Information on milk and dairy using Irish Dexter Cattle
There was a Raw Milk Summit in Bon Aqua, TN. Several guest speakers included politicians, local producers and Dr. Ken Berry. This video is of the organizer Dawn Gorham of The Gorham Homestead.
She has an interesting story and message for people who are trying to sell their milk thru herd shares in Tennessee. You will need to check your State Laws, but has some great advice for everyone.
Raw Milk Summit in Tennessee Read More »
Milking & Dairy
I believe that you should learn to hand milk your Dexters and other dairy animals. For me the journey was to master hand milking. I moved on to a machine after I was milking several Nubians and Dexters. My body was telling me I needed help.
I have never regretted this, as you have to strip out after the machine and I am prepared for days with no power.
Here is a podcaster from the Family Milk Cow and her perspective.
Man vs Machine When Milking a Cow Read More »
Milking & Dairy
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.
Preserving Irish Dexter Dairy and Beef Read More »
Beef Milking & Dairy
Make sure you’re collecting it!
Submitted by Katie Sears
https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/27/health/colostrum-supplements-pros-cons-wellness/index.html
Liquid Gold Trend! Read More »
Milking & Dairy
This the name used to describe chèvre cultured cow milk. Traditionally made chèvre is done with goat milk, but the process can be made with cow and sheep milk also. When made with sheep milk it is called brebis. We have experienced all three and love each of them. Give it a try and see what you think.
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF BOVRE? Read More »
Milking & Dairy
Dexters may only rank 5 in this dual-purpose breed list, but when you consider their size, they come out as number one for the small farm. Practical and versatile in being great for beef and milk. Often times people consider Dexters mini cattle, but the whole breed is naturally small with some individuals being extra small. It is interesting to note that Dexters make the list even though they are small in size and no one can discredit them for their diminutive size as though they are nothing more than a toy breed as they hold their own with the big boys.
Click the link below to read the article
Dexters are a TOP-RANKING DUAL-PURPOSE BREED Read More »
Beef
I think one of the hardest things for farmers, ranchers and homesteaders is when they need to sell something off the farm. That journey should start well before you need to sell something.
Let’s look at the model I use for selling of Dexter beef.
I share all of the information about our wonderful breed I can, on social media …especially things like, dropping the names of famous chefs that have come to appreciate the quality of our beef. I also share podcasts, articles and pictures of Dexters in the field, on the plate and in its packaging from the butcher.
So now you have some beef that will be ready to be processed in a few months and you don’t need it for your family. This is when you need to start looking for potential customers.
How to get started
The first thing you need to do is decide what you are going to sell and its value. One of the easiest ways to do this is to look at the market…check out sites like the Irish Dexter Cattlemen, Craig’s List and local social media sites. By comparing what you see on these you will be able to determine what the price point of what is selling in your area.
Things to keep in mind are is it grass-fed and grain finished or grass-fed and grass finished. The grass-fed grass finished tends to command a higher price. Another consideration is vaccinated, as more and more folks are looking for unjabbed…this is a term I see more and more. The more specialized your finished product is, the more you can ask. I say you can ask…because not every customer values that. It’s about building the clientele at this point.
Build your own customer base
Once you start to get customers, you will then need to retain them and encourage them to tell their friends. We always follow up immediately after they get their first quarter or half. Your butcher can also be a big help to you. He sees and works with a lot of different breeds and will have a much bigger customer base than you. A really good butcher is so important to your finished product and especially your yield. My butcher is wonderful about sharing what we have produced and bragging on it for us!
Not everyone knows what Dexter cattle are and that we have, well in my opinion and many of our customer’s opinion, one of best dual purpose , beef and dairy breeds. So, how do you get them to see the value of your beef and our breed? For us, it was finding like minded folks. People who were not looking for meat from the local grocery store. Someone who understood, that by buying the whole, half or quarter of the Dexter they would see an overall better value than the price of just the burger. Our burger is ancestral beef, another differential that sets us apart from many of the other farmers in our area. It includes a percentage of organ meat. This maybe valued by your customer, if they are health conscious…or maybe not important to others or even a put off, to some.
Once they have bought from you, you need to ask them when they will need more. You want to retain that customer and build on that base. If they rave about it…ask them to tell their friends and family. Word of mouth is so much less work and keeps your pipeline full. If you can’t fill their needs, find another Dexter owner who you can work with and help each other. For us, it’s about getting them to buy Dexter.
Dealing with objections
Common objects are:
I don’t know if I have enough freezer space…or how big a freezer do I need. We have many articles, videos and personal writings on the this in the IDC Gazette But the amount of beef produced is a huge selling feature, as the Dexter doesn’t give the average family, too much to deal with.
In many states they need to pay you for the Dexter and the butcher for the processing. In other states, they are done at USDA facilities and payment can be made to you including the processing. Or it can be sold as individual cuts. If selling individual cuts, more homework will need to be done determining the prices of those individual cuts. So, money can be a factor, as some will need to accrue for it unless you are selling individual cuts.
And my all time favorite objection …I need to talk to my husband or my wife…and then you hear crickets. You still need to follow up. Understanding objections can only help you hone your selling skills and prepare you for crazy objections like this last one….lol
Using the Irish Dexter Cattlemen Marketplace
I use the ad I generate using the Irish Dexter Cattlemen for selling. Why? Because it’s looks professional, I don’t have my own website and I don’t want to write a bunch of different ads.To best utilize the ad, I take a picture of it, so they have something to look at and then copy and paste the link of the ad into different social media groups and sometimes even Craig’s list. Not everyone uses social media or Craig’s list. So, by using the IDC Marketplace, I have exposure there on the website and in the FREE monthly newsletter, giving me two more vehicles for selling. By doing it this way, I only write the ad once and then copy and paste, giving it a professional and consistent look. Feed back from some of the buyers off the site have been very positive. They like that everything is in the ad…registration numbers if applicable, location, price and if it is negotiable and that they can have a private conversation.
When sharing on social media I choose local sites, as shipping, is not much of an option with cost of shipping and the need to keep it frozen. I also use the Irish Dexter Cattlemen featured post on FB and some of the cattle groups that serve my area, as it’s just not feasible for people to drive great distances for their beef.
Repetition
Just because you post something once doesn’t get it sold. People don’t typically look back through post from a week ago or a month ago. When they’re wanting to buy something they usually look back maybe a couple of days.
I suggest you post on Thursdays or Fridays and again on the weekend to get people looking at what you have available.
If you are keeping your pipeline full, and you are building your clientele, the repetition will not need to be as much. You will develop wait lists and those lists will need to be worked. Just because they’re on your waitlist doesn’t mean they’re going to buy again. You need to touch base with them periodically and keep it current because they may have decided to buy somewhere else. I find if you touch base with them monthly or every other month, you’re more likely to keep them on your list of potential buyers.
So in conclusion, the important things to remember are
Look professional.
Start to sell before your are taking your Dexter for processing.
Build up the quality of the breed and its beef….you never know you may sell breeding stock too to that beef customer.
Learn to deal with objections in a positive manner.
Remember, posting it once doesn’t get it sold.
Here is one of my favorite podcasts for educating buyers about our wonderful breed.
I sincerely hope this helps you…if you have more ideas, feel free to comment. I would love to hear some of your feedback or unique ways of selling your beef and breeding stock.
Farm Sales…A Way I Find works Read More »
Selling
Not everyone is comfortable with consuming raw milk. No need to buy an expensive pasteurizer if you have an instant pot in your kitchen. This article covers a few ways of doing pasteurization in your home. It can be done even if you don’t have the yogurt button, but it definitely makes it easier if yours does.
DID YOU KNOW AN INSTANT POT CAN PASTEURIZE YOUR RAW MILK? Read More »
Milking & Dairy
Our journey to homesteading began about five years ago. My husband and I were searching for self-sustainability, a quieter life, and a deeper connection to the land. Raised in the suburbs with every modern convenience, we only knew which grocery store had the freshest beef. That was the extent of our food sourcing knowledge.
Once we acquired our acreage, we started, as many do, with chickens. At the time, I hadn’t even considered milking animals myself, so I went looking for farm-fresh milk. I found a local source, and with it, a whole new world. We began picking up a couple of gallons each week, but it didn’t take long before we wanted to produce our own.
That’s how we ended up with Nubian goats.
I was intimidated by the idea of milking and caring for them, but goats felt less daunting than a full-sized milk cow. Still, I had always loved and admired the Dexters at pickup. Just being around them brought a peace I couldn’t explain. They were a dream, something for “someday.”
Fast forward a few years, and someday finally came.
About a month ago, we brought home our first Dexters: a heifer and a steer. And how’s it going? In a word? beautifully.
The first thing I noticed was their peaceful nature. Just being near them calms my nervous system in a way I can’t begin to describe. I’m absolutely head over heels in love. I’ve started thinning down my goat herd to make room for more Dexters in the future.
I’m learning to be a pasture and grass farmer (also moving fencing, adding pastures) all to better serve my Dexters. I’m excited to contribute to the breed by selecting strong lines and continuing the work that’s already been poured into my girl, Fiona.
Am I still intimidated by the idea of milking them? Absolutely.
Will I do it anyway and love it once the time comes? Without a doubt.
There’s still so much to learn—about pasture management, breeding, and eventually milking—but I’m ready. With the right mentors and a heart full of determination, we’ll thrive. Fiona and Chuck are home now, and so are we. This is just the beginning of a lifelong journey with Dexters, and I couldn’t be more excited to walk it one peaceful step at a time.
I’m looking forward to many years alongside this incredible breed.
Dexter Arrival: A Homesteading Dream Realized, Hayburner Acres Read More »
Homesteading
For the first time milker or the heifer that is getting milked for the first time, there are some important things to remember for success. The article below goes over some of the basics.
We have, thankfully, only had a few that were very stubborn. We found that putting the calf in front of the cow, so she can see it helps…but when nothing works…we have reverted to letting the calf nurse one side for a short time. I do say short time, as they can drain their moms with amazing speeds.
I have included photos of our calf let down gate to give you some ideas that have worked for us. You can see the calf thru the little gate on the first photo. On the second photo you see the pulley. When we need to use this system…which we thankfully have only had to a few times, we tie a rope the the gate, un hook the bungee, feed the rope thru the pulley and the whole gate goes up and down so we can quickly drop it once mom starts to let down.
MILK LET DOWN – HINTS AND TRICKS Read More »
Milking & Dairy
In Germany, a new wave of farm-to-table convenience is flowing through vending machines — quite literally. Across rural towns and even urban neighborhoods, you’ll find self-serve milk vending machines that dispense fresh, unprocessed milk straight from local farms. Open 24/7, these machines let customers refill their own bottles with creamy, cold milk at any time of day, reducing packaging waste and shortening the distance between farm and consumer.
Typically placed at the edge of dairy farms, village centers, or community markets, these vending machines are restocked daily with milk collected directly from the cows. Customers simply insert a coin or swipe a card, place their bottle under the nozzle, and watch as fresh milk fills it up — often still warm from the morning’s milking, or chilled for instant use.
Many stations also provide reusable glass bottles for purchase, encouraging zero-waste habits. Some even display details about the farm, the cows’ diet, and the time of last milking — giving full transparency in a world often disconnected from food sources.
These milk stations are more than just a novelty — they’re a return to tradition with a modern twist. By cutting out the middlemen and minimizing processing, Germany’s milk vending machines support small farmers, reduce emissions, and give people access to wholesome, local dairy with the push of a button.
Credit: Organic living
Milk dispensers in Germany…interesting …wonder what breeds of cattle are behind this. Read More »
Milking & Dairy
After a small sampling from one herd, it appears that the Dexter breed does have this highly inheritable genetic marker. It appears that the marker is found in those cows with the most milk production. This makes total sense, as they refer to the genetic marker as found in most easy keeping cattle.
Unfortunately no bulls were part of the initial testing and semen is not able to be tested for this marker.
So, now that we know the marker is there for the Dexter breed and that it seems to be in cows with most milk…we need more folks to test. It has been suggested that it maybe easy to get a few drops at ear tagging time and a simple tail stick for the older ones.
If you would like more information on how to get your herd tested, please reach out to the Irish Dexter Cattlemen and we will help you get started. It requires only a few drops of blood on a Tenet card sampler. The card is then sent of for sequencing.
It takes 5 days to get to the lab and 10-30 days for the sequencing to happen after being received. They send your your results by email. Pretty simple procedure.
The thing that was most interesting was it was found in the cows with the most milk production. How cool would it be to be able to predict possibly milk production and beef tenderness? Duality!
In case, you need to brush up on this. Below is the podcast that started this adventure. This is NOT the Neogen testing that has been happening by a group of Dexter breeders.
This article written in Gloucestershire on 27th March 1986 represents a long memorable chapter of the pages in History of Dexter cattle. The Dexter in this article is being noted as truly dual purposed, possessing fine quality small joints of beef, all the while being able to suckle two calves at once and raise 8 commercial calves in one year. This all seems an even more amazing feat when you consider one of the cows being spoke of was 34 inches. Thirty-four inches, how many Dexters today meet these amazing statistics? This article when I compared to other historical information sites a higher average milk production than some historical amounts in Dexters that I have seen at 4.5 gallons per day. This figure is not rare by any means but not necessarily a given rate with some Dexters producing a bit less.
Dexters are being stated as being small and valuable for grazing under plum trees so as not to damage the trees. At the time of this article, Dexters are listed on the Rare Breed Survival Trust, but are no longer being listed as endangered as they once were prior to the articles printing. When we consider today with so many pedigree Dexters in great numbers it is hard for many to believe that Dexetrs were once so rare. But yet how many rare Jems are left like the Dexters being mentioned from these days, just back in 1986? Perhaps the Dexter of 1986 is rarer than we think.
SMALL CATTLE CARRY AWAY BIG HONORS Read More »
Historical
This was fabulous…while I made it with goats milk…I could have made it with Dexter milk, but I had it already made from goat.
Don’t skip the rinsing or it will be too salty
Sure to impress you with chips, pita, sourdough bread…….
I use a version of the recipe below to make feta as well….bon appetite!
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/1273-whipped-feta-dip
Feta dip from cows milk feta…easy and quick! Read More »
Homesteading
A CONVERSATION ABOUT PERCEIVED VALUE:
A customer asked me how much it would cost for a gallon of raw milk .
I gave them a price of $15/gallon.
The customer responded: That’s seems really high.
I asked: What do you think is a reasonable price for this?
The customer answered: $4 maximum
I responded: Ok, then I invite you to do it yourself.
The customer answered: I don’t know how to.
I responded: Alright, then how about for $4/gallon, I’ll teach you how to. So besides saving you $11, you’ll learn valuable skills that will benefit you in the future.
The customer answered: Sounds good! Let’s do it!
I responded: Great! To get started, you are going to need some things. You will need a cow (≈$3000), 45# of dry matter quality feed A DAY, feeders, waterers, an area to let her be a cow, a shelter, a clean area to milk, a milking machine or supplies to hand milk into, preferably electricity for this indoor area and heated water, countless gallons of water, fencing to contain this cow, etc.
Not to mention, there is a very real possibility that your single cow gets sick and doesn’t produce, a bull or someone to AI her because no pregnancy, no milk. Injury, illness, and unexpected weather conditions are always present. Now, you are back to square 1 if she doesn’t breed, dries up, get sick, or dies.
The customer answered: But I don’t have any of those things and I can’t justify buying all of these for a gallon of milk.
I responded: Ok. Well then for an additional $11/gallon, I can rent my supplies, building, and supply hay/grain/minerals/pasture to you.
The customer answered: Okay. That’s fair.
I responded: Great! We will start the project on Monday.
The customer answered: I work Monday through Friday. I’m only available on the weekends.
I responded: If you want to learn from me then you will need to work when I work. We milk everyday, 2x day, so you will need to be here at least 2 hours every morning and every night year round.
The customer answered: That means I’m going to have to sacrifice a lot of my time!
I responded: That’s true. Remember, when you do a job yourself you need to account for unproductive factors.
The customer answered: What do you mean by that?
I responded: Milking a cow doesnt just take a couple hours morning and night. It takes time to muck out her area, town trips to pick up cleaning supplies/teat dip, trucking for hay. It takes time to bottle the milk cleanly, it takes jars, it takes more cleaning of equipment and facility, it takes wear and tear on your milking equipment and feeding equipment. And thats all on top of your other chores/responsibilities.
So we will see you Monday morning, 6 am.
The customer answered: At 6am?!! My work day doesn’t usually start until 8am!
I responded: A cow thrives on a set schedule, milking 2x day should be as close to 12 hours apart as can be, so if you want to start later, that’s ok. But you will need to come back in the evening after your full day of work and milk again at that time, so if you want to start at 8 am, you will milk again at 8 pm. After clean up and bottling milk… you can head home around 10 pm. Saturday and Sunday included. Blizzards or 100 F. No days off here.
The customer answered: You know, I’m realizing that a lot more goes in to quality food than what a customer sees in the finished project. Your proposal of $15/gallon is very reasonable. I would like you to milk and have it ready for me to just pick up..
CONCLUSION:
When you pay for a job, especially a custom job, (whether it’s a physical project or digital project or GROWING AND RAISING FOOD) you pay not only for the material and the work to be completed. You also pay for:
✔️ Knowledge
✔️ Experience
✔️ Custom Skills
✔️ Tools
✔️ Time to plan
✔️ Time to prepare
✔️ Professionalism
✔️ Work Ethic
✔️ Excellence
✔️ Discipline
✔️ Commitment
✔️ Integrity
✔️ Taxes
✔️ Licenses
✔️ Sacrifices
✔️ Liabilities
✔️ Insurance
If you desire fresh, healthy, locally grown food, please don’t disrespect a farmer by trying to get them to lower their prices.
If their proposal exceeds your budget, there’s nothing wrong with going elsewhere.
Just remember.. you get what you pay for.
👉🏼 FARMERS: Know your worth and be confident in it.
👉🏼 CONSUMERS: Recognize their worth and be respectful of it.
Sharing this to support all my friends, family and clients who are Farmers, Entrepreneurs, Business Owners and Tradesman.
-Unknown and edited
Perceived value ….true for dexter milk, beef and breeding stock Read More »
Selling
REPRODUCTION AND AI
For those interested in learning more about the bovine reproductive cycle and how we manipulate it, here is a basic summary.
Bovine Estrous Cycle Physiology
The bovine estrous cycle typically consists of 21 days, plus or minus a few days in each direction. Estrus is the period where the cow is receptive to the male or in a standing heat (not to be confused with estrous). Estrus (or heat) typically lasts around 20 hours. Signs of estrus include vocalizing, standing to be mounted, clear discharge from the vulva, increased activity, etc. During the period of estrus, progesterone is low and estrogen is high. Luteinizing hormone (LH for short) also increases during estrus and is the hormone that initiates ovulation. Ovulation is the release of an ovum or egg from the ovary. Ovulation actually occurs 10-15 hours after the end of estrus, in a period called metestrus. Metestrus lasts 3 to 5 days. During this period, an early corpus luteum (CL) is also forming. So where did this CL come from? It came from ovulation! When the ovary releases an egg, the left over structure on the ovary becomes the CL. During metestrus, you may notice a slightly bloody discharge from her vulva. Progesterone is still low during this period but it is starting to rise. The growing CL is actually what is producing the progesterone, and as it grows in size and maturity will be able to produce more progesterone.
As the CL continues to mature, we enter the phase of diestrus. At this point progesterone is high and this period lasts about 12 days.
Next up is proestrus. At this point in the cycle, the CL is regressing and progesterone is decreasing. Estrogen and LH do not like progesterone. They cannot increase until progesterone is low which is why they are increasing at this point as the CL is regressing. Estrogen and LH are increasing and getting the egg on the ovary ready to be released. Then the cycle starts all over again with estrus!
So basically, during heat LH initiates the egg to be released and the leftovers become a structure called a CL that produces progesterone. That CL will grow and produce more progesterone but will eventually fade away. This allows estrogen and LH to increase again and produce another egg.
In order to maintain a pregnancy, there must be a functioning CL. The high progesterone from the CL is what keeps the fetus from being aborted for the first few weeks.
Disclaimer: This is a very basic summary on the estrous cycle. There are other things going on (follicular waves, etc.) but in an effort to simplify things this includes only the major details.
Medications used to change the estrous cycle
Using medications to change the estrous cycle is super common. It can be used for synchronizing a herd to breed them at the same time, using a timed AI approach, or implanting embryos.
Lutalyse or PG: This medication lyses or destroys a CL. Because it gets rid of a CL, it also causes progesterone to decrease.
CIDR: This is an intravaginal device with slowly releasing progesterone. This will increase progesterone in the blood and stop LH and estrogen from increasing.
GnRH also known as Fertagyl or Factrel: This causes an LH surge and thus ovulation.
You’ll hear a lot that lutalyse will bring a cow into heat. While this can be true, it depends on where she’s at in the cycle. If it’s during diestrus where she has a mature CL, great! The CL will lyse, estrogen and LH will rise and then ovulation. If she is in metestrus or proestrus, lutalyse will do nothing for a young maturing or a regressing CL and she will not go back into heat any faster.
There’s many different AI protocols and what works best for you will depend on your cow, labor intensity desire, and cost.
Let’s start with AI on a natural heat. There’s a common AM PM rule when it comes to inseminating cattle. The rule basically states that when a cow comes into heat she should be AI’d 12 hours later. So she is in standing heat in morning, then AI in the evening and vice versa. If we think back to the estrous cycle, this makes sense. Estrus lasts about 20 hours and ovulation occurs 10-15 hours after the end of estrus. Cows typically come into standing heat around the middle of estrus. Let’s say hour 10. So then I would AI at hour 22. The cow should ovulate between hours 30 and 35. You don’t want to AI at the time of ovulation because the sperm have to go through a process before they can fertilize an egg. That process takes several hours. Early AI tends to lead to higher quality embryos but less of them for this reason. Whereas later AI can lead to higher chances of embryos but not great quality so lesser chance of an actual pregnancy. How long sperm last depends on the bull, extender used, and sexed vs conventional. Conventional should last about 24 hours. (Although I’ve played around with semen before and have had it last about 3 days in the fridge.) Sexed will last a little less than that so sometimes people with sexed semen will wait more like 16 hours vs 12 to account for that.
For timed AI…
Double ovsynch can be very useful for high producing first lactation dairy cows. It has about a 10% higher conception rate compared to regular ovsynch. That 10% difference is a little bit less as the cow gets older. The difference of double ovsynch from regular ovsynch is that you are presynchronizing the cow prior to AI to make sure she is at the ideal part of her cycle. For older cows, there’s also some evidence that 2 lutalyse injections 24 hours apart increases conception rates. The 2 injections basically make sure the CL is completely regressed. However, cons to the double ovsynch over regular is that it takes twice as long, more labor, and more drugs are used therefore increasing cost.
Ovsynch does not work as well in heifers. For heifers, I’m partial to 5 day CIDR. I included charts for double ovsynch, regular ovsynch, and 5 day CIDR.
For the girls that have a history of being more difficult to breed, I’ll always give a GNRH injection at time of breeding and AI again 12 hours later. I’ll also check the sperm. Just recently got a batch of brand new straws that only had 10% progressive motility.
I know that was a bunch of information to throw at everyone, so if you have any questions feel free to ask
or check out this site, which was used to write this article https://extension.psu.edu/timed-ai-protocols-double-ovsynch
A milk journey from Sweet Briar Farm Submitted by Janelle Soja
https://discover.texasrealfood.com/dexter-cattle/preparing-your-dexter-cow-for-milking
Preparing Your Dexter Cow For Milking Read More »
Milking & Dairy
Many may not know that the Dexter at one time was known to have milking properties of equal merit as the Kerry, a known dairy breed, though they are a dual-purpose breed. Mr. R Tait Robertson was to of said ” The milking properties of both breeds may be said to be of about equal merit”. Who is R. Tait Robertson? He is the son of James Robertson, of whom bred or collected a large portion of the foundation Dexters sold to England and other places. He was an influential breeder. For an interesting photo reference of the amazing similarities of Dexter and Kerry cattle see Aicme Check (Dexter cow) and Greenah Florah 2nd (Kerry cow). I did not have to hunt far and wide to find examples that looked closely related. All I had to do is go to the 1901 Herd book and find the only available photos of an example Kerry and Dexter cow. And by the way note the classic white Dexter udder marking on the Kerry cow as this was a common Kerry trait feature too. Nose to nose as you can see in the photo comparison they do look quite alike.
Historically looking at the Dexter milk properties! Read More »
Historical
This is an interesting article on how people are returning to the old ways and using more and more of their processed beef. Healthier alternatives are growing in your pastures!
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/08/cowmaxxing-wellness-cow-tallow/683826
How much of your Dexter do you use? Read More »
Beef
The influence of feeding either hay or silage on amounts of various milk components was investigated. – Submitted by Riley Wohlgemuth
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0958694621000522
Does feeding hay positively affect milk composition? Read More »
Milking & Dairy
Many uses for your fromage blanc cheese From crowd-pleasing entrées to decadent desserts, find and try some of the best Fromage Blanc recipes around the internet here!
11 Best Fromage Blanc Recipes Read More »
Milking & Dairy
Enjoy this video from 1949 to see what a common herd of Dexters may have looked like at that time. It would be interesting to see what observations new people to the breed would take away from the video if they were to compare them to many Dexters now available for purchase.
Understanding where Your Dexters came from will Give you a vision for their future. Read More »
Historical
Here is a simple video that shows you how to make soap from tallow…you can replace the water part with milk or 50% milk and 50% water. Go ahead give it a whirl…your skin will love it!
That tallow and milk is perfect for soap! Read More »
Homesteading
Poor Man’s Cow to Luxury Cow
How did the Poor Man’s Cow become owned by the wealthy and famous. Dexters and Kerry Cattle became recognized for their unique hardy attributes, Kerry for milk and Dexter for milk and meat. Dexters were known to get by on less, produce rich milk and raise a healthy vigorous calf for their owner’s table. Dexters were bred to their breed specific traits transforming them from just any poor Irish cows to these 2 beautiful, registered Dexter cows we see in these two later photos.
They were rare and they were at risk of being cross bred out of existence, but breeders in Ireland started selecting and registering Dexter cattle with breed defining traits to preserve and register them in a herd book. Once the promotion of Dexters began every wealthy aristocrat wanted one. All of a sudden, they were not the Poor Man’s cow but rather for a short spell until the numbers grew, cattle that only the wealthy could afford. Consider as this article states a $200 dollar Dexter cow from 1915. This is the equivalent of $6221.78. I checked multiple inflation calculators to verify that number as being correct. With the highest price the ad mentions at $350 in 1915, you would pay $10,936.81 today! Consider today we pay less for quality breeding stock. Rarity always drives the price up and just like with the rarity of gold it dictates the price.
Registered cows were important then and today. Registered Dexters will always hold a higher value than unregistered. Still with Dexters it took devoted breeders to breed Dexters according to the Dexter Standard to the highest quality like the 2 cows you see in the photographs. Not every Dexter cow was nearly as ideal as these two beauties. Compton Daphne, I speculate is a Chondro Carrier while Grinstead Watercress I speculate to be a non-carrier. Of course, we can never go back and test them so it’s just speculation. Both are extremely well bred and both fit the standard well.
So, as you can see Dexters are a dual-purpose breed that can be bred by multiple types of people regardless of fortune because they are a great pick for everyone. Whether you’re a small homesteader trying to save money with a thrifty headache free cow or someone who just wants to raise them as beautiful lawn mowers true Dexters are a great fit for these reasons and so many more!
30 Jan 1915 is the date of article written.
Photo of cattle in town are common type of Celtic cow that roamed Ireland.
Other two photos are of registered Dexters.
Dexters – Poor Man’s Cow to Luxury Cow By Danielle Lowther Read More »
Historical
Mike Baker describes features of market readiness for both finished and unfinished beef and dairy crosses.
Determining the Market Readiness of Beef Cattle Read More »
Beef Herd Health
