Dexter or Highland

Some normal sized Jersey cows are smaller than Dexter cows, and some are larger.

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“It is tedious to live, it is tedious to die, it is tedious to c**p in deep snow”
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If only I had my land right now, I'd check on that Craig's list one! Alas, it'll probably be fall before we're ready to go.

I was wondering about keeping a dexter bull...with a small herd of maybe 3 heifers...is it worth the expense of keeping a bull? I can see how easy it'd be to accumulate more animals than I might need

Out of curiosty, if i purchase a dexter from out of my area, would I be expected to pick her up or do people deliver?

Normally, on any animal transaction, the buyer pays the cost of transportation. If the seller offers to deliver, unless you're very close or very lucky, there's usually a delivery charge added to the price of the animal.

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The basic message of liberalism is simply: The true measure of a society is how it treats the weak and the needy. A simple Christian message (Matthew 25:40). -Garrison Keillor

My Dexter bull bred two Highland cows. One was as mean as a snake. The other was easier going, not mean, but not friendly, either. The owner got rid of both Highlands and kept the Dexter/Highland calves. They are so much friendlier than their mothers.

The biggest Highland cow put so many holes in his prize red Angus cow's hide is the reason he got rid of them.

Genebo
Paradise Farm
Church Road, VA

a jersey cow will weigh less than a dexter, we eat the bulls before they are 2 years old, and a jersey can be bred to angus easily

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The Dexter breed standard says cows over 3 years of age should not exceed 750 lbs. and should not stand taller than 42 inches at the shoulder. Now I've never had a tape out to the Jerseys on my husband's family farm, but I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of those cows were over 750 lbs, which is the MAX allowed for a Dexter cow.

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The basic message of liberalism is simply: The true measure of a society is how it treats the weak and the needy. A simple Christian message (Matthew 25:40). -Garrison Keillor

Many Dexter cows have not seen the official standards, and if they did, they paid no attention to it.

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“It is tedious to live, it is tedious to die, it is tedious to c**p in deep snow”
Old Norwegian observation

True enough, but enough do meet the standard to handily refute Jerseygurl's statement that "a Jersey cow will weigh less than a Dexter." OKState puts the AVERAGE Jersey cow at 900 pounds, which is notably more than the 750 pound MAXIMUM allowed in the Dexter standard. Of course, there will always be the odd over-sized animal, but in general, a Jersey cow will weigh MORE than a Dexter, not LESS.

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The basic message of liberalism is simply: The true measure of a society is how it treats the weak and the needy. A simple Christian message (Matthew 25:40). -Garrison Keillor

At the lower end Jerseys will weigh less than heavier Dexters, but the averages are 750 for 3 year old Dexter cows and 900 for full grown Jersey cows.

I taped my heifer Tulip today and she came in at 62" just behind the shoulder (just shy of 700 pounds guesstimated), and 46" tall, and she will be three years old very shortly. Most cattle will continue to grow and put on weight until they are 4 or 5, sometimes even beyond that. The good thing about a longer legged cow is getting under them to milk, a squat little cow is just misery to milk.

Jerseys are a medium breed animal, but they are at the bottom of the lot, and Dexters are a small breed doming in just under Jerseys. Highland cattle come in well above Jerseys or Dexters, but as with Dexters, Highland cattle grow very slowly.

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“It is tedious to live, it is tedious to die, it is tedious to c**p in deep snow”
Old Norwegian observation

46" is pretty darn big. I've seen one Dexter cow that was close to that tall, but the tallest that I've ever owned is 42". Some of mine have been 38" or less. I once had a Dexter/Jersey cross that matured at around 42". I'm sure that was the Dexter influence, as her Dexter sire was smaller than her Jersey dam.

If Dexter cows average 750 lb. then someone must have some great big ones to make up for all those I've seen. I'd put them closer to 600 lb. average. My largest bull went 900 lb. and he was as heavily muscled as can be, with a big butt.

The original Jerseys, from the Isle of jersey, were quite small. Even so, they weren't as small as the original Dexters. Years of tinkering with the Jerseys has increased their size. Outcrossing them to get polled animals is responsible for some of that. That's where they got all that black coloration that the polled ones show. What people are calling "miniature" Jerseys now-a-days is close to the size of the original Isle of Jersey cattle.

Dexter cows actually come in two different configurations, the short legged and the long legged. The long legged look just like Jerseys in profile. No difference for milking.

Genebo
Paradise Farm
Church Road, VA

46" is only 4" taller than what is written as an acceptable height for a 3 year old Dexter cow, and one must be able to get their hands and a bucket under a cow to milk it; if they're slung too low to the ground one might need to milk them into a pie pan.

The average weights I've seen written on Dexters give them at 750 to 800 for cows and 1000 for bulls, but in truth most of the photos on the breed web sites are of calves or yearlings standing near people, or adults standing out in a field so it's hard to get any real picture of the size of very many animals; except maybe a few exceptionally small examples. I visited quite a few Dexter "herds" when I retired, but nothing I was told on the phone measured up when I arrived. One thing I did notice, and I see it repeated often on this forum; price is based on height, weight, color, and whether or not they are naturally polled; whereas the value of a Jersey is based entirely on its ability as a milk producer. I suppose there are people who have a little land, are looking for large pets, and certainly there plenty of folk who are running the bovine equivalent of puppies mills willing to sell to them; for those hobby folks a Dexter, or even the much larger Highland cattle, are just the ticket.

A person ought to get just what they want and be happy with it, but there isn't that much difference in weight between a grade Jersey cow and a grade Dexter cow. The Jersey is a bit taller, but again, if she's going to be milked; a milk bucket has to fit under the udder, and the hands have to have room to work.

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“It is tedious to live, it is tedious to die, it is tedious to c**p in deep snow”
Old Norwegian observation

I sure wish I knew how to post pictures. My Dexter cows have plenty of room under their udders and are small besides. Your claims for Dexter sizes are completely off the mark. You're just trying to make a Jersey seem like a better choice. Well for some people it is. It all depends upon what you're looking for. However, if you're looking for the highest volume of milk production, the Holstein reins supreme.

As far as pricing goes, the size thing can drive prices out of this world. I regularly see "miniature" Jerseys being offered for prices that would astound you. Dexter cows are much more reasonably priced than comparably sized Jerseys. I've sold many for under $1000. None of them was as big as your figures. I've only seen a few Jerseys offered at such a low price, and all of them were "standard" size, meaning larger.

I searched for 2 years for a small Jersey I could afford, to breed Dexter/Jersey calves. I never found one I could afford. I had people asking for that particular cross. They wanted less milk, better disposition, smaller size and lower price than Jerseys.

If they wanted more milk, taller cows and could afford the extra money, then they should go for a standard dairy cow.

The Highland is similar to the Dexter, in that it's milk production is low enough that it doesn't cause undue stress on the cow. They suffer very low rates of mastitis and milk fever, attributable to their lower production. If you don't need the huge amount of milk, would prefer to only milk once a day, and don't want want the milk-associated problems, then Dexters, Highlands, Herefords, Devons, and a few other breeds make a good choice. Dexters probably eat less than any of the others and are definitely gentler, as a breed.

Genebo
Paradise Farm
Church Road, VA

"Dexters are the smallest breed of cattle in America. They are dual purpose animals producing both delicious meat and quality milk. Cows mature to 750-800 lbs. and 36-42 inches high at the shoulder. Bulls mature to 1000-1100 lbs. and 38-44 inches high at the shoulder."

http://cattle-today.com/Dexter.htm

There are literally dozens of web sites saying exactly the same thing as is copied from the web site above. It seems fairly clear that an 750 to 800 pound cow just 36" to 42" tall would have her udder 4" to 10" closer to the ground than an equal weight Jersey 46" tall; a 600 pound cow 36" tall would have her udder 10" closer to the ground as well. My heifer has just enough room for a bucket and my hands, so I can't imagine trying to milk into a bucket when there isn't room for one.

I think a person should have the breed they want, but the prefect breed for the cottager interested in milk has been the Jersey for just about 300 years, they were once called by another name, a port city in England. I don't sell cattle, I have no cattle for sale, I have no iron in any fire, but if a body thinks they need a good small house cow, a Jersey is an awfully good choice; the Dexter as a breed almost died out precisely because it wasn't.

I know there are miniature Dexters floating around, and there are inbred Jerseys some are calling "miniatures" as well, but they serve no real purpose beyond pets.

__________________
“It is tedious to live, it is tedious to die, it is tedious to c**p in deep snow”
Old Norwegian observation

"Weight
Cows at three years old and over should not exceed 750 lbs. live weight.

Height
Mature cows should not exceed 42 inches in height nor stand less than 36 inches in height at the shoulder."

This is the breed standard from the American Dexter Cattle Association, that has registered almost all the Dexter cattle in the USA.

There are no miniature Dexters, since they are not a miniature of a larger breed, they are all that size. A lot of the "miniature Jerseys" are not inbred, but are the opposite: they are outcrossed with Dexters to achieve the smaller size.

In general, the Dexter's udder is smaller and well supported, so that the teats are high enough to afford easy milking.

People who milk goats are laughing at this. They know all about low hanging teats. A lady who bought a milk goat from me built a platform for the goat's feet, so she could get a bucket under her. She built her platform high enough so she could sit up straight and milk.

Genebo
Paradise Farm
Church Road, VA

How to post pictures:

Step 1: You need to have loaded a picture somewhere on the internet (on your own website, a web photo album, the ADCA pedigree photos, Dakodan photos, etc..)

Step 2: While you're composing a message on Homesteading Today, click on the little yellow button above that has a landscape (mountains and a sun)

Step 3: When asked, input the url of the address of the picture that was already posted somewhere else on the internet.

Step 4: Preview your message to see that the photo actually appears, if not, something didn't work.

You can try testing this out in preview and then cancel your post just to see how it works.

Hope this is helpful.

Okey dokey. Here are my cows, standing next to me. Both of my adult Dexters are the long-legged variety, and not particularly small for Dexters. I'm 5 foot 3 inches tall. This first picture has my cow and her calf close enough to me to see how big they are. Clarabelle is 8 years old. The calf is about 6 months.



And here's my bull and that same calf. The bull is three or four years old. In this shot, I was trying to talk my bull into taking some grass from my hand. He was skeptical.



Now given that I'm pretty short, don't you think those are cute little cows?

As for that milk bucket, lots of people with miniature cattle use stanchions. No big deal.

Dexters have in fact been considered the ideal smallholder's cow for centuries because they produce well on rough grazing. Dexters as a breed almost died out because they are a dual purpose breed of livestock, not well suited to factory farming. You will find that the vast majority of livestock breeds on the ALBC conservation priority list are also there because, for one reason or another, they are ill suited to factory farming. This does not make them a poor choice for the smallholder. In fact, frequently the reality is quite the contrary.

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www.glimmercroft.com
The basic message of liberalism is simply: The true measure of a society is how it treats the weak and the needy. A simple Christian message (Matthew 25:40). -Garrison Keillor

OregonGuys, How the heck are you doing? Tried calling you last night to find out how you posted the pictures. You must have been reading my mind. I'll have to give it a try.

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Barbara N.
Legend Rock Ranch ~ Texas
Dexter Breeder
www.legendrockranch.com

I am glad there are so many breeds of cows to select from so I'm not going to say one is better than another here. We raise Highlands and have for sometime so I couldn't help but speak up when I read the Highland comments. I don't know who's highlands you saw but ours are nothing like you described. We love our cows because they can and will eat almost anything and do well on it. During drought, they find bushes or tree leaves to eat, during winter, they don't break the bank trying to keep warm with lots of expensive feed, during the summer, they shed off and sleep during the day and graze at night. As for their temperment, they have been great for us, horns and all. They know us and trust us and don't get the least bit excited when we are around. My husband can walk up to them and scratch them etc. anytime he wants. When a stranger comes around though, they walk away. We also raise boer goats and have the bull in with them right now while the girls are birthing (in february on the snow with no problems or assistance). We have seen him on several occasions licking the new born kids as baby sitting them while the mom's eat. The kids come up to him and nose around his legs and he just lovingly licks them. He is always calm and those horns don't worry me a bit. In fact, I find them helpful when the large varmits think they are going to make a meal out of one of the new kids. Our cows won't allow trespassers of the 4 legged kind. I also like that they grow well and produce great beef. I know nothing about the Dexter but I can't imagine not being totally satisfied with highland. The hides and horns are an added benefit after the meat is harvested. They sell great for lodge style decor. Check out our girls at www.wolfemountainfarms.com

I don't have the pleasure of being able to have cattle YET, but if I were to have, it would be Highlands. I agree with what piglady says: everything I've heard, seen personally and read on Highlands re-enforces the idea that Highlands are protective of their young against intruders (a good thing), decent milkers, superb quality meat, very resistant to disease, low-maintenance, great foragers and growers even on (especially on!) poor pasture/grounds, and like any other animal, if raised without cruelty, gentle and people-friendly. I've walked into a pen as a stranger where a cow had her sleeping calf and after allowing mama to snuffle out my intentions (a common courtesy, in my opinion), she had no trouble with my cooing over her calf. In fact, whilst mama kept an eye on us both, the calf and I played quite a while, silly thing begging to be loved on much like a cat!

Dexters would be/is my second choice.

piglady, I'd love to visit some day (with notice, of course). Do you only raise the Large Blacks? I'm trying to find more info on the Red Wattles.

~Falcon

I have started a web site at http://paradisedexters.com

Look on the second page at the cow and calf. That is Windridge Bantrybeth, a 42" eleven year old cow. See if you think you could get a milk bucket under her. She would stand in the middle of the pasture for me to do it. She's that gentle.

She's been milked before, but is not now. She has a 1.5 to 2 gallon udder, not unusual among Dexters. When sharing with a calf, you can expect 3 to 4 quarts a day for yourself. That's with one milking.

I sold my best milker. She gives about 3 gallons per day. The man takes 4 or 5 quarts from her and leaves the rest for the calf. He uses the milk for drinking and making cheese for a family of five. He's promised to bring me some mozarella to try, but they eat it all up before I can get some. They milked goats before getting her.

He sings to her as he milks, and still the milk tastes great. You'd think it would curdle it, wouldn't you?

Genebo
Paradise Farm
Church Road, VA