Cross breeding

AlisonKirk · Post by **AlisonKirk** » Fri May 29, 2009 11:33 pm

Clive - I agree with you about butchers prefering larger carcasses.

We've been down the commercial route - 50 x AAx suckler cows & 500+ Welsh mule ewes. As tenant farmers we wouldn't entertain it again, although commercial beef and sheep prices are fantastic at present. We were always at the mercy of the bidders and usually at the top end for price. Lamb prices would suddenly plummet & went to virtually nil during the 2001 F&M outbreak. Prior to that cattle prices fell dramatically when BSE began and again during the 2001 F&M outbreak.

Good luck with your commercial faming, but having been there we'll stick with our Dexters!!

Regards

Alison

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sat May 30, 2009 8:05 am

If the market plummets, so will all types of beef including dexter. The reason that prices are high at the moment, reaching £11-12 a kilo for dexter beef, is because of general price levels. If general prices go down, then everything else will follow (although there may be a time lag).

Edited By Broomcroft on 1243667179

AlisonKirk · Post by **AlisonKirk** » Sat May 30, 2009 8:51 am

Clive - Selling it via a butcher or market the price would depend on prices prevailing at that time.

Dexter beef fills a niche market. Our beef is competitively priced, with a price increase due next January, whether or not the commercial price has decreased.

Why don't you join us on Sunday 7 June? As you know we have invited Midland Group members to view Boram cattle out a grass following the AGM visit. You can see our cattle and ask all the questions you want?

Bye for now

Alison Kirk
Boram Dexters

boydd · Post by **boydd** » Sat May 30, 2009 9:13 am

Alison,

Thanks for the post, and I do agree with the tast and direct sales etc, However we run 78 cows and really dont finish the calfs, we are effectivly a dairy farm, so the calf are reared on the bucket, the problem we have is elling ther calfs and more often than not we have to take less than the holstin bull calfs,

We do pure breed for replacements, and we like them big so the milk yeald goes up.

I guess we are been gready wanting our cake and eating it too.

Post by **Mark Bowles** » Sat May 30, 2009 10:15 am

Hi boydd, are you saying you keep dexters to milk, take off the calves and bucket rear them and then sell them in the market.
I would have tought that if this were the case, although the calves have not had as good a start as those left on the mothers, that dexter fishers would be interested.
I have just paid £50 for a 8 day old male Angus X Jersey to go onto a short dexter cow who lost her calf at birth, 5 years ago the same x calf cost me £8.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sat May 30, 2009 11:08 am

Hi Boydd - Sorry if I missed it, but are you a dexter dairy? How many dexters do you use?

AlisonKirk · Post by **AlisonKirk** » Sat May 30, 2009 11:55 am

Hi Boydd - Well done you for using the Dexter as a dairy cow and fulfilling a niche market. I can fully understand why you probably need a cow with its udder well off the floor!!

In 1987 we purchased 12 AAX in-calf heifers to start a single suckling herd. We then built up to a 50 head AAX single suckling herd by buying in week old AA x Friesian heifer calves. We bucket reared them & they went on to be lovely breeding animals.

Perhaps you could rear these calves on the bucket & at 8 months sell them for breeding? They may not be registered, but I'm sure there's a market out there for them.. The bull calves, could be castrated and as Mark says sold to the numerous people who are looking to buy Dexters to finish for beef. The same could apply to the heifers.

Just keep plodding on if you are passionate about what you are doing you'll get there. Perhaps you could eventually think about cheese making?

In the Midland Group there are some very large herds, each breeder marketing their beef differently and being successful.

Good luck

Alison

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Sat May 30, 2009 12:52 pm

There must still be Dexter bulls around that have strong maternal milking genes? Why not choose a non-carrier bull from such a line?

In NZ, a lot of our foundation cows were Jerseys, so the Grade 1 and 2 cows often still have large udders. Most of our cows are non-carriers, so their teats are nowhere near the ground. In saying that, the cow with the best udder is still only waist high. (Perhaps my waist is higher than others, due to my height), but she is not a tall cow.

If you didn't mind not keeping your whole herd pure Dexter, you could try using a Jersey bull for one year and see what the heifers turn out like?

(I'll now go and wash my mouth out with soap)

After having a further think about it, isn't the quality of the milk more important than the volume? Isn't Dexter milk more creamy than a Jersey's?

ann · Post by **ann** » Sat May 30, 2009 10:25 pm

If you are still thinking about a cross, then I would suggest Welsh black, nice small calves at birth and a decent size calf at 6mths. I have just sold a 75% dexter x 25% welsh black that for reasons I will not go into that was over 36mths for nearly £800 deadweight.

I normally sell them privately and i have never had a customer complain and most of my customers have been with me years and its just pot luck if they get a box of dexter x dex x welsh black.

Ref Alison getting £9 per kilo for meat, I wish we had restaurants around here that would pay that sort of price, mind I would not be eating in them.

Three of our most expensive ones around here have just gone bust, although dexter beef is special, if your short of money its the pub doing the £6 specials that are holding there own around here

domsmith · Post by **domsmith** » Sun May 31, 2009 8:12 pm

boydd wrote:, the problem we have is elling ther calfs and more often than not we have to take less than the holstin bull calfs,

I ll buy your calves!! anytime.

dom