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Initial Cost A Dexter cow can be much more expensive to purchase than a conventional breed. It’s that whole supply & demand thing. You can easily expect to pay about $1500-$2000 for a Dexter cow.
How much does Dexter beef sell for?
Priced at just $4/lb on hanging weight, a quarter of beef will provide you with approximately 63 lbs of high-quality beef. The average total cost is $420 plus processing.
How many acres does a Dexter cow need?
Care and requirements. Dexters don’t require a lot of living space. One to two acres will suffice, and since they’re lighter, they won’t beat up the pasture as bad. That’s important, because you don’t want their main food source trampled down.
Is Dexter cow meat good?
Dexter beef is excellent quality, with good marbling. The marbling makes the flesh tender and flavoursome . A typical carcass weighs about 145-220kg, and despite their small size, they can often achieve a killing-out percentage of well above 56%. This is due to a good ratio of meat to waste products like fat and bone.
Are Dexter cows friendly?
They were considered a rare breed of cattle, until recently, but are now considered a recovering breed by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. The Dexter breed originated in Ireland. Dexters are classified as a small, friendly, dual-purpose breed; used for milk and beef.
How much meat do you get from a Dexter cow?
A Dexter steer will weigh about 800 pounds at 18-20 months, Chambers said, and can be harvested. The carcass percentage is about 55 to 60 percent, “with some of the best beef around.” The meat is “very good,” he said, “incredibly tender.
Is Dexter beef better than Angus?
Dexter (and lowline angus) are far superior to the bigger breeds on harder sites. They produce more meat per area, but in much smaller cuts. They have far less environmental footprint, in that they are a lot lighter and less likely to damage soil. And Dexters taste REALLY good!Jul 6, 2018.
What is the life expectancy of a Dexter cattle?
Calving problems are rare and newly born calves are up on their feet very quickly. Heifers mature young and can be put to the bull at 15 – 18 months of age. Dexter’s are noted for their longevity and should breed regularly for 14 years or more.
What is the friendliest cow breed?
Highland Cow “Friendly and intelligent, they will come to you for a good scratch or to have their coats combed,” says prize-winning Highland breeder Lindsey Trees. Bred for life high in the mountains, the Highland can actually thrive even in warmer climes – they’ll naturally shed their hairy coats if it gets too balmy.
What does Dexter beef taste like?
Dexter – small, sweet and beefy Taking really well to a grass fed diet (often used for conservation grazing) Dexter’s are medium to slow growing with sweet well marbled flesh. Often quite dark Dexter beef comes to the plate with a great real beef flavour.
When should you butcher dexter cattle?
With training, Dexter cows are gentle to milk. We butcher our beeves at 30 months old. This allows for their frames to be grown and filled out.
How many Dexter cows can you have per acre?
Regardless, 1 acre is plenty of room for two cows, and you can bring in any hay you need. If you bring in hay, you’re not only getting the feed value, but also the fertility that your cows are putting down.
Are Dexter bulls aggressive?
SMD values dexter cattle that “take to” or are amenable to the role of the homestead milk cow and thereby have “good temperament”. In 15 years of breeding Dexter cattle and approaching 200 animals bred we can say with certainty we have never had a dexter that was “mean” or aggressive to humans.
What are dexter cattle good for?
Dexters are classified as a small, friendly, dual-purpose breed, used for milk and beef, but they are often listed as a triple-purpose breed, since they are also used as oxen. Management practices vary by breeder and country.
How fast do dexters grow?
Dexter’s may be finished on either grass or grain. They mature in 18 to 24 months and result in smaller cuts of high quality lean meat, graded choice, with little waste. The expected average yield is 50 to 60 percent.
How often do you milk a Dexter cow?
Dexter cows produce about 1 1/2 to 2 gallons a day of about 4 percent butterfat milk — over a full 305-day lactation-when fed for production. (Some exceptional cows can put out up to 5 gallons per day at the height of their lactation.)Dec 1, 2001.
Can you milk a Dexter cow?
Dexter cows are extremely maternal and because of their dual purpose qualities will milk well. Milk yields vary as to whether the cows are kept for dairy cows, sucklers or house cows. For instance, the average daily milk yield for a house cow will be some 8 – 10 litres (2450 – 3050 litres per 305 day lactation).
What is the average hanging weight of a Dexter cow?
Hanging weight is typically 300-350lbs. After dry-aging (hanging in a cooler) for approximately 7 to 10 days, the cut and wrapped meat weighs an average of 195- 230lbs.
How big do dexters get?
Standing 40 inches tall and weighing 700 to 900 pounds, Dexter cattle are some of the smallest cattle in the world. Although size is the breed’s most distinguishing characteristic, Dexters are a useful and productive, multi‑purpose animal.
