The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: Jackie on March 07, 2010, 04:59:01 pm
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Im thinking of getting a Dexter cow, should I get 2 for company, such as pigs need a companion?
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My understanding is that you should have two, although a calf at foot counts as the second one. But more experienced stockmen will correct me if I am wrong.
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cows are herd animals i would say 2 as absolute minimum, if you get a cow with calf thats ok until its goes off for beef, weve started with 2 breeding animals so always have company and calves/ steers at foot
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I dont know the true answer but years ago most farms had A milk cow which often lived with the Shires ;D :farmer:
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Thats exactly what I want George a milk cow with the calf going for beef.
So it seems I need 2 cows with calves.
Can I mix sheep(4 or 6) and the cow in the same field?
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We only had 1 milk cow at home years ago No more no cows and sucklers just the milk cow.Yes they live nicely together and don't fall out.
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You don't need two cows. The first calf will probably be two by the time it's ready to go for beef, by which time there will be a new calf.
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Oh good Rosemary I was beginning to think I would end up having a whole herd of cows and with only 5 acres they would be a bit quashed lol ;D
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Me too - but remember, they milk for 91/2 months and then have 2 1/2 months off dry before calving again, so if you want milk all year, you WILL need two cows calving at different times.
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Ah good point, I never thought of that. The milk will be mainly for cheese so am not too fussed if she goes dry and has a rest but I will see how it goes with 1.
Hubby really, really doesnt want any cows at all so Im just gonna have to say "Look what followed me home." Thats been said many times at my house with dogs.cats, rabbits, hamsters and fish, oh and the odd child or two.
I cant get to the bottom of why hubby doesnt want a cow around but Ive a sneaking suspicion its cos they have such large, kind eyes and he couldnt bring himself to know that the calf is going for meat. Hes already told me in no uncertain terms that he isnt going to kill any of the animals or take them for slaughter.
Hubby is 6'3 and 20 stone but as sloppy as any gentle giant. ;D
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Jackie Nor had I when she went drape she would be sent to Newark Cattle Market and a fresh one got a few times we had a Jersey They are nice looking cows and milk well and of a very high quality is the milk.Next time I look in a FW I will see what they are making.I bet a pedigree from a Champion Bull will cost an arm and a leg today. :D :D ;D :farmer:
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hi I have 5 dexters running with 6 easy care sheep, all get along fine, Just sometimes if you get a muddy area the sheep don't like it
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Yeh George I bet they cost a fortune now. Thank goodness I dont want a bull then. lol
Thanks Pankie thats just the info I need so now the cow(s) can run with the 4 or 6 sheep Im going to get. :)
I googled Dexters and two top registered dexter farms are within 3 miles of me so Im going to go and have a look and chat and cost them. :) Id rather buy straight from a farm than try to buy at a livestock auction for 3 reasons;
1 I would worry about not getting the right one for us, ie calmness, handled well, halter trained etc
2 I dont want to import infection
3 I can never understand an auctioneer as they talk wwwaaayyy too fast! lol
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Sorry Jackie ,do you have one in a bowler hat or have you another alternative :o :farmer:
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A farmer friend had an unannounced RSPCA inpsection (he is RSPCA registered herd) and had just taken the dam of a calf to milk her. The RSPCA inspector told him off because the calf was on its own and couldnt see any other cattle. He explained that it had only been on its own for 5 minutes while he milked mum but that wasnt good enough.
Has anyone else spent hours walking round a field looking for a calf that has been "hidden" in the nettles while mum goes off to graze??
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RSPCA another lot of ****************** by and large as you have just foun herdsman :farmer:
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RSPCA another lot of ****************** by and large as you have just foun herdsman :farmer:
Wizard I have known for years, infact a lifetime of running dairy herds. I wish they would recruit from people who know about farming and understand livestock.
I attended a course run for various members of the enforcement/welfare wih people from Defra, trading tandards, RSPCA among others and the ones from the RSPCA had the least knowledge of farming practices and most didnt even know different breeds of cattle.
Sorry way off topic and rant over
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herdsman a silly question please no intention of quarrelling why do you worry about going off track should you meet me in the lane do we only talk about Jim's rhubarb because it will be off topic if we talk about Mary 's little lamb :o :o :D :farmer:
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Jackie you could goats for your milk production..... Smaller and they produce more milk for their bodyweight thyan cows do.
;)
Beth
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I hate the RSPCA for dogs, so I suppose they are the same for all animals. The RSPCA have several million pounds in art work at their HQ and the dogs go short. They routinely kill dogs after 14 days if not found a new home. They wont allow pedigree rescue to take (or buy) the relavant breeds, they know their breeds better.
Ballingall I'm a bit wary of goats cos they are expensive to keep and goat cheese is a smaller market than cow cheese, but I'm willing to be proved wrong. ;D
Herdsman dont worry about going off topic I too like the conversation to expand, its how we talk in real life. ;D
Nice analagy Georgee boy!
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Oh how relaxed you are here. I oversee another forum about boats and one poor chap asked about varnish and somehow ended up with poetry and another about power tools and we ended up with a chap realteing a story about double parking inHarley street. It all got very silly so we put a banter section in.
I guess I was just sensitive to the niceties of other places. Now I am allowed to go way off topic.. Yipee you may live to regret this.
jut noticed.. I bet you didnt think you would get varnish on a thread about lonely cows!!
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Like I say Jackie starting a topic and moving to another is good People won't post if its not what they want to talk about You no doubt read my comments on the big 3. Talk about things that interest us or some of us One only has to read the directory page?Right across it lists replys and the amount of readers for that topic I think that is good.I gave you my thoughts on cows and told you about Jerseys ;D :farmer:
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wizard I have to disagree with you regarding going off original topic/ posting. Dont feel it helps orginal poster who is trying to get info or help for that particular subject, easy enough to start a new heading elsewhere..........................neil
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AW dear
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Yup, I'm with garden cottage on this. Plenty topics in Coffee Lounge that can go on and off topic, but if you are seeking specific advice, it's awful timeconsuming to have to wade through all the "other" stuff. ;D
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Can I mix sheep(4 or 6) and the cow in the same field?
You can but if you divide the field and alternate each year between sheep and cattle you reduce the worm burden for both species.
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Grazing them together will also reduce the worm burden - cattle like long grass, sheep like short grass bevause of the way each species grazes, so grazing them together will make good use of grass, or following sheep behind cattle in a rotation.
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There has been some research done which has shown that fattening lambs actually do better when grazed with cattle - they eat all that lovely lush stuff that comes up around the cow pats, that the cows won't eat and, of course, its really good stuff due to the muck.
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You don't need two cows. The first calf will probably be two by the time it's ready to go for beef, by which time there will be a new calf.
If you only have one cow how do you wean the calves if you need to keep them together to be a herd. I have seen prickley nose rings would this do the job.
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The cow will wean the calf herself, same as all animals do.
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So if you let the cow wean each calf naturally what age is the calf likey to be when this happens, how long before the cow can conceive again and therefore what would the interval between each calving be?
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Cows don't need to be weaned before coming back into season. Suckler cows would normally be bulled before the calves are weaned, probably when the calves are about 3 months old so that the cow calves every year. I don't know when the cow will start knocking the current calf off - I'd guess about 9 or 10 months old.
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I've often wondered why I see a bull in fields with cows and young calves so that explains it.
So to set myself off with the "One cow" plan could I buy two calves, maybe one of each so that they had company. train the heifer to be easily handled and then eat the boy when she has her first calf? Does this sound like a reasonable plan or would he be too old by then?
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A traditional breed would be ready 24-30 months old, I would have thought. It woudl have to be a bullock though, not an entire bull. Others more experienced can advise better of age at finishing.
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And what age would the heifer be when she could have her first calf?
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Two years old.
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Thank you very much for all this useful information Rosemary.