There is this thing that happens when you have Dexter cattle and really any kind of cows. It’s called cow math. The cows just keep multiplying and it’s all your fault.
In my Dexter journey this happens 2 ways. I got my fist Dexter cow, she had her yearling steer by her side and was pregnant. I thought cool, 3 for the price of one. Who doesn’t love a sale?
The new calf was born, another steer (not at birth but after a bit (was removed)). I know I’d have 3, but I didn’t know how much I would love being a milkmaid. I loved milking, processing the milk, and making all the fabulous dairy products. When the calf was weaned, my avocation as a milkmaid did too. No more dairy goodies and now I knew what real dairy was and I couldn’t bear to buy the junk stores have and call dairy.
I bought a second Dexter Milk Cow, with a steer by her side so I could milk year round with Spring and Fall calves. Now there were 5 cows. One steer went to freezer came and I was down to 4. Good for me. But then the new heifer calf was born and we were back up to 5.
Here I became foolish and bought a 3rd Dexter milkcow for emotional reasons. ( I did not need a 3rd Dexter Milk cow) She did not come with a calf at her side hooray. So, we were up to 6, I sold the heifer calf and we were down to 5. The new cow had a heifer calf and we were back up to 6.
It’s all my fault. I bred the cows, bought the cows. I will sell the new heifer calf and be back down to 5 but I have 2 calves due this Spring, but I will send another steer to freezer camp next month so I will stay at 6 until the 2025 Fall calf will make it 7 unless I sell 1 or both Spring calves.
Cow Math is real. So you will have to consider how you want to manage your herd size.
Sue Pollington
