Dexter Cattle for starting

[flyingcircleg]

Little bit of background. Have been helping some family friends/ranchers for years with their angus x, so have a fair knowledge of cattle.

Personally have had couple hundred sheep and goats over the years. Have 5 acres and recently worked out 2 leases (10 acres across the street) and 60 acres a few miles down the road. Looking at getting a small herd of dexters to start off with. Good breed, or should I look towards something else?

Climate wise we are pretty mild, summers are in the 90's with the occasional days that hit low 100's (prolly only 5-10 days a year), winters are normally in the 30-40s day time temps, with night time rarely hitting the 20's and i think hit the teens and isngle digits once in the past 5 years. Get snow give or take 4 times a year, but normally only hangs around for a few days till it all melts...

Want to raise them to put beef in my freezer and then sell some at auction and/or local people...

 

[Bar M]

My question is, why are you going with that breed. Is the a nitch marked for them or some other reason.
If you are dealing with a small lease get the best cattle your money can buy and have a product that everyone would want. Instead of something only a few would want.

 

[flyingcircleg]

My question is, why are you going with that breed. Is the a nitch marked for them or some other reason.
If you are dealing with a small lease get the best cattle your money can buy and have a product that everyone would want. Instead of something only a few would want.

I figured they were climate tolerant and easy to breed/raise. What is another hardy breed I should be looking at?

 

[Soapweed]

My question is, why are you going with that breed. Is the a nitch marked for them or some other reason.
If you are dealing with a small lease get the best cattle your money can buy and have a product that everyone would want. Instead of something only a few would want.

I figured they were climate tolerant and easy to breed/raise. What is another hardy breed I should be looking at?

Angus

 

[Anonymous]

My question is, why are you going with that breed. Is the a nitch marked for them or some other reason.
If you are dealing with a small lease get the best cattle your money can buy and have a product that everyone would want. Instead of something only a few would want.

I figured they were climate tolerant and easy to breed/raise. What is another hardy breed I should be looking at?

Angus

And if you are looking for some that are smaller framed and mature/finish at lighter weights (which often better meets the freezer beef requests- depending on area) there are angus genetics that can fill your needs...

And if you need even smaller to meet niche markets the lowline was developed from the angus cattle and still have the carcass and marbling quality of the angus...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowline_cattle

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/breeds/cattle/australianlowline/index.htm

 

[Denny]

I was at the salebarn here today. A guy sold 30 153# fat lambs hampshires x good lambs 1.50 per lb. =$229 a head. Another guy had about 30 of those babydoll southdown fat lambs looked like dwarfs weighed 93#s brought 25 cent a lb nobody wanted them. The auctioneer said now everyone should pay attention raise something someone else is willing to buy if you want to keep in business.

Dexter cattle hghlanders etc. are novelty animals don't expect to turn a profit unless you scam people to a worth that is above meat value. If you are going to get into these breeds buy them at the salebarn at least your start up costs are minimal.

I'd buy angus,hereford black baldies, simmentals about any full size cows then I would breed them to a black angus bull and make a profit.

 

[Faster horses]

I was at the salebarn here today. A guy sold 30 153# fat lambs hampshires x good lambs 1.50 per lb. =$229 a head. Another guy had about 30 of those babydoll southdown fat lambs looked like dwarfs weighed 93#s brought 25 cent a lb nobody wanted them. The auctioneer said now everyone should pay attention raise something someone else is willing to buy if you want to keep in business.

Dexter cattle hghlanders etc. are novelty animals don't expect to turn a profit unless you scam people to a worth that is above meat value. If you are going to get into these breeds buy them at the salebarn at least your start up costs are minimal.

I'd buy angus,hereford black baldies, simmentals about any full size cows then I would breed them to a black angus bull and make a profit.

I agree...and try to buy gentle and quiet cattle...

 

[Bar M]

My question is, why are you going with that breed. Is the a nitch marked for them or some other reason.
If you are dealing with a small lease get the best cattle your money can buy and have a product that everyone would want. Instead of something only a few would want.

I figured they were climate tolerant and easy to breed/raise. What is another hardy breed I should be looking at?

Angus

Go to you local sale barn or order buyer and ask them what people want. Then have those type of cattle. You would be surprised how many times 5-10 head bring a bit of a premium because a buyer needs to fill a load. And those same buyers aren't going to buy something that doesn't fit just to fill that load. I am not trying to discourage you just don't want you to be disappointed.

 

[greybeard]

My neighbor had Dexter cattle. Unfortunately his bull got out and bred some of my cows. Can't think of anything desirable about the resulting calves.
Lots of good genetics to pick from in Angus.

 

[Silver]

Almost any Exotic / Angus cross will do. Personally I'd stay away from anything straight bred, but apparently they work too :wink:

 

[flyingcircleg]

Almost any Exotic / Angus cross will do. Personally I'd stay away from anything straight bred, but apparently they work too :wink:

So Angus x Hereford?

 

[Silver]

Almost any Exotic / Angus cross will do. Personally I'd stay away from anything straight bred, but apparently they work too :wink:

So Angus x Hereford?

Well that IS a cross many people like, but Hereford is not "exotic". I guess down there you guys use the term "Continental" rather than "Exotic".
I'm a big fan of Red Angus crossed with Simmental or Blonde d'Aquitaine personally, and they are never hard to sell.

 

[rancher rick]

Excellent advice here. My personal preference is RA. A friend who is 85 & operated the local abbatoir for 40 + years swears that the best carcass comes from Limousin steers. I`m sticking with RA.