Dexters

[Susie David]

I have absolutely no experience or first hand knowledge of the Dexter breed but do have the opportunity to purchase a bred back young cow with a heifer calf. Now that I'm getting a bit slower in my senior years I was wondering if the Dexter would be a more easier keeper than the Herfs, Angus and Lims that we now run. We are a small operation and now only process a dozen or so head a year and have been thinking about cutting back some. Any comments would be helpful.
I just hate to pay the same processing costs for a small animal as I do for one of our 1250# Lim/Herf baldies. Thanks Dave Mc

 

[purecountry]

Breed her to your Lim-Herf-Angus or whatever bull you're using and you'll get a calf that will still yield a decent sized carcass. Remember that the resale value on them is next to nothing in auction markets. As for carcass size, there is definitely a line that you can cross where there isn't enough saleable product to cover your costs. Straight Dexters are below that line, unless you can market the meat for a very, very high price per pound.

 

[djinwa]

I'd check out Lowline angus if you want smaller beef. Dexters are supposed to be more dual purpose, meaning less beefy.

A couple good bulls are Machine and Doc Holliday

http://www.pharocattle.com/Semen-Source ... tm#machine

http://www.kylowline.com/Lowline_Semen_For_Sale.html

 

[sim.-ang.king]

One word...

Low riders
:lol: :lol:

 

[ALACOWMAN]

in your business you might be better off with galloway's,,, a man here sold his angus herd and gone pure belted galloway's.. say's they marble well,, and you can cut the meat with a dull butter knife

 

[Keren]

One word...

Low riders
:lol: :lol:

p'raps you should go back to school ... you seem to have missed at least one of the three R's ...

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Yah my mind kicks in neutral some times :lol:

 

[kimw]

So, did you ever buy the dexters? I love them, they're wonderful little cows. We've whittled our herd down to 9 (actually, about to be 10) since we are moving soon, but we'll be on good ground after the move, and can let the herd grow again. If you are looking at having them just for beef, you'd probably have to find a way to reach an upscale clientele directly, such as selling grass fed beef. Or sell them to the homesteader types (of which I tend to be one) as that perfect small holding cow, good for milk and meat, doesn't eat as much, meat tastes great, etc.

I milk ours too, and make cheese and yogurt, and we butcher our own. It's a lot easier than butchering a brown swiss, but a lot more work than a deer...

Our daughters love them, and the dexters are small enough for the girls to work with (they are 9 and under), and they are easy to tame, and very affectionate. The heifer about to calve is my puppy dog - she comes up and licks me every time I am out in the field. (Yes, they do get minerals and salt, she just likes to do it anyway!)

 

[HOSS]

My mother raises dexters. Her niche is people who want freezer beef but don't need a whole animal or people that want a small milk cow. She will cross Dexters with Jersey and they make a heck of a milk cow in a small package. They are docile and easy keepers but don't pasture a Dexter bull with a standard size bull. The Dexter bulls do not realize that they are half-size and they go on suicide missions to whip the big bull. It normally doesn't work out for them. I had a 2,300 lb. red angus bull roll my mothers 1,000 lb. Dexter bull through the woods like a bowling ball. He rolled him through a woven wire fence in the process. When the little-man finally got his feet he ran off into the woods and hid for 2 days.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

My mother raises dexters. Her niche is people who want freezer beef but don't need a whole animal or people that want a small milk cow. She will cross Dexters with Jersey and they make a heck of a milk cow in a small package. They are docile and easy keepers but don't pasture a Dexter bull with a standard size bull. The Dexter bulls do not realize that they are half-size and they go on suicide missions to whip the big bull. It normally doesn't work out for them. I had a 2,300 lb. red angus bull roll my mothers 1,000 lb. Dexter bull through the woods like a bowling ball. He rolled him through a woven wire fence in the process. When the little-man finally got his feet he ran off into the woods and hid for 2 days.

little man syndrone, a deadly disease :cowboy:

 

[djinwa]

My mother raises dexters. Her niche is people who want freezer beef but don't need a whole animal or people that want a small milk cow. She will cross Dexters with Jersey and they make a heck of a milk cow in a small package. They are docile and easy keepers but don't pasture a Dexter bull with a standard size bull. The Dexter bulls do not realize that they are half-size and they go on suicide missions to whip the big bull. It normally doesn't work out for them. I had a 2,300 lb. red angus bull roll my mothers 1,000 lb. Dexter bull through the woods like a bowling ball. He rolled him through a woven wire fence in the process. When the little-man finally got his feet he ran off into the woods and hid for 2 days.

Is there any way you could get those two bulls back together and make a video this time? I think I'd pay for it.

 

[Kingfisher]

My mother raises dexters. Her niche is people who want freezer beef but don't need a whole animal or people that want a small milk cow. She will cross Dexters with Jersey and they make a heck of a milk cow in a small package. They are docile and easy keepers but don't pasture a Dexter bull with a standard size bull. The Dexter bulls do not realize that they are half-size and they go on suicide missions to whip the big bull. It normally doesn't work out for them. I had a 2,300 lb. red angus bull roll my mothers 1,000 lb. Dexter bull through the woods like a bowling ball. He rolled him through a woven wire fence in the process. When the little-man finally got his feet he ran off into the woods and hid for 2 days.

Is there any way you could get those two bulls back together and make a video this time? I think I'd pay for it.

Right on! I might split it with you !

 

[dun]

Might give Gale Seddon a look at. She hasn;t been aorund here for a ocuple of years but was big into Dexters:
http://www.dextersfor.com/