promoting the Dexter-Kerry formed in 1892, both red and black continued to be acceptable colors and red Dexter cattle were not penalized in the show ring.
Until the 1970's, aside from a British Dexter Cattle Society rule book provision that white markings in front of the navel would be penalized in the show ring, those "excessive white" markings were not considered to be of any great importance. Then the British Dexter Cattle Society Council ruled that Dexter cattle with white in front of the navel should go into the Appendix register with the "upgraded" animals. In 1997, this decision was rescinded, as it was considered illogical from a genetic perspective, since the gene(s) associated with white markings on the udder could also result in white markings in front of the navel. Instead, the British Dexter Cattle Society decided to designate animals with white markings in front of the navel with a "W" on their pedigree registration to indicate that they had excessive white markings.
The color "Dun" wasn't a recognized Dexter color in Britain until their 1969 Annual General Meeting (AGM). Prior to that time, dun colored Dexter cattle either weren't registered or they were registered as red. In the United States, owners and breeders of Dexter cattle considered non-black Dexters to be red, and they were registered as red in the American Dexter Cattle Association (ADCA) registry. This all changed in the late 1970's, after the importation into Canada of dun color Dexter cattle from Beryl Rutherford's Woodmagic herd, these were registered as "Dun" in the British Dexter Cattle Society registry. It wasn't until these particular dun cattle were registered with the ADCA in 1982, that "Dun" became an officially recognized Dexter color in the United States.
There wasn't a genetic test back then to differentiate between red and dun Dexters, so from 1982 until recent times, non-black Dexter cattle in the United States were registered as "Red/Dun" with the ADCA. Now, in order to register a Dexter as red, it must be genetically tested as red, unless it is the offspring of a registered red sire AND a registered red dam, or at least one parent has been tested as a non-carrier of dun. If a non-black Dexter is not tested for red, they are recorded as dun. If these are subsequently tested after registration, and proved to be red, then the color designation can be changed by submitting appropriate documentation to the ADCA registrar. Genetic testing to confirm dun is recommended (but optional) prior to registering a non-black animal as dun.
In 1998, at the First World Congress on Dexter Cattle, the Draft International Standard for the Ideal Dexter, called for the animal's color to be wholly Black, wholly Red, or wholly Dun. The limitations on acceptable white markings (on the udder and male reproductive parts) remain, and white markings in front of the navel or elsewhere on the animal are considered to be "excessive white markings". However, excessive white markings do not exclude an otherwise eligible purebred Dexter from registration.
References:
1. Curran, P.L. 1990. Kerry and Dexter Cattle, and other ancient Irish breeds. Royal Dublin Society.
2. Proceedings of the First World Congress on Dexter Cattle, August 1998. Dexter Cattle Society.
3. Rutherford, Beryl 2005. My Love Affair with the Dexter. Triple D Books.
4. Fries, R. & Ruvinsky, A. 1999. The Genetics of Cattle. CABI Publishing.
5. Vuure, Cis Van 2005. Retracing the Aurochs. Pensoft Publishing.
A History of Dexter Coat Colors - by Patti Adams
The wild ancestor of many cattle breeds is the now extinct Auroch. The Auroch became extinct around 1627. The coat color of Aurochs was basically reddish-brown to brownish-black with a tan or dirty white muzzle ring. The bulls were darker in color than the cows and calves. Today's cattle that carry this "wild-type" coat color gene (E+) are typically darker at the head, neck, feet, and hindquarters than in the rest of their coat. These cattle are born a reddish-brown color and then darken as they mature to become brownish-black or blackish-brown. The most commonly observed variants from the wild-type coat color in cattle are red and solid black.
Kerry cattle are considered to be one of the oldest breeds of cattle, a remnant of the ancient Celtic cattle that originated in central Asia and migrated with the Celtic tribes as they moved and settled in parts of western Europe and the British Isles. Kerry cattle were one of the dominant types of cattle in Ireland until the end of the 17th century. The Kerry has the distinction of being one of the first breeds developed primarily as a dairy cow. While the predominant color of Kerry cattle was black, there were also reds, blacks with white markings, and brown cattle found within the Irish herds.
By the mid-18th century, a distinctive race of predominantly small, black cattle was common in County Kerry and western County Cork. Arthur Young, in his "Tour of Ireland" (1776 - 1779) made the first well known written reference to the "Kerry Cow". It was also about this time that the phrase "the poor man's cow" came to be used and associated with the Kerry cow. For a time, the color preferred in Kerry was black with a ridge of white along the spine, and a white streak along the belly. In the late 1700's and into the 1800's, when the pedigreed English breeds were being developed, breeders tried to produce uniform coat colors or distinctive markings within a breed, in order to facilitate breed identification. That is when it appears there was deliberate selection for the black colored animals, beginning early in the 19th century. Purity of color was associated with purity of breeding.
Into the 19th century, recorded herds of Kerry cattle could be comprised of Kerries and Dexter-Kerries. The Dexter-Kerries were the shorter-legged, stockier version of these cattle. Kerry and Dexter-Kerry cattle during this time were kept and promoted by noblemen and other prominant and wealthy people. Pedigree records were kept (by some owners and breeders) for more than 40 years before the first Kerry and Dexter Herd Book was established. There was unofficial recognition of the Dexter as a "type" within the Kerry breed. In those days, Kerry and Dexter cattle were mostly red or black or these ground colors were mixed in various ways with white.
The separation of the "true" Kerries from the Dexter-Kerries into separate livestock classes didn't take place at the Royal Dublin Society shows until 1863. After 1863, the Royal Dublin Society reverted back to staging "Kerry" classes consisting of mixed Kerry and Dexter-Kerry groupings. It was only after 1876 that consistent attempts were made at separating the two breeds into distinct classes in the show ring. In January 1887, the Farmer's Gazette published the first register of Kerry and Dexter cattle in Ireland. This ran for about three years and was then published by the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) as the Kerry and Dexter Herd Book, with Volume I distributed in 1890.
While red bulls and cows were allowed entry in the first RDS Kerry and Dexter Herd Book of 1890, a decision was made to accept black as the official breed color for Kerries. The Rules and Regulations for the RDS Kerry and Dexter Herd Book stated that Kerry bulls must be pure black, with the exception of a few grey hairs about the organs of generation, in animals of exceptional merit. Kerry cows and heifers must also be pure black, with the exception of white on the udder, in animals of exceptional merit. Dexter bulls and cows could be either black or red, with a little white. Thus, in Ireland, there was intense selection against the red color and any white markings in the Kerry breed. However, in Britain, where a society supporting and promoting the Dexter-Kerry formed in 1892, both red and black continued to be acceptable colors and red Dexter cattle were not penalized in the show ring.
Until the 1970's, aside from a British Dexter Cattle Society rule book provision that white markings in front of the navel would be penalized in the show ring, those "excessive white" markings were not considered to be of any great importance. Then the British Dexter Cattle Society Council ruled that Dexter cattle with white in front of the navel should go into the Appendix register with the "upgraded" animals. In 1997, this decision was rescinded, as it was considered illogical from a genetic perspective, since the gene(s) associated with white markings on the udder could also result in white markings in front of the navel. Instead, the British Dexter Cattle Society decided to designate animals with white markings in front of the navel with a "W" on their pedigree registration to indicate that they had excessive white markings.
The color "Dun" wasn't a recognized Dexter color in Britain until their 1969 Annual General Meeting (AGM). Prior to that time, dun colored Dexter cattle either weren't registered or they were registered as red. In the United States, owners and breeders of Dexter cattle considered non-black Dexters to be red, and they were registered as red in the American Dexter Cattle Association (ADCA) registry. This all changed in the late 1970's, after the importation into Canada of dun color Dexter cattle from Beryl Rutherford's Woodmagic herd, these were registered as "Dun" in the British Dexter Cattle Society registry. It wasn't until these particular dun cattle were registered with the ADCA in 1982, that "Dun" became an officially recognized Dexter color in the United States.
There wasn't a genetic test back then to differentiate between red and dun Dexters, so from 1982 until recent times, non-black Dexter cattle in the United States were registered as "Red/Dun" with the ADCA. Now, in order to register a Dexter as red, it must be genetically tested as red, unless it is the offspring of a registered red sire AND a registered red dam, or at least one parent has been tested as a non-carrier of dun. If a non-black Dexter is not tested for red, they are recorded as dun. If these are subsequently tested after registration, and proved to be red, then the color designation can be changed by submitting appropriate documentation to the ADCA registrar. Genetic testing to confirm dun is recommended (but optional) prior to registering a non-black animal as dun.
In 1998, at the First World Congress on Dexter Cattle, the Draft International Standard for the Ideal Dexter, called for the animal's color to be wholly Black, wholly Red, or wholly Dun. The limitations on acceptable white markings (on the udder and male reproductive parts) remain, and white markings in front of the navel or elsewhere on the animal are considered to be "excessive white markings". However, excessive white markings do not exclude an otherwise eligible purebred Dexter from registration.
References:
1. Curran, P.L. 1990. Kerry and Dexter Cattle, and other ancient Irish breeds. Royal Dublin Society.
2. Proceedings of the First World Congress on Dexter Cattle, August 1998. Dexter Cattle Society.
3. Rutherford, Beryl 2005. My Love Affair with the Dexter. Triple D Books.
4. Fries, R. & Ruvinsky, A. 1999. The Genetics of Cattle. CABI Publishing.
5. Vuure, Cis Van 2005. Retracing the Aurochs. Pensoft Publishing.
