Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: dexters have arrived!  (Read 8727 times)

garden cottage

  • Joined Sep 2008
  • forest of dean
dexters have arrived!
« on: September 30, 2008, 11:39:40 pm »
greetings all, our 3 dexter cattle arrived on friday afternoon 1 heifer in calf, 1 heifer 18months old and a 12month old steer. they have settled in very well and have lovely nature seem easy to handle, 2 are short legged and the steer is long leg. all i need to do now is to build an ark!    neil

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: dexters have arrived!
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2008, 08:58:39 pm »
Lucky you. Are you planning to milk the cows for the house?

danndans

  • Joined Jan 2008
  • aberystwyth
Re: dexters have arrived!
« Reply #2 on: October 02, 2008, 07:47:44 pm »
Enjoy them garden cottage ;D I started of with 2, about 4 years ago ::) i've now got 23!!!!!! and thats after selling 13 calves last week  :o

Make your words soft and sweet, as one day you may have to eat them.

garden cottage

  • Joined Sep 2008
  • forest of dean
Re: dexters have arrived!
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2008, 06:22:04 am »
long term would like to milk eventually, for now just like to start on some beef and expand the herd dandans do you have your own bull or bring one in, i only ask as previous owners had bull on loan and got stuck with it for months. neil

danndans

  • Joined Jan 2008
  • aberystwyth
Re: dexters have arrived!
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2008, 07:00:19 am »
weve got our own bull, hes a short red :)   :)infact to tell you the truth hes the quietest of the lot!! :P

we've never had any trouble from him and hes left out all year with the cows, even when they are calving ;D
Make your words soft and sweet, as one day you may have to eat them.

garden cottage

  • Joined Sep 2008
  • forest of dean
Re: dexters have arrived!
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2008, 10:14:32 pm »
many thanks dan youve been most helpful  neil

danndans

  • Joined Jan 2008
  • aberystwyth
Re: dexters have arrived!
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2008, 10:41:19 pm »
are you planning to get them in calf?
Make your words soft and sweet, as one day you may have to eat them.

garden cottage

  • Joined Sep 2008
  • forest of dean
Re: dexters have arrived!
« Reply #7 on: October 06, 2008, 10:52:06 pm »
2yr old heifer was bought in calf, she has been with the bull. other heifer is 15months and steer for beef is 1yr old. 

Lemming

  • Joined Jan 2009
Re: dexters have arrived!
« Reply #8 on: January 15, 2009, 11:47:49 pm »
We've had dexters for about 4 years now; we chose them because they're about the only breed we can accomodate on our very small smallholding.

If I had my time over again, I'd choose to keep something a bit less demanding. Lions, maybe.

Dexters are escape artists, like goats. They can scramble up banks, wriggle through tiny gaps in hedges (they'll be big gaps by the time they've finished) and demolish any fence known to man. They walk through electric fences like they aren't there.

Because we've only got 3 cows and their offspring, they're very wary, practically wild; catching them up for TB tests, ear-tag checks, Bluetongue jabs &c can be something of a challenge. My only previous experience was with black-and-whites, so I wasn't at all prepared...

They're wonderful animals and the beef is superb, but I would suggest they're not for beginners. Wish I'd listened to my neighbour, who told me to get a Jersey.

VSS

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Pen Llyn
    • Viable Self Sufficiency.co.uk
Re: dexters have arrived!
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2009, 11:31:50 am »
Jersey X would be my reommendation. Preferably a British Blue cross if you can find one. Best cows ever!
The SHEEP Book for Smallholders
Available from the Good Life Press

www.viableselfsufficiency.co.uk

nick-in-ca

  • Joined Jan 2009
Re: dexters have arrived!
« Reply #10 on: January 22, 2009, 05:28:51 pm »

hi lemming
escape artist i had i few i fond you have to teach them young with electric fence the only way                                 

garden cottage

  • Joined Sep 2008
  • forest of dean
Re: dexters have arrived!
« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2009, 09:36:28 pm »
Hi lemming, sorry to hear of your woes with the dexters, so far we havent had any major drama, theyve been pretty good with electric fence, only when the batterys go down theyve pushed thro it and on one occasion when a deer went thro the electric fence. the 2 heifers have lovely temperament, the steer has a bit of the devil in him and a good set of horns so im very wary of him at all times  roll on the beef....neil

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS