I've been doing some research on the dexter cows, the mini cows. There is a breeder I've been talking to that says they are good as a milk cow and great for kids in 4H because they are small and gentle. The ones she has are all halter trained before they leave the farm. I really want a milk cow and am very intimitated by the big andus we have, although I have one that is gentle there is no way I can get a halter near her or any of the calves. (I'm new at this and have discovered the hard way that calves although small are very strong) If I get a dexter and use her as a milk cow, what do I do to refresh her? She can't breed with an angus bull, can she, even if he is a small one, as the calf will be too big, is that correct? Any insight would be helpful as I really want to learn and the safety of my cows are important to me. Thank you.
dexter for milk cow
- Thread starter Bettyboop
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Bettyboop":2zr42mb6 said:
Don't Dexters come in several sizes? You could have her serviced AI to just about any breed bull you choose. Talk to your vet and see if he knows of anyone who does AI work in your area. I think there is semen available from mini breeders. There are Angus bulls that sire very small calves, but you'd have to decided if she's too small for that breeding.
Bettyboop":33b72o6c said:
Would you have to do the AI? No. As I said, talk to your vet and see if he knows anyone in your area that does AI. Talk to the breeder you're considering buying from. If he's close, perhaps he'll loan or lease a mini bull for you to use when it comes time. Or let you bring the cow back to his place for a few weeks. Is this a cow or a heifer? You want a fertile animal, so, in my opinion, a cow that has produced a calf would be a better choice. Even better might be a bred cow. She'd be milking sooner and you wouldn't have to deal with the rebreeding issue for several months.
She doesn't live close but if they have a AI service that'll come and do it then that would be great. It would be a cow-calf buy as I don't think I'd ever use all the milk she can produce. Thank you for the info. I will do some research on what is available around here. Thank goodness for the internet. I have no idea how the farmers of old ever did this.
Running Arrow Bill
Well-known member
Hard to really help you if you don't reveal what State or area you're located in.
The farmers/ranchers of "old" used "dial telephones", visits while at the barber shop, visiting in Church, visiting at the local Coffee Shop, visiting at auctions, etc. They also tended to buy, sell, trade, visit in their area and didn't usually trade out of state, etc. due to distances. And, yes, they did quite well without cell phones or texting too...lol. My dad didn't have a phone of any kind until he was about 60 years old and had been at the "home" place farming and ranching for 15 or 20 years...he also did quite well financially in his operation.
There was "life before phones and the internet", you know... LOL!
The farmers/ranchers of "old" used "dial telephones", visits while at the barber shop, visiting in Church, visiting at the local Coffee Shop, visiting at auctions, etc. They also tended to buy, sell, trade, visit in their area and didn't usually trade out of state, etc. due to distances. And, yes, they did quite well without cell phones or texting too...lol. My dad didn't have a phone of any kind until he was about 60 years old and had been at the "home" place farming and ranching for 15 or 20 years...he also did quite well financially in his operation.
There was "life before phones and the internet", you know... LOL!
