Biggest Dexter calf

[darbyfamily]

What is the biggest Dexter calf that you know of? weight wise? Just considering a breeding option for this year but the bull is likely to cause calf weights of around 65 lbs and I thought that sounded high for a Dexter. The bull is not Dexter, though smaller than most bulls.

[ebook]

I can't tell you of the biggest, because I guess I haven't heard. But, I can tell you that are three calves so far this year were around 25 to 30 pounds tops.

[darbyfamily]

Oh, yikes.. then that is definitely too big of a calf.

oh well, back to the drawing board

I had been thinking that if I bred Spring to a beltie this year, for a cute little beltie calf next spring, then by next year Spring AND Autumn would be old enough to breed and that would work better for buying AI straws for both at the same time.

but a beltie is just too big I reckon.

[Dexter_Cattle]

Hi Jennifer & Ethan,

Some of the bigger bloodlines do produce massive calves. That is pretty rare though. Most produce calves 25-50. It depends on the size of the cow, and the bull, but it also depends on the genetics. The size is not always the tell tale sign.

Sometimes you can get an average by talking to people, but alot of people don't weigh them. I can tell you for instance Hot N Humid has had calves from 15-48 pounds. 15 was with a VERY tiny cow. 48 was with a really big butch cow. Same bull. Most of his are near 30 pounds though. We have had two bulls in the past that were smaller than him, that both produced consistantly larger calves. So that is why you can't always tell by the size of the bull.

Hope that helps!
Dan

[darbyfamily]

from all I've read on the beltie site they can throw calves up near 75-80 lbs... Spring is not a small Dexter, I'll measure her tomorrow, but I dont think I want to risk it with a calf that big!

[Dexter_Cattle]

Personally I wouldn't risk it. Though some people do it, I usually recommend Dexter bulls on the beltie cows.

[translplant]

I have a chart here of birthweights from one of Dexters top breeders here that has over 300 calves from 25 different bulls. The heaviest was 65 pounds, the lightest 22 pounds and the average was 44.4 pounds. I weigh all my calves and every time we think one will be in the low 30's it's in the low 40's - eyeballing doesn't work. My largest was 65 pounds - 2 weeks overdue from a very large and fat cow. My smallest was 29 pounds, a short leg bull that was early.

[Tiffin]

I just weighed our 1 day old 7/8 Dexter bull at 60 lbs. Long legs. Mom is 3/4 Dexter and 1/4 Dutch belted. Sire registered Dexter bull. We had to help the mom by pulling on the legs but she is doing very well today as is the calf. Calf will be steered.

[genebo]

The largest calf born here was 45 lbs. The smallest was 26 lbs.

Last weekend I helped a neighbor deliver goat kids that had been sired by a prize-winning large buck. He weighed 170 lbs. The does weighed about 70 lbs. each.

The first doe had twins. They're usually smaller than singles. We had to pull really hard to get the kids out, and the doe then prolapsed and died.

The second doe had a single. It was obvious from the first that she could never deliver this kid. Everybody had a try at pulling it. Finally we took her to a vet clinic in town. They all had a try at pulling the kid. Then the vet did a C-section and removed the kid. It was almost half the size of the doe!

The kid took two breaths, then died. The vet started to sew up the doe, but the uterus was pulverized from all the straining and pulling. It wouldn't hold a thread. After a half hour of trying, the doe died.

They used every medicine they had to try to dilate the doe, and to try to restart the heart of the kid.

It was a sad day. Expensive, too.

I can't imagine just how bad I would feel if I caused that to happen to one of my little Dexter cows. I'll never breed one of mine to a large bull.

Genebo
Paradise Farm