# Dexters or Cheap Holsteins for Freezer Beef



## hillbilly123 (Jun 3, 2012)

I have been reading up on the Dexter threads here and like the thought of starting a small herd (maybe a bull and two or three cows). The point would be to raise the calves for beef for the family, and maybe sell enough meat or calves to try and break even yearly. From what I have read, they have smaller cuts of very good beef and are easy to keep on a small homestead.

When I look for Dexters locally, the going rate seems to be about 1200 per head (2-3 y/o cows). But, I have quite a few dairy's close by and there seems to be an endless supply of cheap Holstein bulls (~100/hd). I also have access to Angus / Charlois cross calves from a local farmer for half the price of a full grown Dexter.

Seeing as how my goal is for freezer beef on a small farm (~10 acres of pasture), does it make sense to invest in the Dexters for breeding stock? I'm having a hard time justifying the expense in my head when I can get a couple of steers locally pretty cheap and stagger them to butcher every fall. I'd consider buying Dexter calves to do the same, but have not seen any for sale locally and don't know what they would cost.

I'm sure some of you folks have had the same thoughts at some point. Whats worked out better for you?


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## SpaceCadet12364 (Apr 27, 2003)

Depends on the number of people in your family, and the type of beef you like. Some people like jersey some like angus and others highland. And the quality and quantity of grass you have to feed which affects flavor. Along with other supplements such as minerals and grains. If you like the texture and taste it is worth growing your own(no water or color added). And with a smaller breed it means more head per acre. But you would need at least 8 to 10 cows to justify a bull. I would check local area for a bull and see if the owner lends or rents his bull for a small fee. I lend mine for (he comes back in at least the same condition you got him in). If you are intimidated by horns you can look at low line angus. Also are you looking at buying hay for the winter or grow your own. Are you looking at registered cattle or unregistered there is a big difference most dexters are registered so there is a price increase. this is just a few things to look at I am sure somebody will think of few I missed. WE sell reg. Scottish Highlands what we put in the freezer justifies the expense and what we sell pays for all the feed, hay, minerals and expenses. So yes It is worth it.


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## Monica33 (Jul 11, 2012)

Dexter cow calf pairs go for about $600 around here.
Doesn't seem to add up for all the trouble to try to raise breeding stock on 10 acres, but not saying it can't be done. If we decide to get into a few cows we will go with the Dexters. 
But for simplicity sake I would go for the cheap steers, raise them until your ready to butcher if all you want is freezer beef. Buy a couple if you want to sell some to cover the cost of yours.


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## RedRidge (Jan 28, 2013)

Wow! I've never seen a proven dexter cow for under $2k 
or a calf/heifer for under $1200 around here. 
Where can a pair be found for only $600?


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

the small dual purpose cows have a smaller nitch market to make an adcepetable amount of milk and a pretty good quality meat on less pasture or feed .for the prime beef; roast and steaks well that's what the angus was bred for .the dairy breeds like jerseys and gernseys though edible beef are not going to make the prime beef .if you like hamburger and crockpot roast and don't mind choice steaks, these and the cheaper housteens work fine .Personaly I have a brownswiss cow that I milk she is bigger than jerseys but smaller and a little beefer than a housteen so crossing with a beef bull I get a great calf to fill the freezor every year .if I wanted a good beef and a good sale for extras id go for the angus cross and cross back onto the angus bull .tried and proven .


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

A lot of the beef sold in the US is in fact holstein and 15% of that is prime and 25% is choice. Holstein bull calves are usually cheap and plentiful in areas that have a large dairy presence and are a good choice for home raising to fill the freezer.


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

Is just about always cheaper with any species to buy young and raise till slaughter date for meat than it is to maintain breeders. 

However... if being self sufficient for calves is your goal rather than just beef, dexters are exceptional cattle for small acreage and low feed costs. 
Setting aside the meat and dairy aspects, dexter cows themselves have reputations as easy keepers, easy calvers and good mothers-- as do highlands I believe. A lot of more fragile cow breeds take a LOT of management and holsteins are some of the most finicky and difficult to care for prone to a lot of birthing problems I hear tell. 

Minis and lowlines are a niche market. When you sell calves you'll basically be selling to other hobby farmers just about exclusively that want either a small easy to manage steer, or a family milk cow (they do milk pretty well on lean feed)-- people who already know the breed and are seeking it out. Running them through auction is just silly. Folks that don't know what they're looking at think they're seeing a runty angus. 

A bull? they eat a lot and are hell on fences-- even laid back, kind hearted dexter bulls. Bulls are better to be borrowed, not owned imo. And the possibilities opened up through AI are a big advantage. The long and short of it is I'd never consider owning a full time bull unless I have 10+ head of cows. Maybe more like 20 head of cows and heifers. His services are only required one month per year per cow at best. 
The lady who owns the bull I use puts him out on free feed leases to owners of healthy cows. He's being such a brat bending up my steel corral panels I think I'm going to start dropping my girls off at her place with a load of hay for their breeding fee 

I will say though... that while I may have eaten my share of feed lot holstein, and grass fed angus, the dexter hamburger I've had is the finest burger I have ever tasted. I'd expand to a grass fed dexbeef ranch in a heartbeat if I had the acreage. We have a little less than 3 acres though, so keeping two for dairy and their yearly offspring is about all I want to handle.


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## oxhill (Feb 14, 2012)

In my opinion a lot more is involved in breeding cattle than just raising a few steers. That goes triple if you plan on keeping a bull.

Unless you are passionate about the breed I don't think it is worth it.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

Holstein beef is excellent. It is fine grained and has a good flavor. However, they are not efficient at turning feed into meat. They are also slow to fill out, and are best slaughtered at close to 3 years of age.

If you have cheap feed and plenty of time to allow them to grow, Holsteins are a great choice.

If you want beef in 2 years, I suggest that you buy those Angus Charolais crosses. I'm not crazy about the European breeds, but maybe crossing with Angus will improve the meat.

The only way I'd pay large prices for cattle would if I had decided to raise top of the line registered cattle. Then I would dust off the checkbook and expect to spend wildly for my original breeding stock. Those would not be cattle to eat and most likely their calves would not be to eat.

Not intended as an insult, but if you don't even know what breed you want, you have some learnin' to do before you buy any expensive cattle, and you should never buy expensive cattle to eat.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

Check and see if those dairies have any Angus Holstein cross calves. Dairies often breed first calf heifers to Angus bulls. Those are good cattle and if you want to breed cattle, try to pick up a couple of those Angus Holstein heifer calves. Raise them up and breed them back to Angus and you will have some excellent meat cattle without thousands invested in your first brood cow.

If you are offered a selection of Angus Holstein crosses, try to get the ones that are almost all black. Those take more after the Angus father and will be beefier than the calves that are spotted.


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## hillbilly123 (Jun 3, 2012)

Hmm...I had not considered the AI option or bull rental to be honest, that's good food for thought. The Holsteins I have now are my first cows and we really like having them around and want to figure how to make our place work for some kind of small cow operation.


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## JLMissouri (Dec 12, 2012)

If you have not already looked for cattle on Craigslist I would give it a try. If your area was as dry as Missouri was last year it is a great time to buy if you have the hay. I bought one dexter heifer for $300 which is a great deal, but most go for $800 in the midwest, if you look hard enough you can get them even lower in price. If you spend some time looking you can get your price down I bet. I have both registered and unregistered and am very happy with my core group of heifers.


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## wvdexters (Apr 30, 2012)

Hi Hillbilly!

I guess it depends on what you are looking for. I have a few registered dexters. I plan to sell future heifers and beef the bulls. Yes, they do cost a good bit upfront. But I look at it as an investment. She will pay for herself with the sale of her first heifer. All others are profit, beef or sales. 

I like the life. I like having them around. My place is small and WV ridgeland is a tough place to keep cattle. These girls do great on poor pasture and much less feed. I have had angus and jerseys in the past but my dexters do much better here. 

I much prefer letting mama raise the calf herself over having a bottle baby to care for. They are alot of work and can be fragile. 

My opinion on starter stock is to get the best you can get. Good quality registered calves will sell for more money than unregistered or those of poor quality. You want good mamas; good feet, good udders just like any other breed. Stick to the dual purpose lines. The milky lines are more for dairy and won't get as beefy for you. I also recommend making sure your girls are tested and PHA free. There are breeding rules if you choose shorties (chondroplasia carriers). I have 2 and I really like them. Just don't breed two carriers together. About 1/4 of these matings produce a bulldog calf; dead. I just borrowed a friend's bull (chondro free) and he was able to breed all my ladies. Very easy. There are also many fine AI bulls available on the ADCA website.

Check out some good breeders in your area. They will be able to help you and you can see their stock. Good luck!!


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## wvdexters (Apr 30, 2012)

Oh yeah, I remember now you are used to holsteins. This would be quite a change. My girls are full grown and stand right at my hip. Very easy to manage and care for.


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## RedRidge (Jan 28, 2013)

Dusky Beauty said:


> A bull? they eat a lot and are hell on fences-- even laid back, kind hearted dexter bulls. Bulls are better to be borrowed, not owned imo. And the possibilities opened up through AI are a big advantage. The long and short of it is I'd never consider owning a full time bull unless I have 10+ head of cows. Maybe more like 20 head of cows and heifers. His services are only required one month per year per cow at best.
> The lady who owns the bull I use puts him out on free feed leases to owners of healthy cows. He's being such a brat bending up my steel corral panels I think I'm going to start dropping my girls off at her place with a load of hay for their breeding fee
> .


I can't say that I agree with this as a blanket statement. And the possibilities through AI as far as dexter semen go are way limited. 
Our background is in holsteins and the dexter bulls are soooo easy. We have never had a fence issue (unlike holsteins), and rotate them with poultry electronetting - no problem. I find it much less trouble and less expensive to buy a new bull calf every 2 years... I use my bull for 2 years and then put him in a freezer and replace him. Now... should I ever find an exceptional bull rather than just one I like, I will consider not beefing him... but that search hasn't turned up the perfect bull for me yet. Another thing that may help (for me anyway) is that I show some. I do not really enjoy showing, but it forces me to put in quality training time and experience on the young bulls and heifers. This really pays off in the long run as they are far easier to handle as adults if they have been halter broken.
JMO


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

The problem I see with eating your bull every 2 years is that you do not have enough calves on the ground for a long enough time to see what the bull actually produces. I wonder how many wonderful Dexter bulls have been processed that could have been great herd sires had they been given time. 

Borrowing bulls can be problematic as well if you consider the risks of spreading disease from herd to herd. The number of Dexter bulls available through AI now has grown over the last few years; there seems to be something for everyone. The challenge is having access to a vet or AI tech who knows that s/he is doing and can get it right.


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## DownHome (Jan 20, 2006)

If the goal is to be as self sufficient as possible, you need to consider what happens if cheap dairy calves are suddenly not available or no longer cheap. If you have heifers and a bull (or know how to AI), then you are set for a while. Just some food for thought.


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

G. Seddon said:


> Borrowing bulls can be problematic as well if you consider the risks of spreading disease from herd to herd. The number of Dexter bulls available through AI now has grown over the last few years; there seems to be something for everyone. The challenge is having access to a vet or AI tech who knows that s/he is doing and can get it right.


Agree completely. There are 4 other parties with cows in my "bull share" and we have to maintain clean health records. 

Honestly I would 100% prefer to go the AI route, but I couldn't find a single AI tech that would serve my area for just a couple family cows--- they want a whole dairy or they will stay home. gre:
I can't imagine what someone would want in an AI straw that isn't readily available online in the dexter world... any color, build or dairy/meat genes are out there at very reasonable prices per straw. Sexed or unsexed. You could also order a batch of lowline angus, or sexed jersey semen if you wanted to produce some belmont heifers to sell. 
AI affords a very broad breeding plan, keeps your herd closed for health reasons, and is a lot cheaper than feeding a bull in the long run if you only have a couple cows. 

As far as bulls messing with fences.... Maybe it's the one I have in my yard right now, but I'm slowly growing to hate him. I have him in "secure" steel corral panels with the cows I want him to inseminate and he keeps shoving the panels around, rearranging them, and even bending some of them. Ugh.

I desperately need my last mama to cycle so I can send him back. She calved not quite 3 mos ago.


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## Carol K (May 10, 2002)

What you save on buying the Holsteins instead of the Dexter you will spend feeding the Holstein! Why not just buy Dexter steers and try raising those, see if you like them and the meat before you buy any Dexter cows.

Carol K


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## Alaska (Jun 16, 2012)

read up on the angus lowlines. A great small acreage breed. Im just getting started but all of the lowlines I have been around are very docile. Our little bull is the coolest dude, never test a fence or cattle guard


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## hillbilly123 (Jun 3, 2012)

Alaska said:


> read up on the angus lowlines. A great small acreage breed. Im just getting started but all of the lowlines I have been around are very docile. Our little bull is the coolest dude, never test a fence or cattle guard


I actually did start reading up on them and and they do look like a viable option for me.

I think for now I am going to monitor CL and see what pops up in the next few months and get a couple of Dexter or Lowline Angus steers to see how they go before I commit. If I cant find any at a reasonable price i'll default to the Holsteins.

If anyone in central ohio is reading this and wants to part with Lowline or Dexter steers PM me....


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## RedRidge (Jan 28, 2013)

There is a dexter show and auction in Ohio in may.
You might want to consider attending if you are in Ohio and looking for dexters. 
Steers should not be difficult to find. 
My search for a new bull has taken me to almost every state in the country, but steers are a snap. There are half a dozen for sale down the road from me right now. And I know she is going to OH in may and would be glad to bring them. 
Email me privately for more info.


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## SpaceCadet12364 (Apr 27, 2003)

You may want to look at highlands also. They are easy going and a smaller breed. I just sold all of my steers, and had more people ask for them. They forage better than most breeds.


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## RedRidge (Jan 28, 2013)

G. Seddon said:


> The problem I see with eating your bull every 2 years is that you do not have enough calves on the ground for a long enough time to see what the bull actually produces. I wonder how many wonderful Dexter bulls have been processed that could have been great herd sires had they been given time.
> 
> Borrowing bulls can be problematic as well if you consider the risks of spreading disease from herd to herd. The number of Dexter bulls available through AI now has grown over the last few years; there seems to be something for everyone. The challenge is having access to a vet or AI tech who knows that s/he is doing and can get it right.


True, but consider a few other perspectives...
Many bulls being used aren't of high enough quality to qualify for breeding. 
Yes, there are many good bulls out there, but excellent bulls are hard to come by. I believe I have a good bull right now. He is a Supreme Champion. But he is not excellent. So, I have two choices if I want to improve my genetics. I can sell him for meat when he is 2 yrs old which will bring about $2k, or I can keep him another year or two an continue to use him until I can no longer breed him back due to being too tightly related (a different topic). So my options when he is 4 are to sell him for a new herd sire for someone else, or put him in hamburger at half the profit of prime beef. 
Frankly, I know a lot of people who have 4 and 5 yr old bulls thy are excellent herd sires but selling them is problematic since even those bulls who are halter broken and easy to handle are not highly marketable. Yes, there is a market, but its very limited. 
Just some different perspectives. 
I've done this for years with sheep. We own the national champion ram in one breed and he is the only ram who has earned his retirement here. 
Any way you look at it, its still a business.


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## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

DownHome said:


> If the goal is to be as self sufficient as possible, you need to consider what happens if cheap dairy calves are suddenly not available or no longer cheap. If you have heifers and a bull (or know how to AI), then you are set for a while. Just some food for thought.


I have to say - this sort of thinking comes up around here a lot.

But we don't live on islands that are cut off from everyone, and even when the nearest town was 2 days away by horse, people still bought necessities f rom other people.

Before I'd worry about the dairy I lived next to suddenly vanishing into the mist, I'd worry about things like "Can I grow all the hay I need to support my breeding herd?" "I eat other stuff besides meat - where are my potatoes coming from? I use flour to make good beef gravy - where's my wheat coming from???"

Not being able to make good beef gravy, now THAT is a legitimate worry! I mean think of it - no gravy?:sob:

Holstiens make very good beef. You'd be surprised just how much of the beef you've eaten in your life came from a Holstien. If I lived anywhere that I could easily get cheap Holstien bull calves - the thought of keeping a breeding herd JUST so I could grow my own beef would never even cross my mind. Breeding animals of ANY sort are a p.i.t.a. Even sweet, small bulls are still bulls - moody unpredictable and weighing FAR more then you! You'll be feeding a cow all year for a product you can easily get - a calf. What if she doesn't have one this year? It happens. What if something goes wrong? That happens too. Now yes, if all goes well, she'll also raise the calf to weaning - but sometimes _that_ screws up. Having a breeding cow does not guarantee a fat, weaned calf 100% of the time - nothing does! 
Economically, if you're going to lose a calf (which happens to everyone), is it cheaper to just lose the calf, or is it cheaper to lose the calf and feed a cow for 2 years (the year she was carrying the calf that was lost, and the year it will be before she delivers the next one) 

What I'm saying is that before I worry about suddenly being the only one on the planet and having nowhere else to get livestock again ever and making my own little 10 acre Noah's Ark, I'd first to a LOT of math and see what is the most economically viable option for _me_ and _my specific situation_. Maybe if I had lots of acreage that was growing grass anyway, I wouldn't feel the harder pinch in my wallet to feed that cow, kwim?
:happy2: And I'd worry about growing potatoes. Can't have beef without potatoes:happy2:


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

From the first Dexter beef I ever ate, I've been pleased with it. The taste and texture are phenomenal.

Once I ran out of Dexter and bought a side of Angus from my neighbor. We were so disappointed!

Two years we went without Dexter beef. We'll try to never let that happen again.


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

Jerseys you can find from free to $80 when holsteins are around $60-170 for calves 

Don't know what dexters cost havnt seen many but right now cow prices are up


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## hillbilly123 (Jun 3, 2012)

bigmudder77 said:


> Don't know what dexters cost havnt seen many but right now cow prices are up


From what I have seen online about $500 for a steer calf, higher for heifers. Has anyone tracked what it costs to raise a Holstein from calf to slaughter and the same for Dexters or Lowlines? Wish I had been keeping better records so far......


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

I had a little over $2000 in 3 of them one year before Istarted growing my own corn and hay

I have 2 600lb jerseys that I have about $100 in but that's not from normal feeding


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## CrabbyChicken (Mar 4, 2013)

We raised a jerseyXcharolais calf last year and this year a holstein FreeMartin heifer. 
Last years calf filled our freezer with awesome beef!!!


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## Laura Workman (May 10, 2002)

hillbilly123 said:


> From what I have seen online about $500 for a steer calf, higher for heifers. Has anyone tracked what it costs to raise a Holstein from calf to slaughter and the same for Dexters or Lowlines? Wish I had been keeping better records so far......


Dexters finish very nicely on pasture alone, so depending on what you have for pasture, it might cost very, very little to raise a Dexter to slaughter weight.


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## kickinbull (Sep 19, 2012)

We have a small dairy. We raise a few steers for ourselves and a few neighbors. We usually butcher them around 12 months of age. Everyone is happy with the product. We like to have them smaller so that we keep the meat fresh. Most of our customers don't want 1200 lbs of meat.(Approx. yield of 3 year old Hol. 
One thing I would consider, while looking at any novelty breed. If , if, something happens and you need to get rid of them, there is no market.


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## midkiffsjoy (Sep 29, 2005)

Because someone asked.....

http://houston.craigslist.org/grd/3708692830.html

I saw this heifer today for $600. Cheapest I've seen. There's also another for $800. I seriously thought about it, but I have jerseys and when I DO get a bull, I want it to be a jersey bull and I'm scared of the thought of breeding a jersey bull to a dexter cow.


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

midkiffsjoy said:


> Because someone asked.....
> 
> http://houston.craigslist.org/grd/3708692830.html
> 
> I saw this heifer today for $600. Cheapest I've seen. There's also another for $800. I seriously thought about it, but I have jerseys and when I DO get a bull, I want it to be a jersey bull and I'm scared of the thought of breeding a jersey bull to a dexter cow.


What worries you? That's one of the most desirable crosses out there for heifers...


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## o&itw (Dec 19, 2008)

hillbilly123 said:


> But, I have quite a few dairy's close by and there seems to be an endless supply of cheap Holstein bulls (~100/hd).


If you are thinking of getting a Holstein for a herd bull, I have only run into two really mean bulls in my lifetime, and they were both Holstein.


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## SteveO (Apr 14, 2009)

I just saw a Dexter 24 month hanging on a hook at a processor. NO fat at all and the aging was not complete. Not impressed at all. Hanging next to it was a Angus fat looked good. That Dexter needed a lot of grain most likely to get some fat on it. We ate a 3 year old lowline all grass even with the back bone out it was good meat.
I use 1 string to rotate my lowline and no horns. You will not find lowline on Craigs list to often or for long. I suggest you look at the lowline website and check them out in person. You could have 4 or so on your 10 ac plot and graze possible year round.
My lowline came out of OH and with this years calves I could even put a starter herd together for you.
Steve


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## Cece (Nov 7, 2009)

We have Dexters and are really happy with them. We do have more boys than girls. We had other types of cows and hubby was not happy with them at all. The bulls were always very difficult. Our Dexter bulls are docile, but that does not mean we turn our backs on them. We like the taste of the Dexter and we like that it has so little fat. We also like that they eat less than larger breeds. We can butcher one animal and it is enough for our family. We do not end up with a bunch of beef and wonder what we are going to do with it all. We have short leg Dexters. The hanging weight of the bull we butchered last month was about the same size as a half of a larger breed.


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## Sherry in Iowa (Jan 10, 2010)

We just butchered a Dexter steer at 24 months and put 590 pounds of meat in the freezer. We are spoiled eating Dexter. Even though our breeding herd is for sale..we will continue to buy Dexter steers and grow them out. Love the taste and love the fact that the meat is not fatty. We grass/hay feed only.


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## M88A1 (May 21, 2012)

We have a few Dexters and we want to breed also for home freezer beef. I could not find anyone to AI locally and since we are just starting all this I doidnt have a stock trailer at first, so we just got a bull. I'm not sure whats the right answer, I just know when I want my dexters breed, I just let him in with them, and I'm done.


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## ridgerunner1965 (Apr 13, 2013)

just a note or two about the AI process.with a small herd its not really feasible at all.unless you have a buddy or neighbor who will do it for you and is competent at it.you will need the semen straws and a nitrogen tank to keep them frozen untill ready to use.tank will have to be refilled periodically with liquid nitrogen. what a lot of people wont tell you is that even the most competent AI guy is only as good as your ability to determine the correct stage of heat on your cows. there are shots and seeders to bring your cows into heat when you want them to.its all very involved and requires tons of knowledge. even when done correctly you will be lucky to get 70% conception. usually cows are turned out later with a "clean up" bull in case they are not sucessfully bred by the AI process.dates are recorded so you know what your calf is out of.

a lot of small producers here will rent a bull for a small fee per month.the guy letting yu rent the bull like this cuz you are feeding him when he doesnt need him. a young bull will gain weight while you have him and thus be more valuable when he returns to the orig owner.

however, this can transfer diseases to your herd and his as well and is not as common a practice as it was 10 years ago.

what i would do with a small herd of say 3 to 10 cows is just buy a young crossbred bull big enuf to breed.drop by the vet on the way home and have him semen tested and disease tested.keep him a couple years and resell him.if you lose money on a young bull then your not doing something correctly.


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