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Author Topic: Dexter Cattle  (Read 22856 times)

Ladygrey

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Basingstoke
Dexter Cattle
« on: July 03, 2012, 12:28:17 pm »
Hi there :)

I may be able to gain some more land, well basicly a farm.. but I am looking into doing a small herd of suckler beef.

I am interested in Dexter cattle and would love to hear from anyone on here who keeps them! :)

How much is it to buy them in? how many cattle do you recommend per acre? Also do you sell your calves live to the pedigree market? or do you sell the beef?

Sorry for all the questions,

Thanks Jess

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Dexter Cattle
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2012, 01:54:57 pm »
We keep Shetlands if you are interested in keeping a small, British rare breed. There are only about 750 breeding cows, so your support for the breed would be welcomed.

The Shetland is small (cows about 350-400kg), milky, hardy and thrifty but has the ability to produce crossbred calves from continental bulls if that's the enterprise that you want to have.

There is good information for first-time cattle keepers on the Shetland Cattle Breeders Association website www.shetlandcattle.org.uk - the info would be useful regardless of what breed you decide to go with.

Ladygrey

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Basingstoke
Re: Dexter Cattle
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2012, 03:24:01 pm »
Hi Rosemary  :wave:

Looking at the shetland that may be a good idea! I much prefer smaller breeds of cattle to go with my small pigs and smallish ewes I will be getting, it would mainly be for beef but I would definitely be interested in making dairy products and I would love to breed pedigree so I can show and sell live.

I am definitely interested in the rarer breeds and I would like to be able to have open farm days, so a breed that was also interesting would be ideal!

Do you know if the pure shetlands make good beef animals? or I suppose I could do a few pure shetlands to sell live and then shetland crosses to do for beef. Do you know what breeds I can cross onto a shetland cow for beef production?

Deere

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Peak District
Re: Dexter Cattle
« Reply #3 on: July 03, 2012, 06:17:11 pm »
To get an idea of prices you could have a look on the dexter society website, they usually have a few for sale on there and most have the prices on as well as their location.

We sell our beef to local resturants and also sell quarters or eights to people we know straight from the butchers shrink wrapped, labelled and boxed ready for the freezer.

Early doors for us as we are just getting the website up and running and contacting other local business's in the area.  We have several repeat customers already and are getting new orders all the time.

www.ashford-grange.co.uk

still pretty basic but it's the future for selling now if you haven't got a website...... Lol

Tim
Pedigree Ryelands, Charolais cross Mules

Ladygrey

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Basingstoke
Re: Dexter Cattle
« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2012, 07:14:50 pm »
Looks like you are doing well!  :thumbsup:

I sell lamb straight to consumer and would love to get a website up and running, but I can only think about doing that after I expand, due to not being able to keep up with demand  ::)


smithycraft

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Dexter Cattle
« Reply #5 on: July 03, 2012, 07:22:52 pm »
We have had Dexters for several years now but haven't found them particularly easy to handle.  We started with one in calf and built up a small herd.

Last year we took two to slaughter and the last two will go when the freezer is empty.

On the plus side, the meat is superb.

Have a look at this website for an idea of prices

http://www.dextercattleforsale.co.uk/

chickenfeed

  • Guest
Re: Dexter Cattle
« Reply #6 on: July 03, 2012, 08:33:17 pm »
we keep a couple of dexters for the family freezers the meat is outstanding, dad keeps simmi's limmi's and angus to sell on but the only ones we east ourselfs is the dexter.
 
we find them easy to handle ......anything is easy compared to a limmi.

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Dexter Cattle
« Reply #7 on: July 03, 2012, 09:14:01 pm »
The Shetland was developed as a house cow so is generally docile and easy to handle. Mine are halter trained (even the bullock to some extent) and they were no bother. When they are lying cudding, it's nice to go and sit with them in the field - very relaxing.

The Shetland is a house cow, so dual purpose. The beef is fabulous.

The most common beef cross seems to be the Simmental but the dam of mine is running with a Charolais.

Ladygrey

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Basingstoke
Re: Dexter Cattle
« Reply #8 on: July 03, 2012, 10:24:52 pm »
Thanks for replies  :thumbsup:

I think easy handling is definitely a must, I will be running these cattle 95% on my own, with help only available some evenings. So its important that they dont have tendancies to run wild!

Would it be possible to cross a limi bull onto a shetland? using AI of course

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Dexter Cattle
« Reply #9 on: July 04, 2012, 12:25:35 am »
I think easy handling is definitely a must, I will be running these cattle 95% on my own, with help only available some evenings. So its important that they dont have tendancies to run wild!

Would it be possible to cross a limi bull onto a shetland? using AI of course

Sorry LG, does not compute. 

Why on earth would you want to use a Limousin bull when you need easy handling cattle????  ???  Use an Angus, a Hereford, a North (Red) Devon, a South Devon, a Shorthorn... but not a Limi! 
Plus, prices for offspring of pedigree registered Aberdeen Angus, Hereford and Shorthorn bulls now fetch a premium - 10p / kg deadweight for the first two, 20p / kg for Shorthorn - from Morrisons, which does seem to filter down to the store cattle prices too.

You can get pretty much any breed of bull on AI - whether or not you can get your Shetland (or any other breed of heifer and later, cow) to hold to the AI is another matter...
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Ladygrey

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Basingstoke
Re: Dexter Cattle
« Reply #10 on: July 04, 2012, 09:19:16 am »
Hi Sally  :wave:

"Why on earth would you want to use a Limousin bull when you need easy handling cattle?    Use an Angus, a Hereford, a North (Red) Devon, a South Devon, a Shorthorn... but not a Limi! "

I dont know how to do quote boxes..

My Friend Nia Griffiths of Mynach Limousins (Cwmfelin Mynach) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mynach-Limousins/118396181573793

Every single one of her pedigree Limi's are as tame as a jersey house cow, she cuddles them all like big puppy dogs and they love and trust people! They are wonderfully looked after and are extremely calm and biddable beasts!

I am sure that many limi's are not nice animals, but I apologise and due to my experience I found that they can be lovely creatures.

Thanks for your suggestion on breeds! I do like hereford crosses but my only experience with them are dairy crosses. But I suppose if they are using hereford AI it must be for some good reason.  :)

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Dexter Cattle
« Reply #11 on: July 04, 2012, 10:31:23 am »
LadyGrey, your friends' Limis look great.  But can you get their semen for AI?  That's the problem - and we have it too - how can you determine what will be the temperament of the calves of an AI bull?

The Hereford is a traditional beef breed, producing old-fashioned beef with a marbling through it.  Several of the supermarkets now favour one or other of these breeds, and put the breed of the sire on the packaging.

I would have thought Hereford on a Shetland (which is a dairy animal, I think?, just a more beefy type of a one than some? - more like the original Shorthorn and less like a Holstein) would be a good cross for good tasty beef - I'd certainly be interested to hear how it goes if you try it.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Ladygrey

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Basingstoke
Re: Dexter Cattle
« Reply #12 on: July 04, 2012, 11:55:16 am »
I can not get their actual bulls AI, but what my boyfriends farm does is, they go and find a lovely bull/cattle and then look up his nearest blood relatives that are on the AI bank.

Thier dairy cows are crossed with hereford, belgian blue, aberdeen angus and sometimes charolais, all are lovely and easy to handle, the only ones I dislike are the angus crosses! they are more pushy and harder (for me) to feed.

A Shetland is a multi purpose breed so yes beef and milk, I do like herefords and so yes may try hereford but will do lots of research and see what I can do. :)

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Dexter Cattle
« Reply #13 on: July 04, 2012, 12:49:56 pm »
I can not get their actual bulls AI, but what my boyfriends farm does is, they go and find a lovely bull/cattle and then look up his nearest blood relatives that are on the AI bank.

It obviously works for your boyfriend's farm (excepting those pushy Angus apparently!  ;)) but he'll know it isn't 100% - we had a lovely Charolais bull, quiet as anything, but his offspring were 'touchy' and couldn't be trusted when under pressure.  Poor old Lad had to go - and he went, quiet as a mouse to the last...  :'(

Anyway, you clearly have good sources around you and are taking a lot of trouble to do your research, so I'm sure you'll come up with something workable and wish you every success.  I hope we'll hear how you get on  :thumbsup:
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Ladygrey

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Basingstoke
Re: Dexter Cattle
« Reply #14 on: July 05, 2012, 09:24:58 am »
Yup its deffinatly not 100% :) they just like to see the bulls "in the flesh" aswel

Thats so sad about your bull  :'( poor chap

I would love to do research into how much is nature and how much is nurture, because Im pretty sure that Nia's limmis are like that because of the way they are handled.

Thanks so much :) getting alot of good advice from people on this forum aswel :) will let you know how the plan works out

 

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