How long will they last?

[piglady]

I was doing some research on rare breeds the other day and saw on a site for milking shorthorns that they can last up to "5" freshenings. They said it like it was something to be proud of. Our highlands are still very young on their 5th freshinings, so what's up with that. What do you find is the average milking lifespan of the family cow? I'm not talking about the high production, hormone and hot grain fed milk cow but one that is fed well and taken care of.

[darbyfamily]

I've read that Dexters can continue producing for up to 15 yrs! 5 sounds pitifully sad.. maybe it was a typo???

[JHinCA]

We have a 14 year old milking shorthorn doing just fine in her 11 or 12th lactation.

[randiliana]

The average Holstein cow in a dairy has a productive lifespan of 3-4 years. That wasn't a typo.

[matt_man]

We sold a 13 yr old Dexter last fall who should be freshening for the 10th time any day now.

Rachel

[milkinpigs]

We have several holstein that are over 8 years of age some are 10 and going strong.

I find the animosity against those of us that farm for a living rather than a hobby interesting.....as if having a dexter or highland cow makes you superior to us mere dairy/beef/or hog pruducers that you are more than happy to draw upon for advice.

Perhaps with your cows that last for so many lactations with none of the problems that occur with the inferior standard dairy breeds; you should quit your jobs, increase your herd size and make your living with your cows.

Obviously people such as myself have no business on this forum....

[darbyfamily]

Milkinpigs, I didnt get that at all from any post on here. and I certainly didnt mean to infer anything about dairy cows. I'd love a good jersey, but thats about the biggest I could go because we need something managable.

I apologize if *I* offended you... that was not my intentions, I actually figured it WAS a typo because, knowing little about other breeds of cow, I couldnt imagine there being that much of a discrepancy between breeds.

You have a LOT to offer on this board! I am thrilled to get the advice from those more experienced with cows.

SORRY!!!!

[JKB07]

Are dexters even a real dairy breed?

[darbyfamily]

They give good milk Im told... milk is a dairy product.. right? :giggle: there is a Dexter dairy up north... Finger lakes creamery, and in other countries they have dexter dairies... just not many in the US yet.

maybe all they'll ever really be is a good ole home dairy cow, but me personally, *I'm* okay with that.... as thats all I really want.

[genebo]

Dexters can't challenge the production of a Holstein as a dairy cow. Nor can it challenge the Angus in beef production. What it does so well is provide moderate amounts of both milk and beef for those of us without large landholdings.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[cathleenc]

our neighbors own/run a large commercial dairy and prefer their cows to be older - keep them milking till at least 10 yrs, they say. (holsteins, jerseys, holstein/jersey crosses)

[JKB07]

Originally Posted by darbyfamily

They give good milk Im told... milk is a dairy product.. right? :giggle: there is a Dexter dairy up north... Finger lakes creamery, and in other countries they have dexter dairies... just not many in the US yet.

maybe all they'll ever really be is a good ole home dairy cow, but me personally, *I'm* okay with that.... as thats all I really want.

HA... ALL cows produce milk.....so should we consider all of them dairy breeds? I have absoloutly nothing against dexters, but what ever happened to the Jersey cow being used for family use? I know alot of people do, seeing as though I sell all my Jerseys to family for home use, but im thinking that maybe the dexter is just another novilty breed. Again, i have nothing against them or the people who breed them...


JKB

[darbyfamily]

Jerseys still give more milk than even *I* (with 8 children) need.. though now that we have pigs, we could/would probably use it all some how.

I waffled between Jersey and Dexter.. but I got a Dexter, in milk, with heifer calf for under $1400 and I couldnt find a jersey for that price that wasnt old as the hills or just not bred at all...

and, after all the reading we did, dh was just sold on dexters. They do still use a little less space than a jersey, though they dont have those beautiful eyes of a Jersey

I had even looked at Mini jerseys but YIKES.. they wanted $1800 for a yearling heifer..not bred.

anyway...Dexters just seem to be the right breed for us, for now.

[ebook]

Originally Posted by JKB07

... I know alot of people do, seeing as though I sell all my Jerseys to family for home use, but im thinking that maybe the dexter is just another novilty breed. Again, i have nothing against them or the people who breed them...

The "novelty" breed card has been played on this forum before. Check out this post from 2003. You can scroll down to read the post, but here is the important part:

A couple years ago we invested a conciderable amount fo time, energy, travel expences, and phone bills investigating the profitability of the Dexter buis. We think this is going to be just like most all fad enterprizes. Going to grow like an atomic mushroom cloud and be gone in the wind even faster. WE felt we were going to wind up with some very expencive yard ornaments. Looks like the Dexter fad is past the growth curve to me. Just my opinion.

If they were a "fad past the growth curve" in 2003 don't you think they would be gone by now? Dexters are not a fad, but they are not a commercial production animal by any stretch of the imagination. And, it is important to point out they ARE a family cow ... not just a family cow from the US. They were family cows in Ireland long before they came to the US and they were family cows because they worked perfectly in that capacity.

There is a growing demand for their beef, they are great forage convertors, easy to handle, and wonderful for people without livestock experience. If you are willing to do the marketing you can make a living milking them, raising them for beef, and selling seedstock. But, you have to cater to niche markets ... like people looking for healthy/heritage food or homesteader types with a small acreage.

Passing fad they are not ... commercial beef/dairy they are not ... great home cow they are!

[JKB07]

Originally Posted by ebook

The "novelty" breed card has been played on this forum before. Check out this post from 2003. You can scroll down to read the post, but here is the important part:



If they were a "fad past the growth curve" in 2003 don't you think they would be gone by now? Dexters are not a fad, but they are not a commercial production animal by any stretch of the imagination. And, it is important to point out they ARE a family cow ... not just a family cow from the US. They were family cows in Ireland long before they came to the US and they were family cows because they worked perfectly in that capacity.

There is a growing demand for their beef, they are great forage convertors, easy to handle, and wonderful for people without livestock experience. If you are willing to do the marketing you can make a living milking them, raising them for beef, and selling seedstock. But, you have to cater to niche markets ... like people looking for healthy/heritage food or homesteader types with a small acreage.

Passing fad they are not ... commercial beef/dairy they are not ... great home cow they are!

You couldnt be MORE wrong. Fads last much longer than a few years. For example, the lowline angus fad lasted for 20+ years. For dexters, there is absouloutly NO market for them besides homesteaders and people who enjoy raising novelty breeds. If you honestly think someone could make a living running a commercial dexter dairy, you dont know the breed nor the milk market. Even as high as the market is, you wouldnt even be able to break even.


JKB

[darbyfamily]

Well said Ethan!

[ebook]

Originally Posted by JKB07

You couldnt be MORE wrong. Fads last much longer than a few years. For example, the lowline angus fad lasted for 20+ years. For dexters, there is absouloutly NO market for them besides homesteaders and people who enjoy raising novelty breeds. If you honestly think someone could make a living running a commercial dexter dairy, you dont know the breed nor the milk market. Even as high as the market is, you wouldnt even be able to break even.


JKB

I did not say that they could run a "commercial" dexter dairy. What I specifically said is that there is a place for them in niche markets. Check out Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery if you want to know what I'm talking about. They only milk 3-6 Dexters, but they add value my making cheese. Check out the Price Sheet of Freedom Farm Dexters. They raise Dexters for beef and they sell Dexters for beef. Again, it is not a commercial market, but it is a niche market.

I will admit that I don't know the dairy market like you may, but I do know enough ... it is in my family. And I don't know everything about Dexters, but I do know enough. Also, I don't think the Lowline Angus fad is gone. Just because animals aren't selling at a premium price like when they go started doesn't mean they are a fad. Not all farming has to be "commercial" conventional market farming. There are plenty of small diverse farmers out there making a full time living raising and selling diverse breeds of livestock through direct marketing.

I think the key here is that I never said they had a "commercial" thing for them. In fact I said, "commercial beef/dairy they are not". You can read that in my first post

Traditional dairy breeds are best for high output dairy ... no doubt about it. Traditional beef crosses are best for high beef output ... no doubt about it. But, that doesn't mean there is room for more. The Dexter registries aren't growing at an overwhelming rate ... just slow and steady picking up. I honestly believe they are here to stay.

[Timberline]

I wouldn't exactly call the Dexter as fad, as it is an ancient breed, first recognized before the 1800s, first registry began in 1879, were in North America prior to 1900, and the first recorded US imports were in 1905. They've been here ever since. I think now, with so many people wanting their own few acres, Dexters are once again finding their true niche.

They are not and never have been mainstream commercial cattle. They can't produce milk like the traditional dairy breeds or produce beef like the beef breeds. Yes, there are Dexters dairies around the world, but it's not the norm. They were originally bred by small holders that needed an animal that could produce a family supply of milk and beef on poor quality pastures. They were bred for this role and still fill it well today. They are a hardy, longlived breed.

Genebo said it perfectly. You cannot fairly compare Dexters to larger commercial breeds, as they were all bred for different things. Every breed has its place.

[ebook]

Good thoughts Chalk Creek! I knew there was a reason that I liked my Lazy J5 cows so much!

[Timberline]

Originally Posted by ebook

Good thoughts Chalk Creek! I knew there was a reason that I liked my Lazy J5 cows so much!

Thank you. I see you have Bailey and Kenosha. Are you milking Bailey? I'm curious to know how she milks as her dam was a heavy milker.

Nice blog!