[Sbom]

Anyone experienced a dexter x Belgium blue?

[SallyintNorth]

Anyone experienced a dexter x Belgium blue?

I would have thought it would be a useful animal.  I don't know that I'd create one on purpose, but I would think it would be a grand suckler cow and should milk well enough for a house cow.  Should be reasonable temperament too - the Blues are generally fairly laid back and biddable.

BTW, these days you are less likely to come across Belgium Blue and more likely to find British Blue.  It's established as a separate breed now, and the breed soc believe they have addressed some of the issues with the original Belgian beasts.  So smaller calves, shorter gestation => easier calvings, less extreme double muscling so less problems with hearts and birth canals.  So they say.  Certainly we use British Blue semen and do find we get shorter gestation and therefore smaller birthweight calves, which then go on and do well.

[Sbom]

Reason I ask is my Dexter is in calf to an easy calving BB. Wanted to put Angus on her this time but she broke to that and was only BB available (we have straws off a friend). It's her 8 or 9th calf and she's never had a problem calving so thought I'd give it a go. Thinking I'll maybe keep the calf if it's a heifer as a house cow but will have to see how it goes.

[SallyintNorth]

You'll likely find the gestation is a few days shorter - maybe as short as 278, so make sure you're watching her closely a bit earlier than you might usually!

Yes, if she has a heifer it could be a nice house cow

Let us know how you get on!

[Marches Farmer]

We rear British Friesian x British Blue heifer calves in the lambing shed through summer and autumn each year and they've a really laid back temperament.  Now our calves are highly sought after as potential suckler cows when we take them to market. 

[Rosemary]

We rear British Friesian x British Blue heifer calves in the lambing shed through summer and autumn each year and they've a really laid back temperament.  Now our calves are highly sought after as potential suckler cows when we take them to market.

I'll bet they are - are they real BF x rather than Holstein?

[Nina]

Re the original post - We opted for Devons and never looked back!  Though very similar to the Sussex which you'll have plenty of nearby I'm sure.  You could do a lot worse than go meet and chat to breeders near you.  Personally I'd steer clear of Dexters, though they have their fans on this site!
Ease of handling with no facilities was the main thing, tough yet quiet - Started with a couple of in calf cows on a welsh hillside, out-wintering in a shelter, TB tested behind a gate (actually didn't even need the gate!) and scanned standing still for a bucket of food - Greed counts for a lot!
Rearing calves is a doddle once you know what you're doing, but need plenty of air, cleanliness and a vigilant eye for being off colour...
Keep us posted!

[Marches Farmer]

We rear British Friesian x British Blue heifer calves in the lambing shed through summer and autumn each year and they've a really laid back temperament.  Now our calves are highly sought after as potential suckler cows when we take them to market.

I'll bet they are - are they real BF x rather than Holstein?

Yes, real, original ones, nicely brought up and the all-time favourites of our veterinary practice.