dextar

[papat]

any one out there milk dextar

[linn]

Yes, I milk a Dexter and I love her. She is getting ready to freshen with her fifth calf. Last summer she was giving four gallons per day at her peak production. During the winter months, when she is on hay, her production drops. Not all Dexters are equal. Some Dexters have a more milky background and some are bred for beef, so do your homework before buying a Dexter. They are wonderful cows, but make sure you get one from a milking background if you intend to use her for a family milk cow.

[Callieslamb]

Welcome to the forum!

[raymilosh]

My dexter (Cindy Lou Who) just had her second calf (Kalamazoo) on Sunday morning. Her udder is way bigger than lst time and her calf is smaller. I leave them together 24 hours and already I am able to get out about a quart and a half whenever I want some.
I recommend picking out a cow that has the right size teats for you. If you plan to hand milk, get a cow with long teats. If you plan to use a machine, get a cow with short teats. (I didn't have that information when I bought her and she has small teats which makes hand milking difficult.)
I also recommend getting a sweet natured, gentle, calm cow. I also didn't think of that beforehand and my cow is kind of sassy all the time which makes people nervous around her, especially around milking and leading her on a leash. She came from a herd of Dexters used for meat, not milk, so the cows were bred to be big, not to have good milknig qualities.
I also recommend not having one with horns. My cow has horns and she is more dangerous with them and her head has a hard time fitting into a headgate during milking time.