Cattle Worth More than Diamonds
A good read on the current cattle market trends. Understand the market so you can adjust your sales prices and purchases for maximum yield.
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Farm Managementbeef
Information on Irish Dexter beef
Corned Beef Recipe
St. Patricks Day is coming up, and what better way to celebrate the day than with some home cooked, Dexter corned beef! The link below is to a recipe I’ve been using for several years with great success. Corning is a traditional way of curing beef meat. It does take time, so you want to give yourself 5-7 days. This recipe does not use curing (also called pink) salt so it is nitrate free. You can add beets if you’d like the traditional color, or leave them out for just as tasty (though less colorful) corned beef.
https://www.growforagecookferment.com/how-to-make-corned-beef/
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Beef
Fake Meat Dangers Submitted by Donna Grace
World’s most toxic meat, did they trick you?
Fake Meat Dangers Submitted by Donna Grace Read More »
Homesteading
Getting Dexters is like eating chips, you can’t just have one!!! Written By Shelley Hatfield Whippoorwill Pines Farm
I kinda want to go back to the beginning. We are getting several new Dexter owners and several people asking questions. So I will post some articles on getting started. These articles aren’t necessarily directed to Dexter cattle in particular, but the basics are the same.
First of all, you do need to decide what you are wanting to do with your Dexters. Since they are a dual purpose breed, you need to decide the most important thing you are wanting out of these cattle. I’m not saying this has to be forever, but you do need to decide what your main goal is for raising these cattle. Then you can go from there later on. Secondly, you need to decide what your property will hold. This is VERY important. In this you need to decide which direction your farm is going, grass fed, mostly grass fed with some grain, or grain fed. It may seem overwhelming at first, but just take one thing at a time. You can change your mind as you go and see what works for your farm and what doesn’t. Don’t get overwhelmed!!
Next a good water source will be needed. Either by running lines, running hoses, putting in automatic waterers. Cows need a good grass source and good clean water. Some people let their cows use their ponds. That is fine as long as the pond doesn’t have a run off. Cows can also damage a pond by pushing in the dirt as they stand in it and filling it back up. Unless you have a deep pond.
Another thing that I have found to be very important is to have ample equipment for holding them. You need a good chute. It doesn’t always have to be a fancy set up. If you can afford one that is great, but you need a good head chute. You can make an alley way to it with panels or fencing. A good head chute is vital to being able to inspect or service your cattle.
A good mentor is very very helpful!!! Find someone who has raised cattle, particularly Dexters and learn everything you can from them. Our website will be very helpful in that area. You can find other Dexter owners. We also have lots of information that is helpful, in several different areas.
Beef Production Strategies
Ruminants have a unique digestive system that allows them to better utilize energy
Beef Production Strategies Read More »
Herd Health
McDonald’s and Syngenta Team Up.
Reducing the need for feed means fewer methane emissions, which is attractive to companies like McDonald’s
McDonald’s and Syngenta Team Up. Read More »
Beef
Hybird Meat May Gain Ground!
Hybrid products that combine actual meat with veggies or pea protein could become a thing
Hybird Meat May Gain Ground! Read More »
Beef
Preserving irish dexter dairy & beef
By Eliena Bodtke, Stay’N Put Farm
Since many of us are homesteaders or practice some kind of preserving, I thought I would take a moment to discuss an alternative to canning, pressure canning and dehydrating.
Are you scratching your head, thinking where is she going with this?
Consider freeze drying. While the initial cost seems daunting, it really is an excellent way to preserve your Dexter milk, yogurts, cheeses, colostrum and beef for 25 YEARS! Think about when you’re over loaded with one veggie or another during gardening season. The veggies, herbs or eggs when they are abundant, can be frozen and put into the freeze dryer anytime. We still can and pressure can, but this gives us a whole new option.
We purchased a medium Harvest Right about a year and half ago and have been amazed at all the things we can preserve….it is less time consuming and in our opinion, and better quality product in many cases.
Canning of dairy is frowned upon by the USDA and in some cases consider unsafe, although people do it. Freeze drying on the other hand, processes the dairy at lower temperatures and therefore does not pasteurize it…so if raw is your goal, it is good alternative. If you pasteurize, you still follow the same method. We pour a quart of milk on each tray and let the machine do its thing. We have done it both with cream in and cream out…the choice is yours. We find it needs to be blended when reconstituted, or another favorite is dry in our coffee, just like coffee creamer!
If you’re into selling, freeze dried milk and other products can be a good source income. Take a look at the price of powdered milk in the store! It is not uncommon to see freeze dried milk for $30-40 a gallon. Let’s clarify this. One gallon of freezer dried milk reconstituted into one gallon of drinkable milk…almost quadruples in price.
And don’t forget your Dexter beef! Consider this scenario….you have some cuts left from your last processing and you would really like to eat it before you get into the next one. Well, freeze dry it and then you have preserved it for 25 years. It makes great gifts, as it is so light to ship.
How do you use this freeze dried beef? We like to pour some of our Dexter bone broth over it. Let it sit in refrigerator over night and then use it in the next day or so. The beef will only absorb as much broth as it can. It doesn’t get mushy, which can happen with veggies. Cook with it like you usually do.
Hope this article helps you on your farm, ranch or homestead. I just love this technology and thought I would share.
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Milking & Dairy
Bone Broth: Nature’s Collagen Supplement Submitted By Donna Grace
Bone broth elevates dishes with rich flavor and nutritional value
https://miniature-cattle.com/documents/bone-broth-collagen_mercola.pdf
Bone Broth: Nature’s Collagen Supplement Submitted By Donna Grace Read More »
Beef Homesteading
Keep Your Cowherd Healthy This Winter
Keeping your cattle healthy during the stress of colder winter temperatures is easy.
https://www.beefmagazine.com/cattle-health/how-to-keep-your-cowherd-healthy-this-winter
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Herd Health
Explaining the Beef Cattle Industry
Raising cows, but spending way too much money on them
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Selling
Endangered Animals
The earth’s sixth mass extinction is happening right now
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BeefDo you need lots of acres to raise beef cattle? By Shelley Hatfield- WP Farm
Do you need lots of acres to raise beef cattle? The answer is absolutely not! But you will need to be a little more prepared than farms who have several acres. You will need to have sturdier fences for one thing. Farms with several hundred acres have room for the cows to roam so they aren’t as likely to get out. I’m not saying they don’t ever get out on large farms but it is not as often. Smaller farms, the cows don’t have the room to roam. You need to make sure that your outer perimeter fencing is strong and tight. That can be barbed wire, woven wire, or the combination of both. This will keep you and your neighbors in good standing….lol
Land is the second thing that I want to talk about. With Dexters it doesn’t take as much as with “full sized” cows. It is 1.5-2 acres per TWO cow/calf pair of Dexters. But that doesn’t mean that you can stick them on any ole grass and they will grow well. You have to maintain your pastures. That is what I’m in the process of doing myself. I’m working to get my pastures into regenerative grazing. Which will help with how well my pastures stay.
Thirdly, you will need hay, which is something that all cattle farmers need usually. Unless you are in some states that you can grow it year round. But you need to make sure that you have good healthy hay. That is important for the health of your cows. You don’t want them to get sick.
One last thing, keeping your animal healthy is an overall, big or little farm, thing you need to do. I think as a small farm it is easier to keep a watch on things than a big farm. You have a more intimate relationship with your Dexters when you don’t have 100s to keep an eye on.
I am a small farm with not alot of acres, that is why I chose the Dexters at first. But as time as went on, they are so much more that good for small farms. But that is for another time.
So in conclusion, you don’t need acres and acres of land to raise beef cattle. You just need to make sure what you have is the best that it can be.
Do you need lots of acres to raise beef cattle? By Shelley Hatfield- WP Farm Read More »
Beef
Selling Dexters by Sue Pollington
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
Selling Dexters by Sue Pollington Read More »
Farm Management Selling