question from the goat forum

[Jcran]

Howdy...I raise boer goats in Northern California. We have a very small place, just a couple acres but LOTS of GRASS. While our boers take care of the berries and invasive trees/sprouts, they don't particularly care for grazing much. I've been thinking of getting a small-breed cow and just doing the a.i. thing(lots of dairies around so tanks o'plenty). I've heard Dexters are small. Are there any other breeds out there one could recommend? Want meat production offspring with possibility of "stealing" some milk on occasion. Also, what price range would I expect to be in for a bred cow/heifer. Thanks!

[Christiaan]

I love Highlands, so of course that's what I recommend. They are small, thrifty, easy keepers, self-sufficient, cute, friendly, great mothers, lean and tasty. Prices for registered stock will runs $1000 to $1600, unregistered half that around here.
Don't let those Dexterphiles fool you, HIGHLANDS RULE!

[jerzeygurl]

jerseys can run very small, mine are all small, and produce well for ammount of feed eaten, jersey beef is quite good, jerseys cross well with angus for better hanging wieght so maybe a jersey angus cross would do you good.

[francismilker]

The Jersey would be my choice also. I don't know much about Dexters, but I know a Jersey should be easier to come by. I may be opening up a can of worms here, but if you'll stay with a traditional breed rather than an exotic, ie. (beltie, dexter, highland,etc.) you should expect to pay more. I'm not knocking all of those breeds. I just know that around my neck of the woods, you pay more for them! (a lot more!!!!!!!!!) On the flip side, as jerseygurl mentioned, an angus/jersey cross goes mighty good on the dinner table. There should also be more of them to choose from.
On the flip side, any cow that is gentle enough to stand and let you milk it will suffice as a milk cow if you just need occasional fresh milk. Some of the best, richest milk I've ever had was from an old, old, old, black angus cow that had so much blood bred out of her she was 7/8 angus/ 1/8 jersey. If you get a calf and raise her gentle, you should be able to just about milk anything. (famous last words).
On the price issue: Yesterday the local beef sale here (SE Oklahoma) was selling cow/calf pairs, (cows being in the 4 year old range, calf in the 200lbs. range) for anywhere between $650 and $1200. I'm not sure what the demand is in your area, but things are swinging both ways here. Sometimes it's a buyer's market and sometimes it's a seller's market. Lots of luck to you on all of your bovine adventures.

[Jcran]

Thanks for the info; so Jerseys huh? I milked Jerseys in college and there certainly are a preponderance of Jersey dairy herds in this area. And I DO love their gentle nature. My only concern is will she have TOO MUCH milk? I want to just raise meat calves with a tad of milk for us and maybe some cheese making. Also what's the acreage needs for a Jersey vs. a Dexter or Highland...do they compare in a similar way? Right now, we've got what I call "founder grass". It is so dang lush and over my knees. The goats will take a nibble or two but I thought one cow could rotate through the pens, grazing it down, then over to the neighbor's for the summer then back here, etc.

[jerzeygurl]

a jersey will eat the least of all the dairy breeds, not familiar with the others,

they are also known for producing the most milk per pound of feed, ( they are the most efficient)tho they have the LOWEST milk production of any dairy cow, HIGHEST cream percentages of all dairy cows.

jersey will provide 2-4 gall ave per day, calf will eat a gallon a day

[Jcran]

So, if I don't want any milk that day and just leave the Jersey unmilked, am I asking for trouble? Or will she just tend to produce less milk over her subsequent freshenings, as a goat will do if not milked out completely and consistently during her first freshening milking season.

[jerzeygurl]

I would not arruptly stop, she will adjust to produce what is needed, but if not careful one runs the risk of her getting mastitis.

[Jcran]

See, that's why I was leaning toward a meat breed; less milk, but still lots more than a goat and would GRAZE...I'm almost thinking about just getting a day-old bull calf from a dairy and raising it through this time of year until grass runs out, then slaughtering for veal...possibly on milk replacer/extra goat milk. Anyone done that kind of thing?

[OregonGuys]

Cows (like goats and sheep) are very social and do not like to be alone. The nice thing about the small breeds is that they are scalable to small land holdings and you might be able to keep two on small acreage (instead of just one lonely animal of a larger breed).

Dexters are a good way to go. Dexters are very personable and easy to manage. You might be able to buy a couple of 5 month old steered bull calves at a very reasonable price. You could raise them to 18-24 months and then slaughter them just before winter (fill your freezers), then find two more the next spring. Because of their very nice personalities, you'll get attached to them but a stiff upper lip will help you through the process.

Another nice thing about the small breeds is that you can more easily find buyers interested in a 1/2 beef (because a 1/2 side of dexter is more manageable than a 1/2 side of a large breeds). Another advantage of the small breeds is that you can make do with minimal handling facilities.

By the way, we also have goats and can't imagine managing our place without Dexters to manage the grass (because, like you said, goats don't really graze).

www.cascademeadowsfarm.com

[Jcran]

Originally Posted by OregonGuys

Because of their very nice personalities, you'll get attached to them but a stiff upper lip will help you through the process.[/url]

My stiff upper lip conceals teeth that LOVE chompin' into a really good steak; but I do know what you mean. Would a single steer be ok if he had a goat buddy?

[OregonGuys]

Originally Posted by Jcran

Would a single steer be ok if he had a goat buddy?

Our goats don't want to have anything to do with our cattle, but that's because they have many of their own kind to be with. I suspect that if you temporarily pen a young goat with a young steer that some degree of bonding would form, and when released from confinement, the bond may last (so the goat won't mind the steer hanging around).

[Jcran]

When I got a bucket calf from the slaughter house for our school carnival's cow-pie bingo event, we brought him home afterwards and he became best friends with our red boer doeling, GLADYS. They would run in huge circles around the pasture, chasing each other, bucking and leaping, and providing huge belly-laughs for anyone watching. Moo-moo the steer went on to be a jogging buddy for the lady I sold him to, although I think he finally was freezer bound when his horns got to be a bit much. Does anyone know of any Dexter breeders on the north coast of California or in Southern Oregon?

[vallyfarm]

How about a few sheep? They can take care of any excess grass. Add a Sannen goat and you'll have plenty of milk. Sheep can live with the goats with no problem, and what ever you're facalities are, if you are set up for goats, you are set up for sheep. Easy to handle, nise small "steaks", and tastier too. A sheep or two can be had for a lot less money than any type of cow. Also, if a calf is raised on grass it is not veal. Mike

[Jcran]

I am going to try to stay away from sheep as they share so many diseases with goats and parasites too...thought cattle might eat some of the parasites afore goats could ingest...yeah, I know its not truly veal...young goat is cabrito, would young cow be calfito?

[Karin L]

Originally Posted by Jcran

young goat is cabrito, would young cow be calfito?

Young cow, if your talking about it being a yearling, is just...beef.

[Sher]

We run the goats and the Dexters together. Haven't had a problem yet with anyone.

Oh..well maybe one problem..A young bull who was with a doe got really attached to her. Over the weekend..when we were moving "people" around...they got separated from each other. Neither is too happy about it..especially the bull, who is bawling at night just like when he was weaned from his mom..lol.

[The_Shepherdess]

We run sheep and goats together, no probs. The goats are Saanens. We are considering getting a bottle calf, which is why I'm in such unfamiliar territory as the cattle board. Whatever you end up doing, good luck!

[vallyfarm]

I've run goats and sheep together for a decade. Never had any cross-over problems at all. If the animals are kept well and start out healthy there should be no problems. If you like the moo's better, then getting what ever critter you like best is often more importaint than any other variable there is. Just tossing out a posible idea. Mike

[Jcran]

I think I'm leaning toward a beef is simply because I do like a steak on occasion and we already raise our own rabbit and goat meat. I have a neighbor who'd be willing to share pasture so we wouldn't run out and be able to supplement less, then split the meat. I'm definitely intrigued with the small breeds; oh well, I'll continue to ponder, ponder, ponder.