# A dexter heifer without papers?



## Dirtslinger (Feb 10, 2007)

My goals include breeding and hopefully improving dexters. Ideally even selling limited breeding stock.
Is it worth starting out with an unpapered heifer? There aren't many around here, and less available, and this girl is a good price.
Thanks again!


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## darbyfamily (Mar 16, 2005)

You may not have a hard time selling your offspring if you find folks who dont mind non registered, but you wont get as much money out of them when you go to sell. Obviously, there are folks like you and I, who would love the animals but not the higher price of registered animals, so you may be able to sell them anyway.... 

I guess it just depends on how much you hope to make off of them when you sell.


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

I guess my question would be, just how do you plan on improving the Dexter breed? 

They are already quite an established breed. Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but I was thinking one of the reasons to buy or have dealings with Registered livestock, is that they fall within the breed "standards" of that specific animal. Throughout history, mankind has been "tweaking" various animal breeds, some with great success, others not so much so. But starting off such an attempt, would seem to me to get better results if you started with the constants of the breed standards. <JMO>


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I guess that you have to decide which is most important to you. Do you want to raise and sell registered stock or do you want a family cow for milk and beef. There are always people in the market for a good family cow. My little Dexters don't have papers. I wish that they did; but they were what was available to meet my needs. I am very happy with my little Dexter milk cow. The other two are raising two nice Dexter/Angus cross calves. I do have semen from good Dexter bulls. I have AI'd my milk cow and gotten two Dexter calves from her. I will try to catch the other two before our young bull does and AI them also.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

If you want to improve the herd you will need to have a papered animal. Breeding up a grade animal isn't going to do much for you (monetarily) or the registry.


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## Tiffin (Feb 23, 2006)

I don't understand how they can be called Dexters at all without being registered. They must be Dexter crosses. I have two Dexter/Jersey and one Dexter/Dutch belted. I do not call them Dexters. I do have registered Dexters as well. If they are considered pure Dexters why weren't they registered in the first place?


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## mistletoad (Apr 17, 2003)

We have one dual registered and one unregistered Dexter - no question about the pedigree, just that the previous owner did not get around to the tattooing and paperwork on the young heiffer. We got the young one just before she turned 1 yr old and also failed to get her tattooed and papered before she turned 1 yr, so now it becomes more involved, but she is not unregisterable, just unregistered for now.


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## Dirtslinger (Feb 10, 2007)

Slev said:


> I guess my question would be, just how do you plan on improving the Dexter breed?
> 
> They are already quite an established breed. Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but I was thinking one of the reasons to buy or have dealings with Registered livestock, is that they fall within the breed "standards" of that specific animal. Throughout history, mankind has been "tweaking" various animal breeds, some with great success, others not so much so. But starting off such an attempt, would seem to me to get better results if you started with the constants of the breed standards. <JMO>


Well, by culling of course, as well as bringing in new blood with traits that I would like- such as milking lines.

Thanks for all the tips here. I decided to not jump on this cheap heifer and will be visiting a dexter breeder with weekend to view some registered stock!


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## Tiffin (Feb 23, 2006)

Mistletoad: Just out of curiosity, why would it be more involved? unless you can't get signatures of original owner. Not registering means the animal is worth less and her calves are worth less if you should want to sell any. If you never want to then unregistered doesn't matter. I do not tattoo. I register them as being tattooed and if someone should want to buy one of my animals, I would tell them, then it is up to them if they want it tattooed then they do it or pay to have it done by a vet. It probably would have to be done if selling out of state, but there again I don't do that either; too much of a hassle.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Tiffin, my three Dexter cows are full blood Dexters; but the lady that owned them just never bothered with the paperwork for any of her cows. She told me when I bought the first one that she could go back on her paperwork and find out the sire and dam of the original cow and bull that she bought. All these cows came from that first match. It would have taken more trouble than it was worth for me to try and gather all of the paperwork and try to convince the Dexter Assoc. to register my cows, so they remain unregistered purebred cows.


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## jirwin (Dec 3, 2007)

Its in my mind what you can afford and what you need. If you're gonna show or sell, you're gonna want registered. But unregistered dexters do the same thing as registered, just without a $$$ piece of paper, saying "I have Pure Dexters". Some would rather buy unregistered, b/c of $$, and their individual needs and wants.... But of course my cows can be registered, and I plan having some of both: registered and Non to cater to both ideals.--J


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## mistletoad (Apr 17, 2003)

Tiffin: I believe she now requires a DNA test for registration as she is over 1 yr old. Is that not correct? I would love to be wrong


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

The ADCA website (www.dextercattle.org) has all the information you need to register or transfer Dexters. Membership in the ADCA is $30 a year.

IMO, selling a registered animal without an ID (tag, tattoo) is NOT an ethical thing to do. You are shifting the responsibility for this to the new owner, who has no certainty that the animal's paperwork matches the animal. This is a disservice to the buyer and the breed. If you don't keep up with the paperwork, you are contributing to the confusion and expense of being able to register future calves.

Buyer beware: Do your homework! Familiarize yourself with the registration/transfer process. If you think you are buying a registered Dexter, make sure the paperwork has been done and the animal can be permanently identified.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

There's been a lot of discussion lately about requiring DNA parentage testing before registering a Dexter. If you can get tail hairs from the last registered parents and each generation in between, then you will be able to prove the ancestry of your animal. The board should readily accept such evidence.

It can be costly at $35 each DNA parentage test. Plus the fee for registration goes up if the cow is over 2 years old.

There's no substitute for keeping up with the paperwork. When you buy an unregistered cow or bull with an eye to getting it registered, you've taken on quite a chore.

Like Ms Seddon said, it's not proper for a breeder to sell unregistered stock while claiming it can be registered. Maybe it can, but the buyer would be much better off selecting one with the papers in order and the registration fees already paid.

When I sell a calf, I offer the buyer the choice of associations to register it in. I then register the calf in that association and transfer it to the buyer. If the buyer wants it registered in both associations, the second registration is on them.

If I sell a registered Dexter, I pay for the transfer.

The ADCA encouraged this for all breeders when I first joined. I thought it was fair and have done it ever since. In fact, every Dexter I've ever bought was transferred to me at the seller's expense.

I've always bought high quality stock from reputable breeders. I guess that's why they are high quality breeders.

Buying an unregistrered animal with an idea of "improving" the breed and somehow getting your grade cattle registered in an association that only accepts the offspring of two registered parents is a dead end. Any unregistered parents in the ancestry disqualifies the calf from registration.

Genebo
Paradise Farm


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

Dirtslinger said:


> Well, by culling of course, as well as bringing in new blood with traits that I would like- such as milking lines.




sorry Dirtslinger, I guess I wasn't sure what you meant, there are people out there making up "composite or designer" breeds. (not that there is 
anything wrong with that, other than how they go about it maybe)


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## Dexter_Cattle (Aug 6, 2007)

Unregistered Dexters are worth about 42 cents per pound, and it doesn't matter how many times you breed them to registered, they never will be registered and still worth 42 cents per pound. If you had one that won every show for the breed, without papers, they are worth .42 cents per pound, so I would start off with the best registered that you can find, and breed to the best bull you can find and afford. That is what we did and continue to do. 

Hope that helps


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

Dexter_Cattle said:


> Unregistered Dexters are worth about 42 cents per pound, and it doesn't matter how many times you breed them to registered, they never will be registered and still worth 42 cents per pound. If you had one that won every show for the breed, without papers, they are worth .42 cents per pound, so I would start off with the best registered that you can find, and breed to the best bull you can find and afford. That is what we did and continue to do.
> 
> Hope that helps


Yep, like my one friend said about buying horses; "If you buy and breed a nag, you wind up with a nag foal, but if you buy a $10,000 horse and breed it, .....


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## copperhead46 (Jan 25, 2008)

I realize that you've already said that you were going to pass on the "grade" heifer. I'll just put in my 2 cents worth as to the concept of improving lines without a registered animal. If the animal isn't registered, you don't have a way of running the blood lines and figuring out what animal you want to breed to what bloodlines to get the desired traits. I know that papers can't give milk or raise a good beefy calf, but they can sure tell you what the animal is capable of producing with a lot better accuracy. 
P.J.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

At the risk of getting my head chewed off, I just have to insert this. Just because an animal is not registered, doesn't mean they are inferior as a meat or milk animal. It just means that they are not registered. I would rather have my unregistered Dexter milk cow than some of the registered animals I have seen. I know registration is a passionate subject for some Dexter owners; but that doesn't mean a non-registered Dexter is a mutt.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

linn said:


> .......... I know registration is a passionate subject for some Dexter owners; but that doesn't mean a non-registered Dexter is a mutt.


It doesn't mean it's not, either. Without good paperwork being kept, you really don't know what you have. That's what registering the animals helps to do. It provides a way to trace the ancestry of an animal, and through that, to be able to make good assumptions about what traits will be present in the offspring.

Breeders would be lost without the record of ancestry.

Most breeders don't register their steers, because they can't be bred. If you're just going to eat it, there's not much reason to register it.

In the US, the registration papers are a symbol of purity, since the registries don't accept any but fullblooded animals.

Genebo
Paradise Farm


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## Flying L Farm (Jul 7, 2020)

linn said:


> At the risk of getting my head chewed off, I just have to insert this. Just because an animal is not registered, doesn't mean they are inferior as a meat or milk animal. It just means that they are not registered. I would rather have my unregistered Dexter milk cow than some of the registered animals I have seen. I know registration is a passionate subject for some Dexter owners; but that doesn't mean a non-registered Dexter is a mutt.


I agree, just because they are not registered doesnt mean they are mutts. I have no desire to show my dexters and so I have purchase 2 for less then i can buy 1 registered dexter for. I am only interested in the milk and meat for my family and to sell a few for a little cash to cover feed. I can buy a couple heifers and a bull to start my own herd of dexters for my own use for less then 1 registered dexter can be bought for. I like the breed and the gentleness and size of the Dexter's, it allows my children the opportunity to work with them too but we could never afford a registered animal, so I am glad there are breeders who offer non registered animals to people like me who love the breed but can't afford the higher price tag.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

Ahhh, such an old thread -- 12 years old -- and my, how things have changed in the Dexter world. When we were breeding them here, we registered everything except steers. And as I look around on the internet now, it saddens me to see so much cross-breeding (with you-name-it -- Jersey, Angus, Hereford, -- to get "more milk" or "more beef") when Dexters were never intended to provide "more" of anything. They were the smallest true breed of cattle whose purpose was to provide enough milk and beef to feed a family. In some cases, they still do, but in my opinion their popularity has not been beneficial to the breed. Twenty years ago, there was one registry for Dexters; now there are three. Folks don'twant to pay for registering their Dexters, they're willing to breed them to whatever bull is available next door, and, generally speaking, they don't bother to educate themselves on the care and feeding of their cattle. They settle for a quick answer to a veterinary question on Facebook to save the cost of a vet visit; honestly, I cannot prove it, but I think some people will go on for days about a potentially serious cow medical problem just to get attention.

I understand where you're coming from and, given today's situation, I don't fault you for it. Your intent appears honest and in line with the breed's origins, so I say go ahead with your plans, keeping in mind that you select healthy, reasonably calm, well-conformed animals, provide them with adequate pasture, water, shade as needed, and appropriate veterinary care. My suggestions: If you have questions, ask for advice. If you need to learn something about calving and cattle care, check out the Glenn Selk videos on YouTube. Get to know your county agricultural agent, your local/regional NRCS people, and other farmers in your area. Good luck with all of this. Don't worry about what others think -- be good to your cattle, keep your fences secure, and don't overstock your acreage!!!


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