# Mini-Breed prices... smaller 4 times money!!!



## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

We have been looking into getting some Mini-Jersey or Dexter cattle. These breeders must be like PT Barnum in thinking that theirs a sucker born every day.

They wish to get 3000-4000 dollars for mini cattle. I can get a full size for 1000. These cattle are smaller and have less meat and milk right? what are they thinking. 

For instance I can get a brown swiss that is a hand milker on her second freshening. They will deliver in a reasonable distance, for 1000.00

The mini breeders I've contacted want 4000.00 for a breed heifer.


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## MARYDVM (Jun 7, 2004)

The folks with the big shiny websites ask those prices and often get them from novices. But if you look other places there are minis to be had at reasonable rates. I got my Mini Jersey X Dexter (in calf to a mini Jersey) for 1000 a couple of years ago by watching local sale ads. There is a Yahoo group for mini cattle that often lists animals for sale. Watching Craigslist is another good way to find a better price,


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## wstevenl (Mar 26, 2008)

They wouldn't be asking that price if no one will pay it. 
Although it does seem high, people should always "get what they can get". If no one will pay that, they'll drop their prices.


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

MARYDVM said:


> The folks with the big shiny websites ask those prices and often get them from novices. But if you look other places there are minis to be had at reasonable rates. I got my Mini Jersey X Dexter (in calf to a mini Jersey) for 1000 a couple of years ago by watching local sale ads. There is a Yahoo group for mini cattle that often lists animals for sale. Watching Craigslist is another good way to find a better price,


That is my plan, Here in PA we have "Lancaster Farming" they often have a lot of adds for stock. I just gotta keep my eye out.


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

wstevenl said:


> They wouldn't be asking that price if no one will pay it.
> Although it does seem high, people should always "get what they can get". If no one will pay that, they'll drop their prices.


Oh, thats not what I'm saying. I totally agree to get the best price you can. But these folks are a little nuts. I'd expect to pay a price similar to that of regular cattle because of the novelty of it. They are in fact worth less money simply because they make less milk and meat.


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

Check if your department of agriculture puts a classified paper. We have one here called the Market Bulletin. I have found many good deals there on livestock and equipment.


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## wstevenl (Mar 26, 2008)

stanb999 said:


> Oh, thats not what I'm saying. I totally agree to get the best price you can. But these folks are a little nuts. I'd expect to pay a price similar to that of regular cattle because of the novelty of it. They are in fact worth less money simply because they make less milk and meat.


I do agree with you. We have paid everywhere from 800-1400 for bred heifers/cows in our little Dexter herd. It really doesn't make alot of sense to pay more for something that produces less. But, if the supply is low (lowline angus, mini jersey, etc. ) people are going to be willing to spend more.


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

Minis have their place. I can't have a larger cow. We don't need that much milk or meat so my mini-zebus are the right fit.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

Beware of some of those high priced mini-cattle. Some are pure marketing. They're cross bred with smaller cattle to bring the size down while retaining the look of larger cattle. Then the price is inflated.

You should be able to get a Dexter cow for around the same price as a standard cow. Less than a standard Jersey cow in most places.

Look closely at the cow before buying to make sure the temperament, health and training is as advertised. A wild, unhandled cow isn't worth nearly as much as a cow that's already trained to milk. The value of training can be as much as the price of an untrained cow.

Also check on the condition of any trained milker that is being sold at a discount. Check for useless quarters and ask about health history.

Genebo
Paradise Farm


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## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)

I bought my Dexter cattle for aproximatly 80 cents per pound. They will bring less if sold through regular cattle sales.

I have seen the sites for some of the really small miniture breeds. There are some trully awfull genes being foisted onto unsuspecting novices.

I saw a picture of a mini jersey bull which made me feel sick.


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## Razorback21 (May 13, 2003)

I ran a couple of lowline angus through the sale barn last year and got top dollar for them. The guy who bought them from me asked if I had anymore to sell.


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

mini-jersey should be the original jersey - before it became bred to commercial dairy size in the US. They were small family cows suitable to grazing on a small lot and producing small quanitities of milk and manure. They should also be hardier than commercial milking jerseys. I've even read that old world lines have an essential fatty acid in their milk that's been bred out of commercial milking lines which is very very healthy for humans.

6 or more gallons a milk a day would be a nightmare and a burden to our family. Mini-jerseys make sense to us. On the other hand, no way we can afford to even pay $1500 for a cow. So we got creative - our neighbors ai's one of their jersey/holstein heifers and we bought the old world semen. Going to be bigger than we'd ideally want but the cost was perfect.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

The original Jersey cows that were imported from the Isle of Jersey were a bit larger than the commonly accepted standard (42") for minis today. They were also horned.

Today's mini Jersey has been bred from the original, but a lot of those being offered for sale are of dubious parentage. A lot of them were reduced in size by being bred with Dexters. Angus blood was used to eliminate the horns. It is very difficult to tell if you are getting a descendent of the original Jersey Isle cows. If you do, expect to pay a hefty price.

That said, the Jersey/Dexter (or Dexter/Jersey) cross is a very nice animal. It gets the added benefit of the Dexter temperament and hardiness while retaining some of the Jersey milk production. Such animals can often be had at very reasonable prices, unless you buy one that has had a "breed" name tacked onto it. The fancier the name, the higher the price. Hmmmph!

A rule of thumb for a Dexter cow is to expect to get a gallon a day for yourself plus have plenty for her to feed the calf. This makes her a true dual purpose animal, giving you milk while raising excellent beef for you.

A Dexter/Jersey might double that production and if bred to a Dexter bull, raise a very good beef calf for you.

A full Jersey is expected to give a lot more milk, and usually has her calf taken away, so that you get all the milk. This often results in an excess of milk for a family. You pay for the milk in hay, feed, or pasture land. It's not free.

The best bet for a family that needs a gallon or less each day is the Dexter. It eats the least, makes the best beef, and is the most hardy.

I've owned and bred Dexters, Dexter/Jersey, Dexter/Shorthorn and Dexter/Hereford/Charolais. Since my heart attack, I've cut back to just the Dexters. I need the ones that are the easiest keepers.

Bulls are another matter. At the gentlest end of the scale is the Dexter bull, while the Jersey bull is at the meanest end. A no-brainer.

Genebo
Paradise Farm


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

Dexters are wonderful! and we looked at them and decided to focus on dairy. We can easily go through more than 1 gallon a day and finding/buying/affordng a known dairy dexter felt very challenging. We're in the heart of wisconsin dairy country and our commercial dairy neighbors are literally giving us the calf - we only had to buy the semen. They are probably more excited than we are. lol. So this plan just worked out too well to look further. 

Now if only that calf-in-utero can only cooperate and come out a heifer!


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## spectrumranch (Jan 2, 2007)

We have been in the miniature world for quite awhile. For us selling OR buying- the smaller the animal the more it costs. We raise several mini types of animals (cattle, horses, donkeys, llamas), but for mini cattle we have Dexters, Lowline, Zebu, Belted, Herefords and crossbreds. But have had Mini Highlanders, Longhorns & Pandas.

We have an animal auction in Feb each year and have had excellent demand for mini cattle. Last year, we had a good selection and priced were from $200 to $4000.

This year the sale is Feb 26-28.

www.sosranch.net or www.spectrumranch.net


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## Gregg Alexander (Feb 18, 2007)

I have raised on a row crop, dairy, beef, hog, chicken farm. Raise dairy heifers and truck farm now . The prices of those mini cattle are over priced. They are over priced and like some else said asking those kinds of prices a SUCK BORN EVERY MINUTE.

If your excuse is you only have room for a mini then you dont need a milk cow, takes no more time, $, work to take care of a midget cow than it does a full grown normal cow. You are letting your eyes say it so cute, it's so sweet looking than looking at the practical side of owning an animal.


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## Dexter_Cattle (Aug 6, 2007)

Stan,

Go here and call around. Not very many Dexter breeders are going to ask anywhere near that kind of money....

http://www.dextercattle.org/webfinal08.pdf 

www.DexterCattle4Sale.net

Hope that helps
Thanks
Dan


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## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)

I bought this two year old purebred Dexter bull for 600 Canadian.








The flies bugged him but he always ran like the dickens if I got close with a sprayer.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

He's a nice looking bull with a nice topline, but his feet need trimming. The hooves are starting to cross, like a parrot's mouth.

Genebo
Paradise Farm


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## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)

I am thinking of getting the whole herd done.


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## furholler (Feb 1, 2005)

Simply put, Dexters and the like are in short supply with rising demand. Simple law of economics. They fit small homesteads very well. Our goal, here, is to ,someday, provide non-registered Dexters for those types of families, for a reasonable price. We bought our non-reg cow for $750. Our bull was $400. They can be had for way less then $4000. If y'all keep your eyes open, we may decide to sell our pure bred cow in the next six months, or so.


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

Thanks all for the replies... I'd love to get some mini's but with the price of dairy stock dropping like a rock. The .gov is talking about doing buyouts again. I can't see spending more than meat price. Give the economy a few more months and these high dollar breeders and their ilk will be happy to have someone take it off their hands.


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