[DCBBGB]

I was planning on getting a Dexter cow until I learned more about Shetland cows.

Instead of solely relying on information I can find online, I was hoping to get some views from experienced owners/breeders of these breeds and what the pros and cons are.

Looking forward to your replies. Thanks in advance.

[Rosemary]

We have Shetlands. Love em.

Have a look in the diary above for more information about our cattle. We started milking the two cows last summer - one a fourth and one a second calver. Should have three milking next year. Going to a nano dairying course in February.

We kill steers at about 28 months. This year's was 350kg dw - fabulous beef as always. Steers outwinter on straw and  a licky bucket.

Cows and heifers in winter on adlib straw, licky bucket and some hay night and morning. Let's us halter train the heifer calves.

We wanted to support a rare breed, particularly a Scottish one, produce our own beef and dairy. Shetland ticked all the boxes. No regrets.

I have no experience of Dexters. I don't like the look of them and they have a reputaion for being wild. Mind you, you can get some wild Shetlands too.

A few Shetland herds in Wales - if you contact SCBA www.shetlandcattle.org.uk the Secretary Dianne will put you in touch with local breeders. There's also a Shetland Cattle FB page if you do FB, which has loads of photos and stuff. The steaks on the header are ours and they were delicious 

[Factotum]

We keep a herd of 27 Shetlands on our small farm in NE Scotland.

The Shetlands are hardy - ours choose to stay outside in most weathers - they don't like 'horizontal' rain, that seesm to make them go indoors.
Our cows calve fairly easily and quickly. They make good mothers, having a plentiful supply of milk. The calves are lively and get up very quickly after birth - must say the heifers are better at this than the bull calves who are sometimes a bit slower on getting the idea if where the milk comes from.
The steers make excellent beef, finishing on grass/haywithout the need for expensive concentrates.
Shetlands will be OK on poor quality grazing - they'll eat all sorts -grass, rushes etc. They will need feeding in the winter. Up here, each cow eats around 5 large round bales of hay over the winter feeding season (Nov-end Apr).They have fairly large feet for a small cow and will probably poach wet ground less than larger continental breeds.

We have handling equipment  - a crush and a homemade race - this allows for safe working for the Vet at TB and BVD testing time. Also makes it easy for us to apply wormer etc, and for feet trimming as necessary. We also have a tractor and front loader that can carry the large hay bales to the feed rings out in the fields.

One feature of Shetlands is their lovely curved horns - some people would be put off by the thought of having horned beasts. They are very careful with their horns - I have been poked gently by one of our cows who thought she wasn't getting her fair share of the carrots. Actually had more damage by one of the cows standing on my foot - thank heavens for steel toecaps...So we don't find the horns a problem, but then we're used to this breed having kept them since 2008.

I would advise going to see a few herds of the breeds of interest in your local area - talk to the breeders and see how they get on keeping the cattle in the conditions you are likely to meet. If you give me a rough idea of your locale, I'll provide you with the contact details of the rep for your area for the Shetland Cattle Breeders Association - see website here:http://www.shetlandcattle.org.uk/

Sue

[Rosemary]

Can I just say, and this is a personal thing, if you are going to choose Shetlands, choose them in the knowledge that you are taking a responsibility for the future of a rare and vulnerable breed. For its future, it is vitally important that breeding partners are carefully chosen, that priority is given to breeding pure and that female calves are registered with the breed society (otherwise they are lost to the breed - they're just a cow).

Don't want to appear to heavy, but it's something that I do feel strongly about.

[Marches Farmer]

I agree - I occasionally sell a perfectly sound but not entirely true to type pig, sheep or hen from one of our breeds on the strict understanding that it won't be bred from and I won't give any details so it can be registered.  That way people who want a nice pig, or whatever, get one but only the best are bred from.  If you're new to cattle keeping it might be an idea to just do some calf-rearing first of all, to see if cattle are right for you and you're right for them.

[DCBBGB]

Hi,

Helping the Shetland breed is appealing to me and if I am going to own small cows, I might as well help this way as well. It does seem that there is a preference for Shetland compared to Dexter (on this forum but also online)...

[Backinwellies]

I have both and love both for different reasons ......... you can always drop over here (near Llandeilo)  sometime and see both. 


However in your planning  please be  mindful of the warnings about cows and amount of land needed.

[DCBBGB]

I have both and love both for different reasons ......... you can always drop over here (near Llandeilo)  sometime and see both. 


However in your planning  please be  mindful of the warnings about cows and amount of land needed.

Thanks for your offer backinwellies, I will keep that in mind. It would be good to see both at the same farm.

[daveh]

As you were asking about Castlemilk Moorit sheep over on the sheep board, I thought I would let you know that in addition to my CMs I keep Shetland cattle. They happily graze together on the same pasture. I love Shetlands, in my opinion heaps better than Dexters. Pay me a visit and be convinced!

[DCBBGB]

Thanks David.

What makes you say they are better than Dexter?

[landroverroy]

I've kept (and still have) Dexters, but no experience of  Shetlands. Though I have kept various other breeds.
To me - if you only have a few cows then you want some that you like as personalities, that fit in with your system and that are easy to handle. It doesn't matter what they look like or how amazingly well bred they are. If they are basically noisy, unpleasantly /dangerously pushy, and just not a pleasure to have around, then you will get little enjoyment from keeping them.

I've had a couple of Dexters that have been what I can only describe as being absolute bastards. One of them, I am sure would have killed me if she could. I bought them because they were pedigree and cheap. They were nice looking animals and I thought I could tame them. I soon decided it wasn't worth the risk. They could easily have seriously injured someone so they went straight for meat.

On the other hand, the 2 I have now are calm and friendly and I can just go up to them in the field and talk to them and stroke them. All my other cattle - Herefords and Highlands are the same. You never know when you might need to examine an animal without bringing it inside. So it's very useful if you can at least walk up to it and have a good look without it running away.

So - my advice would be - have a look at the animals you are interested in, whatever the breed, and see how they interact with their owners. Even in a large herd, the animals should be calm and unbothered when you walk amongst them. I once went to look at some Dexters where the owner said he always carried a stick when he entered the field. Maybe he was just super cautious, but he didn't inspire me with confidence and I didn't buy off him.

However, you'll find good and bad with any breed, not just Dexters. I have been tossed by one of my Highlands - she'd just calved, and she did warn me! And I had a Hereford bull that used to stand pawing the ground and looking at me - so he didn't stay long. That's why I'm saying that the characteristics of the animal itself are just as important as the breed.
   

[Rosemary]

I agree LRR. At our breed society AGM this year there was a talk by an experienced breeder and her advice was "if you have a beast with a dodgy temperament, cull it - even if it has good genetics". It doesn't seem to be clear if temperament is nature or nurture and I don't have enough experience with cattle to comment butI find that lambs from ewes that are happy to come in and are comfortable around us are the same; the lambs from ewes that are stand-offish display the same behaviour. We culled out a line of ewes that were a PITA to get in and life became a whole lot easier.

The breeder at the AGM, and I think she was spot on, said that as we (the breeders) are looking to the smallholder market for the cattle, where keepers are often inexperienced, temperament was of paramount importance as a bad experience could put folk off for life (as well as possible injuries) AND there would be damage to the reputation of the breed - and reputation is incredibly important.

[DCBBGB]

I thought I'd let everybody know that I decided to go for the Shetland cow. Your posts have been really helpful and have helped me in my decision process.

The fact that the Shetland breed is mostly "self sufficient", docile and happily out wintered, made me select it. Some might say that these traits are valid for the Dexter but the fact that the Shetland cow is a lot rarer made the decision making easier for me as I am keen on raising rare animals on my farm. Knowing I am helping an old breed survive gives me pleasure as well.

I will keep you posted if you are interested although I am not planning to purchase the 2 first cows before Aug/Sep 2016 so it will be a while!

Thank you all for your help on this.

[SallyintNorth]

It's great to hear that you've decided on rare breeds for both cattle and sheep 

And of course we shall want to see pictures!   

[DCBBGB]

And of course we shall want to see pictures!   

And you will!