Dexter + ??? =

[SkizzlePig]

We don't have Dexters yet, but a set on getting them. Prior to doing so, I had one curiosity question.

I've heard a lot about the "rules" of mating Dexters. They got so complex that I stopped listening. You can mate with a dominant Dexter, but it can't be polled. Unless, of course, the polling is on the bull's side and the bull likes ice cream ... or something like that. Anyway ... I had a quick curiosity.

What happens is you inseminate a Dexter cow with a full-size Bull ... like Holstein or Limousine? Will the mother do okay? Will there be birth defects?

Please understand, I don't plan on diluting the breed by mating my future Dexters with any breed I can get my hands on. I plan on keep the Dexters strong on our farm ... because we like what the Dexter offers. The question is more about understanding the risks.

[Lizi]

Well, I don't know about the ice cream...in fact all I can tell you is that the two Dexter steers we had were mean as all get-out and I wish you well. I much prefer my Jersey boys, at least I can walk among them and they eat out of my hand at 2 years of age. Good luck! Lizi PS, not a "farmer" per se, but have Jerseys on a dry lot.

[genebo]

I don't know what rules you've been hearing. The only rule we follow here is don't mate two short legged Dexters together.

I've used my Dexter bull to breed lots of full sized cows. The result is that the full sized cow will have a smaller than normal calf. The reverse would be true if you bred a full sized bull to a Dexter cow. The calf would be larger than normal.

Dexters are a very easy birthing breed and you might get away with such a mating, but the chances of a difficult birth will go up. It would be better to use a Dexter bull over the large cow. You get the same result in the calf and it's much easier on the mother.

Both the mother and the father contribute toward the size of the calf. My Dexters throw 45 lb. or less calves. The Angus next door throw 80 lb or more calves. Cross breeding them might be expected to produce a calf around 60 lbs. That's a big calf for a Dexter cow. It's a small calf for an Angus cow. She'd have an easy time of it.

Some people will breed a Dexter bull to their beef breed heifers just to get the small first time calf. It conditions the heifer for future births.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[Timberline]

Originally Posted by Unlikely Farmer

You can mate with a dominant Dexter, but it can't be polled.

Uh, what?

Most Dexter breeders (not all of them) avoid breeding two dwarf gene carriers (shortlegs). Polled, horned, etc has nothing to do with that.

I would be very hesitant to breed a Dexter cow to a larger breed bull.

[copperhead46]

I know what you're talking about, when I first got my Dexters I was confused by all the talk about short and long legs, and was scared to death of the chrondro thing. Luckily, over on the Dexter forum, I finally got good info, and like the other Dexter owners already said, the only thing to be carefull about is breeding a carrier to a carrier. A lot of people do, because they want the short legs, but they take a chance on getting the chrondro mutation. I always keep a long legged bull, so there is no problem. A lot of breeders keep a short legged bull and use long legged cows, again, no problem.
I can tell you from my expereince, I've never had an aggressive Dexter, but I've never know a Jersey bull that wouldn't come and get you.
On the breeding a beef bull to a Dexter, I don't think it's a good idea, but my two dun cows both were bred by the neighbors Limosine (sp?) bull several years ago and they both had really nice calves. The bull calf went for butcher and my brother in law bought the heifer and put her in his beef herd. Maybe I got lucky because they both had them without any problem.
Just my 2 cents worth............P.J.

[translplant]

I'm still chuckling over the ice cream...I, for one, am sorry that you have had all that confusion, etc.

My first response to your suggestion to breed Dexters to large bull is "please don't". I have had to pull a calf from a first time heifer and would not want that calf any bigger. Not worth losing a good cow for 10 - 15 extra pounds of calf.

Go the other direction - with a Dexter bull across your larger cows. I have a small Dexter bull that somehow, someway got across a cow much taller than him. I would have paid to see how he did it. Nature is an amazing thing, isn't it?

Linda/Cloverbell

[BrokeFarmer]

Originally Posted by translplant

Go the other direction - with a Dexter bull across your larger cows. I have a small Dexter bull that somehow, someway got across a cow much taller than him. I would have paid to see how he did it. Nature is an amazing thing, isn't it?

Linda/Cloverbell

The Dexter will catch the taller heifers when they are downhill

I was wondering if anyone else was using dexter bulls on young heifers. Makes for an easy birth.