CROSS BREADING - CROSS BREADING

CAROLE142 · Post by **CAROLE142** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:17 pm

HAS ANYBODY CROSSED A DEXTER WITH A HEREFORD BULL

IF NO CAN IT BE DONE

THANKS

ann · Post by **ann** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:59 pm

I'm sure someone will have at some time used this cross, if your cow is a good sized non short and you are using an easy calving hereford bull by A.I then it is probably o.k. but not sure why you would want to do this.

???

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:25 am

Yes, they have regularly. We had the cows here years ago for putting to our bull. The cow was tiny and the calf was taller and had a white face.

The owner said they do it all the time I believe and without probem as the calf was born small.

Clive

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 5:19 pm

I have a friend in Wales that will be putting a Hereford bull on her Dexter cows and one of the cows is very small. I will be interested too in how this works out. Will keep you posted.

Jo Kemp · Post by **Jo Kemp** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:23 pm

10 year old non-short cow did not take with AI Dexter semen but did with Hereford result a very beefy heifer calf, 'Bumble' produced perfectly normally. This heifer has now produced 2 calves and both are very beefy. Bumble gains weight just looking at grass/hay/haylage and I have kept the calf with her this year to keep her weight down prior to calving.
The 3/4dexter meat will be excellent and I will kill before 24 months.
Will let you know the dead weight - totally grass fed.
It is an excellent cross, beefy and I did it to be sure which semen 'took'!
Jo

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:53 am

Is Dexter-Hereford, or th eother way around, meat marbled (generally)?

And has anyone tasted it?

Clive

Jo Kemp · Post by **Jo Kemp** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:36 am

The Belgian Blue x Dexter 4 year old cow certainly has dexter quality meat ie well marbled and very tasty. Don't know whether the tastiness is due to age as much as breed! Although it hung for 4 weeks, it was certainly tougher than the usual 29 month dexter (perhaps age only again?) but customers, used to ordinary meat, didn't find it so tough! My customers who always buy from me did.