Dexter Cattle For Sale Discussion Board

Sue, thieves are so brazen that they take animals or whatever no matter what you do. This year I have had water troughs stolen from fields, my barn was broken into and electric fencing, generator and other small tools taken. It wasn't until I went to use my stock trailer a few weeks later that I re...

Clive, if you want to calve to grass you would be better calving in April if your grass growth is expected to 'peak' in May, a calves demand for milk is less in the first week or so than later on when it is more active. My plan is to move to January/February calving mainly because I hope to be able...

Jamie, I think you will get more pleasure showing something you have bred yourself. Anyone can 'buy' rosettes, not everyone can breed a winner. If you keep non shorts then that is what you should show. You should be pleased and proud to show your own prefix wherever you are placed, first or last. I...

I now use Denimex as their tags are more flexible than others on the market and I have found them to be superior to other tags used in the past. I have a stock of Ketchums that I have to use and seem to be replacing a few each year. I have been using Denimex for replacements for a few years now and...

Last weekend I had to put an electric fence through one of my hay fields to allow my cows to graze. Very litte regrowth on fields already grazed, and as I am on the north downs (chalk) not much chance of it now. My other hay fields are not looking particularly good, there looks to be plenty from th...

Having two classes would be a no no in my opinion, they are the same breed and there should be no division. The problem with judging is that most judges breed shorts, so are used to looking at their own cattle and will place animals better that are close to what they keep. I am not being critical o...

Sussex is now the only breed that I keep (they suit my situation better than Dexters). There are two types of Sussex, 'Modern' and 'Traditional'. The modern has been crossed with the Limousin to get extra carcass weight for todays market. The traditional is smaller by at least a couple of inches an...

Missed something from my post. The most important thing you can do is observe, look at your animals as much as you can, learn from looking at them when they are ok and when they are not. Catching signs of problems early can save a lot of money and feelings of guilt, most of us have the experience o...

I would imagine that very few suckler herds actually bother with 'dry cow therapy'. Most, like myself dry cows off naturally when cows are getting to the end of their lactation anyway. I house as late as possible depending on weather and ground conditions with the latest being between Christmas and...

Hi Beryl, I don't think I sugested that we should select through looks, although I believe most would take that into consideration. Your point about the animal that is predisposed to escape is valid though not a desirable atribute for most. The Holstien is a very good example to us all for what can...

It does not matter how you try to explain things, selection happens. Mother nature selects the strongest to survive, good stockpersons select what to breed out of. Its no good having animals that cannot walk properly, who constantly require attention, who cannot calve on their own, who don't produc...

By selection Beryl, I mean whether it can walk correctly, does not have 10 teats, the jaw is correct to enable it to eat properly and is a good representation of the breed. Your not sugesting that you do not 'select' what you breed from and what goes to the butcher are you Beryl? I understand from ...