Will this work??

[Oakshire_Farm]

I have 3 Jersey cows and 2 up and coming heifers. I am going to look at a Dexter bull, he is 6 months right now, so I know he is not going to be getting the job done right away. But do you smart people think that the little guy will be able to get the job done on his own???? We are planning on making a breeding shoot, that will have a dug out area that we will stand the Jerseys in so that the little guy will have a 1+ft boost.

My hubby says that I am not allowed to keep any more heifers, I keep getting them from AI so I thought getting a dexter, The calves will be a little "beefier"

Any one have any Dexters???? What are the temperament of the bulls??? He is a polled red dexter, I am going to pick him up on the 31st

[tinknal]

With the low number of heifers I'd stick with AI. Just AI them to Dexters. Bulls are a pain and to keep one around for 10 minutes work a year isn't worth it IMO.

[65284]

Unless your Jerseys are very tall and the bull is very short the little guy may surprise you at what he can achieve without assistance, I wouldn’t put a lot of money or labor into a chute until he has shown he can’t get the job done. I’ve had Dexters for about 20 years; their good disposition is one of the most attractive points of the breed. There have been many bulls here and I have been around and handled a lot of others at Dexter shows and sales never had a bit of trouble with one. They are the best natured bulls I've ever seen, but I still don't and wouldn't trust one. Even though they tend to be very docile and are small cattle, in relation to a human they are still large, powerful, and unpredictable animals.

[agmantoo]

If I wanted beefier calves I would AI the cows to Angus and the heifers to Dexter

[haypoint]

IMHO
A group of 5 cows does not justify the cost of keeping a bull.
A cross bred is always worth less than a single breed.
If you want some beef steers to eat, buy them.
A Jersey heifer is valuable, a Jeresy steer is eatable.

If you expect to keep the offspring from these cows, purchase the best semen you can afford. The heifers will produce more milk efficiently.

If you expect to sell the offspring, purchase the best semen you can afford. The heifers will bring top dollar.

Some dairy farms knock the bulls in the head at birth. I prefer to grow them up and eat them.

[genebo]

I've done that very thing many times. My Dexter herd bull started out by breeding four dairy cows when he was 7 months old.

Breeding a Dexter bull to a Jersey cow is so popular they have names for the resultant crossbreeds. They call them Belfairs or Belmonts or Irish Jerseys or a number of other names.

It works really well, because the heifers you get from the cross give less milk than full Jerseys, and therefore eat less. No need to pay for milk you don't want. The bull calves make great beef. Dexter beef has won lots of awards for quality. It almost always beats Angus.

Dexter bulls are just about the most gentle breed of bull you can keep. There are quite a few kept in petting zoos. That says a lot, right there.

A friend of mine used a Dexter bull to breed 30 Angus cows. He called the results 'Dangus' and gets really good prices for the beef. Two of his beef customers have bought bull calves from me so they could do the same.

Anyway, don't expect any problems. It's a great cross.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[Jennifer L.]

My uncle said once that you never have to worry about a small bull, that they'll find an ant hill to stand on if they have to.

Jennifer

[francismilker]

I'm not going to try and discourage your idea of breeding your Dexter bull to Jerseys. They're yours and you asked if it will work, not what we think!

I will only say where there's a will, there's a way. Yes, he will be able to get it done unless you've got them all penned up on perfectly level concrete where he can't get the required traction to jump. Eventually, the stars will all line up just right and she'll step down in a low place or he'll stand on a high place and BINGO!


Personally, I like the cross for family cows and the steers make some good freezer beef. If I had a dozen heifers of that breeding in my area I could sell every one of them to folks looking for a home milk cow. Good luck to you.

[myersfarm]

cows might cycle a few times before the stars line up ...would not expect all to calve in the same month or 2 months

[genebo]

You guys are giving the bull too much credit. Actually, he is a minor player in breeding. The cow determines when it will happen and how it will happen. She doesn't have to remain standing, even. When she's in standing heat, she'll find a way. The "standing" in standing heat just means that she doesn't run away any more.

I wish I'd had a camera the day I looked out the window to see a cow running past with a little dwarf Dexter bull running behind on his hind legs.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[myersfarm]

genebo.....funny The cow determines when it will happen and how it will happen


never seen a COW BACK UNDER A BULL

[Oakshire_Farm]

Thanks for the advice! My plans are to raise him up to breed my cows, take him to my parents place to breed there angus's then eat him In the area that I live Jerseys are not worth any more than any other cow Nobody wants to do the work to get fresh milk, the people that do will have one, but are not willing to pay for them. Because we are on a island, it costs to much to take them off island. I love my Jerseys and as much as I would LOVE to grow myself a great big herd. It is just not realistic. I think the Jersey X Dexter heifers would be worth as much here as a pure Jersey, because they will produce less milk.

I have seen a yearling angus breed my giant sized holstein! I wish I had a camera for that one!!! lol I have one heifer that I have tried to AI to many times......... she stresses out to much and will take, so she has one last try, living with a bull. If she does not get bred, good looking Jersey heifer that I spend $1000 on then had to pay another $250 to get her hauled to me will be in the freezer! So fingers crossed that the little guy can "git-her-done"

[myersfarm]

Oakshire farm...I just love your little island....it was the pretties place...I had been in a long time.....and the visit to Butchart Gardens was just unbelieveable.....with the killer whales and the niciest people were great

[Oakshire_Farm]

WOW someone has heard of our little Island!!!! LOL It really is the most beautiful places.

[myersfarm]

Oakshire also I not only heard of you little Island I drove all the way from Los Angeles to your little island...It was part of the plan ...I had t go there as I was driving the coast line of USA......all I need is from Los Angeles to Mexico to have done it all from East port Maine to Mexico around FL..... never seen a BOAT/ SHIP that big that took of that fast