raising cattle

Couldn't agree more Al!!!

A three sided shelter will be all the cattle need. Get a milk cow breed like holsteins, guernsy, etc. They are nice and gentle.

[bigbukhntr]

so what are the smaller breeds....that sounds like a good idea to us? herefords?

[DUMBDOG]

As a kid growing up on the farm, we had a variety of cattle, herefords, black angus, and a few others. The herefords did seem more gentle than some of the rest.

But remember, when a cow has a small calf, they can be very protective. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[jtcweb]

I've seen mentioned other places about a breed called Dextor that is small. I don't know anything about them other then the person that wrote the article thought they were the best for "part-timers".

[Scott_IN_WVa]

Get yourself an Angus,small calves,fast growth,mothers have a good protective instinct,no horns and very rarely ever get pink eye.I hate to have to pull calves.Its hard enough to make money with live cattle,let alone a dead calf.Growing up we had Black Angus and a few years ago I had a herd of Red Angus.The only time we ever had a calving problem was we had a bunch of heifers got out and were bred too young.I have seen those Angus calves born in zero degree weather and get up and wobble around and find the teat and go to work,nature is amazing..............

[Phred]

The other guys have some good insight.

I would just add that these things can be a hand full so be carefull.
A freind of mine lost an eye from a kick to the face. Lots of unpleasent surgery and he still can't see out of that eye.

You are talking about a ~1000 lb animal not a puppy.

Fred

[Scott_IN_WVa]

Yes they can hurt/kill you and not mean to,or the can hurt/kill and mean to do it.
I had a Hereford bull one time...he thought he was a puppy,I could climb right on his back and set on him in the middle of a field,no grain bucket to entice him...I even set the kids on his back and took pictures of them.Take a stick and scratch his belly or neck and he just absolutely loved it,on the other hand I had a Red Angus bull and you had to carry a big stick and watch him out of the corner of your eye,I thumped him more than once,just so he would know who was the boss.

[Argee]

<font color="blue"> so what are the smaller breeds....that sounds like a good idea to us? herefords? </font color>

You may want to take a close look at Dexters. A small breed that survive on marginal pastures. You can support two per acre. They are gentle. They finish out in the 900 to 1000LB range and yield 60%. Looks to be a good choice for small acreages.

[jtcweb]

Where are you at in MI? I am in Ypsilanti and would like to try a Dexter. How do they do in the winter? How much does a calf cost?

[Argee]

I'm still in the research stage. What I've found so far is they're 2-3 times the cost of the average Angus or Hereford calf. My interest is raising them for sale and meat. Keeping the cows and one bull, culling the young bulls and converting them to steers for the beef.

I've raised both Angus and Herefords for beef. Taken to market at 1300 - 1500 Lbs and giving back a yield of 600 lbs of meat and less makes the Dexters an attractive breed for that purpose. The high end weight of a Dexter bull is 1,000 Lbs and the yield I'm told is 60%. Do the math, it's astounding [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] you can support 1 Dexter per half acre versus 1 Angus or Hereford per 1-1/2 - 2 acres for the same yield. For the long term, based on that info alone, makes the Dexter a sound investment. Factor in their gentle nature and stable health record and you've got a people friendly animal that can be profitable to boot.

I've copied a short history on Dexters from various web sites I visited to give you some insight on this cattle.

By the way, I live in Wolverine which is about 20 miles north of Gaylord and 40 miles south of the bridge.


<font color="red">"Dexter Cattle were originally from Ireland, and rescued from extinction in the 1970's to become a very popular animal with small acreage farmers around the world.

The Dexters are true miniatures, measuring between 38 to 40 inches high.

They are a dual purpose animal, producing both milk and meat, and are an ideal cow for the small farm as you can keep more Dexters per acre.

Their docile temperament is great for farmers inexperienced in handling large cattle.

Dexters' average milk production is just on 7 liters a day and grow to around 320 - 400 kilograms producing high quality beef ideal for the family freezer. "

American Dexter Cattle

"The importation of Dexter cattle to America is thought to have occurred long ago, but the first recorded importations arrived between 1905 and 1915 and numbered over two hundred head. A complete history of early herds, their owners and the transfer of cattle between owners is well documented in the ADCA Herd Book. Although the Dexter was an ideal homestead cow, providing meat, milk and power and found a good deal of popularity in that arena, as milk and meat production became specialized, the Dexter numbers decreased. At one time there were thought to be less than 5,000 in the world, but today, with renewed interest in small holdings, the numbers have risen to approximately 12,000 head worldwide. There are some 4,000-5,000 in North America at this time. The ADCA has nearly 400 members and registered 613 cattle in 1997.
The American Dexter possesses many desirable characteristics. It is still a very hardy animal, thriving in both hot and cold climates with little difficulty. It is tractable and easily trained, either as a pasture animal (kind on fencing) or a show animal (great with children and young adults). It is a thrifty animal and capable of thriving on a half acre per head of good pasture, given the typical Dexter's small size. Registered cows measure between 36 and 42 inches in shoulder height at three years of age, and weigh approximately 750 pounds. Bulls are slightly larger at 38 to 44 inches shoulder height, and weigh in around 1000 pounds.

Whether short or long legged (Kerry) types, both varieties are strong and, for their size, high volume, milk producers. They also produce an excellent lean beef when raised for meat. To be sure, there is less of it, and smaller cuts of meat, but the quality and coloring are usually exceptional.

Finally, because they are still a minor breed, but one in increasing demand for "suburban" and small farmers, they have held their resale value exceptionally well, and most supply and demand projections indicate that this is likely to be the case for some time to come. "</font color>