All About Dexter Cattle
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 พ.ย. 2024
- Last week I went to visit my friend Katie to learn more about Dexter cattle, American Guinea Hogs, and other homestead-scale livestock. The video I published - "Perfect Livestock for the Homestead" - was almost 20 minutes long after I cut a lot of content about the Dexters. I got a lot of positive feedback about the video and specifically, the Dexters.
I decided to take all the cut footage and make another video out of it. Here it is... all about Dexters.
Katie is an absolute gem! So knowledgeable and I just love her attitude and husbandry ideas and values. I could listen to her talk all day. What a great friend to have.
agreed! You'll see her again :)
mccrack77 - True!
I have been breeding Dexter’s here in the Uk since 1994, so far we have reared over 200, easy to handle, they need very little interference from me. All grass reared, hardy little beasts with a great personality.👍
Y dexters tho?
@@edmondfin4252 Dexter cattle are good for both milk and beef. Multi-purpose animals are probably more in demand than single-purposed animals.
We love our dexters!
She is hands own expert -bless her and her family
This video is so loaded with info! Thanks so much for putting this together!
You're welcome!
Outstanding. Thank you for taking the time to video, edit and post ! Shalom
:) You're welcome and thank you!
Thanks so much for this intensive video. Great info and good work :)
Justin Rhodes Heeey! Justin!
Good video with a lot of good basic questions that were answered.
Great video, this lady seems to know a lot about these animals. Very interesting ty
The introduction, explanation was a good idea. Thank you. Just what I was looking for.
This video is excellent. I was looking into this breed, compared to the mini jerseys, but haven't found anything as well done. Great coverage and questions!
Thank you :) Let me know if you find anything interesting on the mini jerseys
I can tell you that I was wavering between the two but after your video, the Dexter is my #1 homestead cow when we get more land. Of course, we would do more research on it when we get more serious about buying, but I appreciated all the info you provided via the questions you asked. They seem like the perfect dual-purpose hardy breed for a small homestead. Again...many thanks! Good luck yourselves should you choose to get one (or two, or ten)
We raise Dexter cattle. They are a great meat and milk cow. So easy to work with. Just purchased two bred heifers to add to our heard of 5 so now up to 7. Good profit on selling the babies. Just sold two heifers one was bred the other not, $4200.
Dan, you are awesome with the interviews. I loved this video, so informative. Are you going to do one on jerseys? You did one on Yaks, can't remember if you did one on Scottish Highland Cattle....I have watch so many videos from various sites it is all a blur....
We absolutely love our dexters!
Great video. Lot’s of great information. Thank you!
thank you so much for doing this video! I am always eager to learn about good breeds for the homestead :)
You're welcome. I really enjoyed making this one :)
Am really enjoying learning about the Dexters. :) I really want cattle one day, so thanks for sharing more about them. Tell Katie thanks!!
I sure will!
We absolutely love our dexters!
such good stuff...I love listening to her knowledge.
Excellent! Great information! Thank you!
Awesome, another really good, Interesting video, Thanks. Glad you had all this extra footage. The Dexters were what I was most interested in in the last video :)
Oh cool! I'm glad I made this one :)
Super informative. Adding this one to my favorites. Great job on this one 👍
Thanks Bob! I'm glad you liked it
WOW great information
I love my Dexters! Perfect for our family wonderful beef and milk!
Awesome! I really want to get some!
I have had them for 3 years now.
I have 2 cows a heifer and 2 bull calves one is sold the other is freash. Love them so much easy births a cows let me handle thier calves after birth and even let me help with delivery (moral support).
Perfect. Good info, I couldn't have found better. Thank you!
You're welcome!
Great video. Thanks for all the info!
Very nice video, been researching Dexter VS Mini Jersey. Thanks!
We absolutely love our dexters!
Excellent , very informative
This is such an awesome video!! Your questions were excellent and covered every possible subject I could think of. After what I learned from your video I think Dexter cattle are the perfect breed for homesteading. I will be watching this video over and over again there is just so much good information. I read about your not being able to have any dairy at all. I don't know if you have considered taking probiotics It helps build up all the good healthy bacteria in your digestive track, and many who were severely lactose intolerant could take dairy products without any troubles at all. I hope this helps. Thank you for making these videos they really are good, and very much appreciated. I wish you and your family the very best!!
Thanks so much Craig! I'm glad you liked it. I made the video mainly because there was little else out there that went into great detail on the Dexter.
Really enjoyed this, well done guys.
Thank you! Great Channel name!
Super informative video! Thanks 🙂
You're welcome :)
Thank you for the information. :). It's very helpful.
This is the best video . I grew up on a dairy farm and have beef cattle now. I remember we weaned the babies at 5 months old and dry up at 7 months. Now iam wanting a dexter to milk but I dont know about how long to milk them. Sounds like I like the old way 5 years until I get a bull. This can get confusing because a single milk cow is managed different than a dairy farm cows.Great video thanks God bless.
Lovely video, I also chose Dexter as my first cattle.
We absolutely love our dexters!
WOW WHAT A DAILY CHORE/ 365 - amazing guest ty
phenomenal amount of information thanks
Great video. This is the first really thorough video I have found on Dexters. I researched a few years back & decided if I was ever in a situation to be able to get homestead cows Dexters would be my choice.
Thank you! I'm with you... Dexters are my first pick
What a perfect size for us. I need to look into these. 2,3 maybe 4 :) - Mike
Oh yeah! These guys are awesome. I really want to get a couple as well
Dexters are great dual purpose cattle. We have bred a dexter bull to a Penzgauer/Angus cross and found it a great meat texture. The only problem is we only have one cow like this. This is our first year with dexter cows bred with a low line angus bull, so far the first 12 calves have looked great.
Awesome! Let me know your progress regarding the breeding etc.
The way she's says the bulls are sassy is so funny!
Great info
On a Dexter kick,so had to watch this again,lol.
My ancestral cows didnt just eat grass. They foraged on the meadows, consuming herbs and all greens that mother nature seeded arround. Thats real nutritional treasure that made cows milk raw or fermented overnight the best food and medicine for humans too.
So, when are you getting some Dexters? Good info and was glad to hear she brought up A2A2 milk which is becoming a bigger idea in the dairy industry. I went to an interesting presentation on A2A2 at the MOSES Organic Conference two years ago. Basically human, goat, and sheep milk are A2A2, but an amino acid in cow milk changed in the protein casein due to a mutation causing some cow milk to be A1A2 or A2A1 or A1A1. During consumption of any A1 milk, an amino acid group called BCM7 (betacasomorphine 7) breaks off and can cause inflammation. Some hypothesize this is why those who have an allergy or upset stomach with cow milk can drink goat or sheep milk. This is different from lactose intolerance which is due to the natural sugar in milk. Most heritage or colored breeds are believed to be A2A2 but they can be tested. We plan to test our Jerseys when we get them next year.
Ha! Who said we were getting any ;) Great info on A2/A2. I haven't heard anything that detailed on it before. Thank you!
Great information Blue Creek, keep us all posted? I most certainly have been thinking of getting a couple of goats myself. 1. my husband is quite a bit lactose intolerant. and 2. I have issues with inflammation. (Fibromyalgia)
So, I figured goats would be my answer. Now I see that I just might still be able to have a cow or two without having to go through the hassle of filtering the milk 2-3 times to prevent that goaty milk flavor. Yay!
🌾Merry meet 🌿
Sansa Stark Glad to help! No matter what anyone says, just trying different things and listening to your body might just be the key.
Blue Creek Dairy Farm WA For sure, currently we're stuck in a rut of sorts. Can't purchase any animals for our property we reside on. But I can grow minimal plants. So I intend to do that. But, in a year & half, the goal is to start with chickens and expand from there.
My husband's uncle owns land we'll be moving to. (4 thousand 5 hundred + acres) In North Dakota & some in South Dakota. Running Angus on the land and crops. But we'll be allowed to have a bit of property to ourselves around the house we'll be in for ourselves. =) We currently live in a housing development that doesn't really allow for much. So, for now it's just riding it out and gain knowledge for the future.
I am glad you took your footage from your other video and put it in this one because I started doing research on the cattle the other day and it was very helpful for you to put up this today. As of now I am looking to start raising dairy cattle for 4h all I need is a bit more money to purchase one and I am very close to getting it. Just another great video! Just keep going!
Awesome Isaac! I can't wait to hear more about your dairy cow!
i have been raising pure bred Dexter cattle for years
love the snow scene, too.
thanks!!
That was great. I raise dexters and it was very informative
Awesome! I hope to join you sometime as a fellow Dexter husbandman
Thanks! That was interesting. Do you have more unused footage on the other animals? I'd be very interested in those, too. Living vicariously through the internet!
Hi Mary. I do have a little more on the guinea hogs but not enough to make a separate video. I will keep an eye out for an opportunity to introduce the footage into a video.
Thanks! I will look forward to seeing it!
Lots of good info. If I ever have the acreage I'm getting some
👍
Dexter cattle have a fairly high premium on them. If you’re looking for a cheap way into cattle, call local dairy farmers and ask if they have bottle fed calves for sale. As with anything, do your research first. I get Holstein bulls for $50/head.
Ha!
Thank you Dan
You're welcome :)
I loved the video. lots of great information. I do wish she had been more specific about what age to de-horn and castrate. She just said "young".
I will ask her and let you know
I love the Dexter breed
I love working with cattle. Great video!
curious? Are any of the dexster raisers out there , Do any of you use corn stalk hay in the winter? It's cheaper than hay and in some cases has the same protein. but mostly a little less.
Tons of great information in this video. Yep, I guess the elk that move thru would Not be trained to an electric wire. Thank you for this, I assume that if we wanted to, we could only get a single dexter as we only have 4 acres and it would be happy by itself?😃🌈🤙
get 2 and you'll have to buy some hay to supplement feed
@@TheGrassfedHomestead nice
Wealth of information...I didn't realize the Dexters were so small & cute. Justin's cow Willow was a bit larger but maybe she was a mixed breed. If we get more acres I would love to have some of the smaller cows :) & it's nice to know that these are multipurpose & calm cattle. Those horns are bit scary! o.- I hate the idea of dehorning but if I could get a polled that would work. Thanks for sharing! ...now where is my goat video Dan? :))
I didn't get enough goat footage Oneda :( Perhaps I'll make a special visit to a goat dairy and get you a nice video :)
woohoo! :)
Justin's cow was an American Milking Devon, not a Dexter.
ah then that makes sense :) thanks
Oh, it's far too late for me to have a cow but I sure wish I could. I'm too old now. Fresh is best.
Hey where can we buy Dexter cows like that I’m looking to get one next year
Great info, thanks for sharing!! Just curious what a Dexter calf might cost if you are just setting out and starting your homestead… and then what is the average butchering price? Thanks so much! ~ Jenn
Hi Jenn, from what I see on the market and talking with Katie, the price for bred heifers and experienced cows range from $1300-2000, depending on size and quality. I don't know how much a calf is (haven't looked into it) but I suspect it would be a bit less than the $1300. Butchering - there's usually a flat fee for slaughtering - say $70-$100. And then there is a $/lb price for butchery- cutting, wrapping, and freezing. I've seen it between $0.60-0.80 / lb hanging weight. Of course this varies on location
Excellent video!!!! I would love to know where you are in Idaho. We just moved to a small property outside Caldwell till we have a chance to explore more and figure out where we want a homestead. Also, do you know where you can but Dexters at? Right now we don't have enough property for a Dexter but I want one badly.
Hi Dawn, we are on the other end of the state from you in the panhandle. I know of two places up here but I don't know any breeders down south.
The Grass-fed Homestead thanks!!! The pan handle is most likely where we will end up. We are thinking anywhere from Moscow up to Bonners Ferry. We love all the trees and mountains. Caldwell is just out base for the moment.
We live in the Burley/Rupert area and have Dexters on our small homestead. We love the Dexters. They are the perfect family cow for a small homestead. We bread for dual purpose and train our cows to milk.
I have 12 acre smallholding and want pasture control. How many of these is best, also cow or bullocks is best? I don't want to have to milk them etc, just easy maintenance. Thanks.
there are too many variables to be able to answer your question. Pasture quality, climate, your own abilities, etc are all factors that determine the answer to your question.
just starting to look at getting livestock. Do you drink the unpasteurized milk?? Wife did when she was younger and says it's thick and not good tasting...lol. Do you make cheese, butter or yogurt and how do you find the taste??
oh ya great video!!! New to your channel and loving it!!
we used to get raw milk and I'd drink it almost like water. It is amazing! The flavor depends on what the animal is being fed. If you find a raw milk producer that is 100% grass-fed, you'll get a superior product. Also the breed makes a difference because of the fat content. The best tasting in my opinion for cow milk is Jersey because of the heavy cream content. It sounds like your wife doesn't like the cream though so maybe not a good option.
As for butter - yes, I've made butter from raw milk. It was the best butter I've ever had. I've not made cheese or yogurt though.
Also with AI All the cattle will calve out right about the same time if they're all cycling. If you're doing AI. We're contemplating going AI on the family farm versus having the bulls cover live and dropping calves here & there which makes it a pain in the neck to manage the cattle & their calves as they come.
One type of cattle that is extremely mean, both the bull and the cow is the Charolais. They're pretty to look at and when crossed with Angus make a great beef cattle. But Holy Crow do they make for a really mean momma cow! O_o
I think I want to purchase a Dexter for milk maybe...We'll see. And yes, she's so right, fencing for Angus is *cough* a pain in the rump. We've got acres and acres of fence up for Black Angus. Which is a pretty mild cow to be honest, compared to the Charolais. You have to have the fence *hot* and up. Otherwise the dingbats will most certainly find out that it isn't on, and with a quickness.
🌾Merry meet 🌿
Do people raise Charolais just for their looks?
The Grass-fed Homestead Some do, for showing them. Just like even those Dexter cows you're showing on video. I've seen pictures online of those, Each ranch has their top cow/bull that they show. Not always people like the lady you showed on this video. But like families that have 4-H involvement, they'll take calves and raise them up, then take the best of that group winning ribbons left right & center. It's crazy I think. But whatever floats their boat eh? LoL
Merry Meet, Sansa!
A2 or A1 is about beta-casein (protein) and it has nothing to do with lactose (sugar). Most shop milk is from A1/A1 or A1/A2 cows and it causes inflammation and fuels autoimmune diseases. Milk A2/A2 is much safer and less allergic, however some people (me among them) can have no dairy at all, regardless of beta-casein type.
If you are going to have a cow, I strongly recommend A2/A2 type, of course it matters only in dairy cows, there is no A1 or A2 beef.
There is a lot of valuable info online about A1/A2 milk, just one of the first page in Google resutls: www.marksdailyapple.com/dairy-intolerance/
Looking forward to seeing you acquiring at least one dexter cow :)
My son is casein intolerant. The lactose content doesn't seem to matter. It's interesting how many people know of lactose intolerance but are most likely bothered by casein. I've tried goat milk with him and it didn't help so I'm guessing the A2/A2 Dexters wouldn't either. He also can't tolerate replacements like almond and coconut but he does ok with cashew. Sadly now that I discovered that I'm seeing it less and less in the stores. It's got me curious though so I may have to try to find some and see if he can handle it. There's also a difference between intolerance and allergies. My son isn't allergic to dairy, just intolerant.
I really appreciate and enjoyed this video on the Dexter breed. Being a 7th generation native of Arizona and being in the agribusiness industry (farming and light ranching, as we call it, 100 head maximum.
Where was the location af this video.
Thumbs up! Great information. We love your channel. We subscribed.
Thanks Bruce! This was filmed in the Silver Valley of North Idaho. It is a beautiful area.
Do you have to milk Dexter cattle or do they strive without being milked
good stuff
Ty
Are these a heritage breed? I honestly have never heard about these until this video!
livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/dexter
Nice level topline, almost like beef cattle..
👌👍
what would you say the average cost is to raise two cattle (Dexter's) annually?
It depends greatly on pasture quality but assuming you have poor pastures like me and all of the feed is hay - 2 dexters @ 20lbs/day = 7.3 tons. Hay might be around $200/ton (could be less) 7.3 x 200 = $1460
I don't know how much the copper supplement costs but I think it is safe to say that all in, worst case super conservative scenario it would be less than $2k for 2 dexters (again, that's assuming they have no pasture to graze).
Thank you! I think with milk and cheese products, we could do well and make our money back in a year or two.
Absolutely. Breed the cows each year and then you also get a meat yield from any bulls that are born. Sell the beef or sell the heifers to other folks wanting to get dexters. You will be net positive for sure!
Is Katie still raising Dexter cattle? Is she in North Idaho?
She moved I think. I don't know the details.
Thats sweet living ...
What is the mineral she uses? Thanks
I don't remember 😬
Where can I buy Katie's cheeses?
What is the name of this farm and where are they located?
Castle Rock Ranch in Kingston, ID
Too bad that you didn't get enough footage to do the "three best" video and then a more in-depth video like this on each one. Would have made for a nice "mini-series". But, now you know. We are voracious for details. Lol.
You're right! I wish I had thought of that!
Sounds like you really want one or two of those cows lol I do they at well nice
yes, as a matter of fact, I do :)
What area is she located?
north Idaho
Pumpkin seeds are natural dewormer
looks like she burns off the horns, too.
some are naturally polled, some are dehorned
Katie is so cool, is she married?
I don't think so
Yeah, but can you ride em.
ha! probably
Great video! Thanks a bunch for putting this together. We got two Dexters last summer and had them bred last fall. They should calve in June and we are super excited to have some of our own fresh raw milk! I do have one question: do you know, or could you find out what loose mineral she uses? That would be awesome. Thanks again! www.theoldtroddenlane.com
Hi Jabe. That's exciting about the calving this summer! I don't know what the mineral mix is but I will ask her.
Sweet. Thanks Dan!
She sent me the link to the website where she gets the minerals but she didn't specify which product she gets exactly
www.abcplus.biz/home1.aspx?Id=Home
U need bale feeders, not as much waste
,y name is dexter