# Dexter Vs. Jersey



## CoffeeCow (Oct 28, 2012)

Hey, 
 I frequent the goat section here, but we are interested in getting a couple of cows when we move. We are getting 40 acres, so room for a few cows is not a problem. 
We want to have a milk cow for the family, as well as raise a few calves for beef, again just for our family of four. we want a smaller more gentle breed that produces good milk and good beef.

I have done a little research and I think we have it narrowed down to either Jerseys or Irish Dexters. (we have an Irish red white setter, so the dexters would fit the theme lol)
So, I would like to hear from someone that has experience with one or both breeds that can tell me first hand how the milk and beef is from each breed. as well as temperament and mothering abilities. 

Thanks guys.


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## Royd Wood (Oct 28, 2012)

Oh you need Dexters for milk and beef
I know a few on here have Jerseys for milk and got them well trained for milking but they can be quite snotty when they want and some are just nasty and Jersey bulls are one of the worst. 

Jersey = lots of beautiful milk and cream but no good for beef.
Dexter = prob enough milk for a family of 4 and to feed a calf, very good for beef - can dress at 450 - 500 lb on average and if halter trained young can be softies -easy to handle.
If it was me then I would try and get some calves 6 - 8 months old that have been halter broke and work with them. Get them pregnant around 15 - 16 months with AI. Handle them daily brushing and rubbing.
Dont forget to make sure they have been dehorned ( I dont like horns - Your choice though)
Good luck and hopefully others will help with milking advice as I dont milk any these days just Galloway beef


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## Cricket (Oct 28, 2012)

AHEM!  I milk on a mostly Jersey farm and had a Jersey as a family cow when kids were still home.  While it is true that you can get kicky heifers, they can also be the sweetest cow you could ask for.  And the steers are VERY good eating (Royd, I am not going to get into the beef vs dairy here, but I'd rather eat a Jersey than milk a Galloway!).

I have no experience with Dexters, but was also interested at one point.  I had a few questions about raising them in MY area:  how hard would it be to find a bull for breeding and how well do they do with AI?  If I'm going to be milking twice a day, I think I'd rather have a larger amount of milk to raise calves, pigs, and help out with chicken feed.  I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I'd rather have a straight dairy cow and a straight beef cow rather than a multi purpose breed.  Think it boils down to personal preference, as I love Jerseys and have never even seen a Dexter in real life.

Have fun researching!  Cattle are great to have around.


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## Bossroo (Oct 28, 2012)

Jersies take a lot more $$$s and time to finish for meat compared to a beef type animal.  The Jersy cow produces a lot more butterfat in their milk than most other dairy breeds.  However they do not produce the volume of milk that a Horlstein will. The Jersy bull is one of the most dangerous animals for a small farm.


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## CoffeeCow (Oct 29, 2012)

We weren't planning on getting a bull, We will try the AI approach.
The children are still very young, so we are planning on getting young calves and raising them around the kids.  I know that means a long time before we can get milk, but I think it will be better to have a few great milk cows as opposed to a mean one that is a pain to milk.


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## neener92 (Oct 29, 2012)

I have one jersey milk cow, only had her for a few weeks and I LOVE her to death! She does have an attitude sometimes but she is still young (2 years). I bought her with her three week old bull calf. She was born on a dairy and raised by a family as a pet, then bought by the people I got her from (they said they got her too hastily, and without knowing how much attention and space a cow needs).

I currently pen her calf at night and milk her in the morning then the calf gets to spend all day with her. I don't plan on butchering the calf, we have beef cattle for that and I personally think he is way too cute to eat. My father wants to buy him from me and butcher him, he says the butterfat from jersey cow milk makes the beef much more delicious.

It would definitely take longer for a jersey calf to grow to butcher weight, perhaps breeding your cow to a meat breed would help with the calf growing a little faster and having more muscle.


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## animalfarm (Oct 29, 2012)

Cricket said:
			
		

> AHEM!  I milk on a mostly Jersey farm and had a Jersey as a family cow when kids were still home.  While it is true that you can get kicky heifers, they can also be the sweetest cow you could ask for.  And the steers are VERY good eating (Royd, I am not going to get into the beef vs dairy here, but I'd rather eat a Jersey than milk a Galloway!).
> 
> I have no experience with Dexters, but was also interested at one point.  I had a few questions about raising them in MY area:  how hard would it be to find a bull for breeding and how well do they do with AI?  If I'm going to be milking twice a day, I think I'd rather have a larger amount of milk to raise calves, pigs, and help out with chicken feed.  I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I'd rather have a straight dairy cow and a straight beef cow rather than a multi purpose breed.  Think it boils down to personal preference, as I love Jerseys and have never even seen a Dexter in real life.
> 
> Have fun researching!  Cattle are great to have around.


This is a non debate. I have Jerseys and Galloways and wouldn't give up either. However,  a Jersey cow with a Galloway bull produces a great beef calf; better then the straight Jersey or Galloway. Quite surprising and you can milk the heifers if you want too. You can also milk the Galloway cows so I say get a Jersey cow and breed to a Galloway and have it all. Any breed of cow has their fair share of loopy ones, but both Jerseys and Galloways can be very nice to have around. I don't know squat about Dexters so cannot comment on them.


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## Cricket (Oct 29, 2012)

That's good to know, as I'd been told that a Galloway calf would be too big for a Jersey.  It seems as though it would be easier to find a weanling bull G. than it has been finding a young heifer.  They are not common in my area, esp the non-belted.

Coffecow, I think there's some drawbacks to starting off with a calf, but it's the way I'd go if I were you.  It will give you time to get comfortable with her and by the time she calves you'll know how to handle her.  Good luck!

Have you found a Dexter breeder you can visit?  That would probably help a lot.  Jerseys have a lot of variations in their appearance and size.


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## Royd Wood (Oct 29, 2012)

A Galloway calf out of a Galloway averages around 70 to 85lb with rapid growth (rare to be any bigger but has been known - worst I heard was 120lb ouch)
A Galloway / Jersey cross on Jersey milk sounds like a good combo


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## Karenp (Feb 11, 2013)

I had the same choice to make and went with the Dexters. I have a deposit down, but haven't picked up my heifer yet. The deciding factor was that the most expensive Dexters were still cheaper than the cheapest Jerseys. Also the Dexter milk has a smaller protein (more like goats milk) which is supposed to make it more digestible. You have some great Dexter breeders in NC. Contact Beaver Tree Farms, he has lots of info on Dexters.


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## goodhors (Feb 11, 2013)

We got our Dexter heifer from a breeder.  He had milked her mother, but found it to 
be difficult because she was so "close to the ground", though she was about 46" high.
He could only use a bowl to milk into, had to empty that into a bucket.  The other issue 
was his height, over 6ft, all legs, so he had to really fold down to get her milked.

He crossed this pure Dexter cow to a Jersey bull (for smaller calving, big milk production) and 
now uses the crossbred cow for his milker for the family.  She produces more milk than the Dexter
did, done once a day, calf on the rest of the time.  She is leggier, so easier to milk, can use a bucket
under her, more comfortable for him to work on.  She stands a bit taller, maybe 48", slightly different
body style than the Dexter, higher udder.  He said she gave plenty of milk for their family, with wife 
making cheese, yogurts, other milk products and supplying children with drinking milk.

He said the Dexter cow did OK as a milker, but just a lesser quantity and more work for him to 
get that milk because she was so short.  Dexters do seem to keep a very nice udder, no sagging or
teats on the ground like older dairy breeds can get.  I saw a 15 year old Dexter cow, calf every year, with 
a lovely udder, equal to a 3yr old Dexter cow standing near her.

Looking at our heifer, if I would think of milking her, we would need a platform so I was not seated
on the floor!  If I had small, milking cows, a platform for milking like goats use would be a 
necessity.  You have to see the udder to know you got it clean, see what you are doing with bucket, 
and you don't want a hoof in the face if she gets mad while you are sitting on the floor!  Much easier
to milk if not all bent over. 

Back to the crossbred Dexter/Jersey cow, she produces EXCELLENT calves, all bulls so far.  So they had
gone into meat and were quite tasty according to him.  He showed me one of her calves who was 
ready to go, looked like the local Grand Champ Steer at the Fair.  Just a lovely animal, well
muscled, but only about 700 pounds on the hoof.  HOWEVER he was ready at about 16 months, 
on mostly pasture and hay.  Smaller amount of corn fed for fat in the meat to give flavor and tenderize.
Owner breeds her back Dexter to keep calves small, doesn't need another milk cow.

Our pure Dexter heifer was even smaller than the two animals above, about 42", at about 18 months.  I 
never planned to milk her, just raise calves.  My mother thought I MUST milk her, she is a COW, all that
FRESH milk!!  So my looking at the milking platform and other obstacles in my height, cow height, 
got brought up as reason I didn't WANT to be milking.  Also didn't want to be tied down to the cow, since
we attend horse shows fairly often.  I KNOW about milking, how to do it right, after working at that job 
during High School.  It is work!  

So if OP can find a crossbred Dexter/Jersey cow or heifer to raise, you could be real happy with it!  Around here any
young heifers bred that way sell well FAST and fetch good money.  Seems to be a golden cross for the hand
milkers, Amish folks that don't do commercial production.

I totally agree, you want the horns OFF your dairy cows you work with daily.  Horns can do a LOT of 
damage to things.  Dehorn early, less messy.  Dexters do come polled, hornless, if you look for them.


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## animalfarm (Feb 11, 2013)

Another plus for the Jersey cow/ Galloway B. cross. Galloways are polled. No horns.


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## goodhors (Feb 12, 2013)

But the Jersey, Guernsey breeds are ALWAYS horned, so using one
side polled in a cross bred animal, can still get you a calf needing horn 
removal.

There are Purebred Dexter lines now with polled heads, if you look
for them.  Good choice if you want to stay with purebred animals.

I just want the OP to have hornless animals for safety, whether the 
animal is born and bred hornless, or if they get horns removed. Cows
are cattle, will use horns instinctively if left on.


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## Royd Wood (Feb 12, 2013)

Not if you use a Galloway bull 
The poll is so strong you dont get any horns ever when you cross any type of cow with a Galloway bull
Some folk out there believe horned Hereford and Dexter were bred with Galloway bulls to give the polled Hereford / Dexters - Thats just talk by the way - I dont know if there is any truth in that at all


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