Page 1 of 1
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:58 pm
by Ian H
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:07 pm
by Saffy
Hello Ian,
I am far too much of a Dexter newby to make any comment on the breeding question but lovely pics, thank you for sharing a little walk around your herd.
Stephanie
Edited By Saffy on 1193778456
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:08 pm
by Mark Bowles
What a nice group Ian, you must be very pleased.
I like to see how an animal walks and especially how good the udder is, quess you will have to wait 9 months to find that one out. 
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:19 pm
by ann
Hi Ian
What a lovely little gang you have there, not sure of your breeding but they have that lovely classic Dexter head that you get with dexter which are not polled. It seems a shame to take the horns of
and I guess if they are going to live out all the time and don't learn to use them you might find you can copy with them, however the only cow I ever had with horns like the ones you have got her head stuck and in trying to release herself some how twisted round and hung herself. So horns are a no no for me ( she came to me at ten with horns) I also remember the days on our farm when I was a child before dehorning was done much and trying to avoid horns at feeding up time was a night mare.
As for breeding versus butchering, well if your cattle are as nice as your pictures I'd certainly get a second opinion before I went down that line. are they all registered? If you decide to get the horns taken off it should not cost to much as a job lot.
What part of the world are you in? I'm sure your local field officer would come and have a chat with you if requested.
Regards
Ann
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:20 am
by Sylvia
Good pictures and good looking cows, Ian. But I'm with Ann on the subject of horns. The one seriously horned cow who came here had her horns removed by the vet and changed immediately from a cow who you felt you had to be careful with (although she never used them) to a much more user-friendly model. As for beef v breeding, I'd get a second opinion (in the field). Depending on the amount of land you have at some stage even nice animals might have to go for beef to prevent over-stocking - the numbers soon build up.
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:32 pm
by Louisa Gidney
I've run a horned herd for twenty odd years now. I started as a complete novice and have had no major problems. I always say Dexters can kick just as hard without horns as with them. I suggest you leave the horns on for the time being and see how you get on.
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 6:18 pm
by GRAEME
I have a horned herd and up to now this has not been a problem. I have to be selective with which animals go together when they go in for the winter as some get on and some dont. However it is definitely my experience that horned animals pull their punches with each other. I had to sell two cows that were part of my original foundation stock as they were de-horned and were very agressive indoors! Obviously this is a generalisation based on my limited experience of approx 50 or so, and I must admit I might have been lucky to avoid any real problem animals. My sister had a bad experience with a dehorned heifer which on hindsight they moved too soon after calving but in that case if the horns had still been there it could have ended in a fatality. I also must say it is my experience that keeping the horns on has restricted my market for selling on the hoof but personally I just like to see them as nature intended.
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 10:10 pm
by Inger
I like the last animal. Nice straight back and long body. I'd keep her for breeding if she were mine. :D
Horned animals certainly have a restricted market. If you look on the listings and work back through old listings, you'd see that the polled animals sell quicker than the horned ones. Mind you, at some times of the year, we can't seem to sell any animals. 
I'm glad that we finally have a buyer for our two surplus cows, so I won't have to take them through another Winter.
I'm anticipating that there may come a time when unsold surplus cows may have to be sent to the works.
Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 6:47 am
by Ian H
Hi all
One thing that did cross my mind as I want to hire a bull, was would the bull owner be happy about my heifers having horns and the bull not. Do you think this would cause a problem?
Regards Ian Hornsby
