dexter cattle

gr8 m8

Hello.

I have been looking into the dexter cattle breed and was wondering if anyone had any opinions on them?

I'm farming sucklers on good ground but am very interected in going down the organic road and feel my charley and simmenthals would not be suitable for finishing within this scenario.

My emphasis is on sustainable farming alongside nature and the dexter seems to thick some boxes for me! Anyone have any input as regards direct sales or other markets for the finished product as well as the running of a Dexter herd?

Many thanks.

tractorporn

gr8 m8 wrote:

My emphasis is on sustainable farming alongside nature and the dexter seems to thick some boxes for me! Anyone have any input as regards direct sales or other markets for the finished product as well as the running of a Dexter herd?

There's a crowd in Kerry doing organic dexters. They call themselves the Dingle Dexter beef company, they have a stall at a farmers market and do some online sales as well.

Dexters are a hardy breed and tend to do best outdoors and can thrive well on roughish ground Afaik

gr8 m8

Hello again,

I'm still looking at getting a few dexter and branching out from there! From what I heard they do very well outdoors but I don't think my land will do well if I leave them out always (maybe it would hold up okay but I can't be sure ) I have a 3 bay slatted shed presently but I have a fear that if the calves go from the straw bed onto the slats then it may be dangerous for the calves since their legs may go between the slats!

Anyone have any opinions on this or what age a Dexter calf may be okay to traverse a slatted floor? I plan on autumn calving since my job usually gets busy in the spring and it's basically busy in the autumn to a lesser extent so the idea of calving outside really isn't an option!

All information is welcome?

Who2

Had one and while it's not a true reflection, all I know is never again. Bad tempered runts that have no real purpose. If your looking organically you'll not go wrong with Hereford.

_Brian

Who2 wrote: »

Had one and while it's not a true reflection, all I know is never again. Bad tempered runts that have no real purpose. If your looking organically you'll not go wrong with Hereford.

Agree with this.
No commercial outlet for the ordinary lad farming, you need to be able to run them from calf to fork, your own killing arrangements and marketing the beef.

Maybe ask about local butchers and see would they be willing to take the finished stock from you, that may be an option.

Research your outlet first as it's allot of time and money to invest to have no outlet

Siamsa Sessions

_Brian wrote: »

Agree with this.
No commercial outlet for the ordinary lad farming, you need to be able to run them from calf to fork, your own killing arrangements and marketing the beef.

Maybe ask about local butchers and see would they be willing to take the finished stock from you, that may be an option.

Research your outlet first as it's allot of time and money to invest to have no outlet

As was said on another thread, "beef is beef" for the majority of consumers. There doesn't seem to be a huge market for niche products. Even if you have a great story behind it, like the lady with Dexters on Ear to Ground.

Having said that, there is a market for organic beef - albeit small enough too. I'm guessing most of this market comes from Hereford and Angus so maybe they could be a halfway house for you between big commercial continentals and the small niche Dexters?

gr8 m8

Hello

Thank you for the replies. I agree about the niche market for dexter and besides them being dexter and organic i was learning towards them being pure bred also. So take your pick of niches it would seem.

From looking around i have found some routes to market and would also consider direct sales myself. I was actually in a restaurant in Chicago a month ago with a sign on the window advertising their "grass fed beef burger " which apparently they are famous for. I asked the manager and he told me they are importing Hereford X beef from new Zealand.

gr8 m8

Hello.

Apologies for reopening this can of worms but I wanted to find out how dexters would be measured in livestock units. Is a Dexter cow seen as a cow like hereford or simmy? Or would they be seen as half a livestock unit?

tractorporn

gr8 m8 wrote:

Apologies for reopening this can of worms but I wanted to find out how dexters would be measured in livestock units. Is a Dexter cow seen as a cow like hereford or simmy? Or would they be seen as half a livestock unit?

In the eyes of the dept a cow is a full livestock unit regardless of breed.

keryl

gr8 m8 wrote: »

Hello.

Apologies for reopening this can of worms but I wanted to find out how dexters would be measured in livestock units. Is a Dexter cow seen as a cow like hereford or simmy? Or would they be seen as half a livestock unit?

Any progress on your research on Dexters?

gr8 m8

keryl wrote: »

Any progress on your research on Dexters?

I joined the Dexters society and have been around a few farms and I'm still quite taken with them, the meat is supposed to be top notch but some of the farmers have said that they can be flighty.

It's a work in progress and I won't be jumping in too quickly but they definitely tick some great boxes in my opinion.

Markcheese

I can see the worth of having dexters because you like them... But ón Good ground you don't really need them, organically or otherwise...
Did you get any further with researching slat sizes and their feet...

gr8 m8

Markcheese wrote: »

I can see the worth of having dexters because you like them... But ón Good ground you don't really need them, organically or otherwise...
Did you get any further with researching slat sizes and their feet...

Hello.

Anyone I have been in contact with doesn't seem to have slats with most preferred to out winter them and a few having them in a coral beside a straw bedded shed.

Many if not all said that they simply prefer being kept outside and one told me that the best thing to do with Dexters is that if yo have access to mountain commonage then just let them up there and all but forget about them and they will thrive.

FLC

gr8 m8 wrote: »

Hello.

Anyone I have been in contact with doesn't seem to have slats with most preferred to out winter them and a few having them in a coral beside a straw bedded shed.

Many if not all said that they simply prefer being kept outside and one told me that the best thing to do with Dexters is that if yo have access to mountain commonage then just let them up there and all but forget about them and they will thrive.

Thanks for starting this thread and the updates. I am inclined towards the same kind of enterprise but maybe with bigger cattle (Moiled or Droimeann).

Did you have any joy with outlets for finished product?

FLC

_Brian wrote: »

Agree with this.
No commercial outlet for the ordinary lad farming, you need to be able to run them from calf to fork, your own killing arrangements and marketing the beef.

Maybe ask about local butchers and see would they be willing to take the finished stock from you, that may be an option.

Research your outlet first as it's allot of time and money to invest to have no outlet

Would you be of the same opinion for other specialist breeds (ie Moiled & Droimeann) albeit they are larger cattle? That there is little or no premium price to be achieved on these bar you develop our own market or go the whole hog to produce and sell direct?

gr8 m8

Hello.

I joined the Irish Dexters association and unfortunately I haven't got along to any meetings yet but the heifer's are in high demand for breeding stock and their is a order with some food company that sets a date for slaughter of the beef cattle and I believe they struggle to fill this order.

I need to chase this up to make sure but most people seem content with how the system is working that I talked to, I admit it's been a limited pool of people alright.

darragh mak

hi all im 17 and come from a farming backround and will be getting my own herd number soon
i was looking at the dexter cattle and was wondering would they be a good breed to start of with and what would the best way to manage them be

shootermcgee

darragh mak wrote:

hi all im 17 and come from a farming backround and will be getting my own herd number soon i was looking at the dexter cattle and was wondering would they be a good breed to start of with and what would the best way to manage them be

Just a word of warning, the best fencing in the world won't keep them in and for the size of them are dangerous for the size of them. My neighbour has them and is at loggerheads with most of his neighbours because of damages caused to fences. Good luck with the herd number

sonnybill

shootermcgee wrote: »

Just a word of warning, the best fencing in the world won't keep them in and for the size of them are dangerous for the size of them. My neighbour has them and is at loggerheads with most of his neighbours because of damages caused to fences. Good luck with the herd number

Would sheep wire not hold them? Or has yer man bad fences anyway .. What damage they doing?

memorystick

Get other cattle. Not them fûçkers

sonnybill

memorystick wrote: »

Get other cattle. Not them fûçkers

My neighbour has them here and fences wouldn't be great and no issues , I have commercial sucklers but his seem quiet to me

memorystick

Get better quality cattle. They're only for the bowels of mountainy land or rush heaven.

tanko

memorystick wrote: »

Get better quality cattle. They're only for the bowels of mountainy land or rush heaven.

Jaysus, do they eat rushes, where can i get a few of them?!!!!