Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Advice needed  (Read 7086 times)

landroverroy

  • Joined Oct 2010
Re: Advice needed
« Reply #15 on: April 22, 2017, 06:32:45 pm »
 You can get good and bad with any breed.
 I've had Dexters (among other breeds) for many years, and in fact they were my first cattle as I wanted something small and easily managed. I was lucky and got mine from a small breeder who handled his cattle from birth and they were quiet and pleasant. I could milk any of them by just tying them up in the field, or just put a head collar on and lead them where I wanted. I still have the last daughter of my original cow.
 Dexters would have the advantage for you, with wet land, of being the lightest of breeds so would not poach your land up too much. But they can be bastards. (Excuse the French!) I thought all Dexters were like my originals  so bought a couple more from a hill farm. I should have guessed when we went to see them that all was not as it seemed, as we couldn't get within 100yds of them. But they looked fit and healthy. There was no way they could be caught that day so we had to leave our trailer for the owners to load them and we picked them up a couple of days later. On returning home I let them out in a small field and they tried to kill me. Well that's the message I got anyway, and I didn't stay in the field to make sure. The worst one went in for meat a few days later, and fetched a good price. I reckoned I could tame the other so started halter training her. (I was 25 years younger then and anything was possible!) I can't remember how I got the halter on, but I tied it to an old trailer and drove gently round the field and she seemed to get the idea, and stopped trying to kill me. I felt sufficiently confident then to enter her in a rare breed show and sale, so took her to York. I went in the ring with her and led her round a bit. Then just as the bidding got to my reserve price and the hammer dropped, she turned on me. So I leapt over the gate PDQ, while at the same time trying to appear unruffled, and I never saw her again!
Those 2 cows were really extreme cases and as unlike the original Dexters I got as chalk and cheese. So what I'm saying  is that Dexters, as a small dual purpose breed might suit you, but check up on their temperament first.
« Last Edit: April 22, 2017, 06:36:24 pm by landroverroy »
Rules are made:
  for the guidance of wise men
  and the obedience of fools.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Advice needed
« Reply #16 on: April 22, 2017, 11:28:21 pm »
What are the Jerseys like with kids? 

My Hillie is a gentle, biddable creature (though has a mind of her own and excellent communication skills :)) and I can completely trust her with children.  Her first daughter Plenty was the sweetest creature you could ever meet.  Her second daughter Katy is an oaf, no malice but a clumsy clutz and I would not be comfortable with small children around her in case of accident.  (Hillie and Plenty both seem good at proprioception, I'm not sure Katy knows where her arse is half the time.).

None of my Jerseys would ever kick unless under severe duress.  And probably not even then, except maybe Katy.

Anyone else got any perspectives on Jerseys with children?
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

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Advice needed
« Reply #17 on: April 22, 2017, 11:32:25 pm »
Sorry, [member=2218]LouiseG[/member], the Jersey and Guernsey herd lady is long retired.  Her herd was dispersed 25 years ago.  It took some detective work to track down Hillie, a descendant of Hilary's favourite cow, when I wanted my own Jersey.

I could point you in the direction of several Jersey breeders, but I can't think of anyone with Guernseys in Cumbria.
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

landroverroy

  • Joined Oct 2010
Re: Advice needed
« Reply #18 on: April 23, 2017, 09:29:11 am »
I would say you need to judge the individual animal as you get good and bad in all breeds, as you know from your Jerseys Sally, and I know from my Dexters.
 Given that you're not going to allow small kids unaccompanied into a field of cattle  anyway, then really you just need to see how your prospective purchase reacts to you and its present owners.
« Last Edit: April 23, 2017, 09:33:39 am by landroverroy »
Rules are made:
  for the guidance of wise men
  and the obedience of fools.

Nithside

  • Joined Aug 2016
Re: Advice needed
« Reply #19 on: April 23, 2017, 11:17:47 pm »
The kids wouldnt be alone with I would never let them its how they would react to the kids while I am about.  I know you get good and bad in every breed and I have experience with cattle like that and got the whole blood line culled out for that sort of behavour as we couldnt get to the quiet cows calves in th esame field as one cow who seemed to know you were there before she even saw you in the field.  I have found a coulpe of breeders near to me with Dexter's so going to see when I can go and see them as I want to see how quiet there are first before commiting to anything and if I'm not happy enough then I will go down the store route first before trying to breed.  My big problem at the moment is its been 9 years since working with cattle full time so a little rusty and I'm sure once I get back into it it wont take me long.  Though we had the Shetlands they were here for a maximum of 6 months when she went for us so didn't really get the chance to get into the swing of cattle again and thought I will wait till the kids are a little older before going into cattle properly again, that was 3 years ago so by the time we do get any breeding stock the kids will be 4/5 years older than they were when we had the Shetlands.

Sam

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Advice needed
« Reply #20 on: April 24, 2017, 07:13:57 am »
We have Shetlands. We milk them. They are lovely cattle. But I know every Shetland cow is like that. If I had one with a dodgy temper, she'd be away. The breed's reputaion is too important.

Nithside

  • Joined Aug 2016
Re: Advice needed
« Reply #21 on: April 24, 2017, 09:32:00 am »
If I was going to start from sctatch, then I would start with weaned calves and halter train them to get used to us and keep them going on the halter through to giving birth so that they were quiet when having to work with them for any reason.  It would be the same for any breed that i would go for but the breeds I am looking at are all native to the Brittish Isles.  I am a great believer in a hands on all the time approach with cattle, as quiet cattle are easier to work with at dosing, blood testing and calving.

Sam


Daleswoman

  • Joined Jan 2015
Re: Advice needed
« Reply #22 on: April 30, 2017, 09:48:28 am »
I would steer clear of Dexters if you want docile and able to milk. We had 2 Dexter steers last year and never managed to tame them enough to handle, in spite of daily bucket feeding.They would also jump out of their field, spooked easily, and broke fences. Originally I wanted a Dexter cow in-calf or with calf at foot, as a house cow, plus a steer to raise for beef, but couldn't find one for sale. Didn't manage to find any Dexters that were being milked within a 50-mile radius - round here they seem to be kept just for beef. I also considered Jerseys, but couldn't find any for sale within a reasonable distance and at a price I could afford.

I now have an in-calf Shetland cow plus steer, and they couldn't be more different - docile, friendly, and welcome human attention. She's not been hand-milked before but I handle her daily and she is happy to be brushed and stroked all over, including her udder, so am hopeful!

It's fine to choose your ideal breed however you also have to consider what is available and the cost - personally I wouldn't want to go more than 50 or 60 miles away to buy cattle, both for my sake and for the sake of the animals travelling.

Also, regarding children - I wouldn't trust ANY of my livestock around unsupervised children, however docile they are. My lovely cow caught my hip with her horn the other day, when she swung her head round to look at something and it's still sore. My fault for standing too close and not being sufficiently observant. None of my animals is aggressive however they are not aware of their own strength and could easily injure a child inadvertently.

 

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