Dexter Cattle

[farmerjan]

I would go visit more than one farm before I made any decisions.

 

[The Farming Carpenter]

I have reached out to other farms within 250 miles, but no one has gotten back to me yet.
But that is my plan.

Thanks,
Larry

 

[misfitmorgan]

OK, so I went and visited one of the farms listed. The Dexter's look pretty good. The only concern was the mom cow was wheezing a little, but it might have been the heat. They are asking $3300.00 for three. Momma cow, one of her heifers', and her latest steer from this year. Not sure if that's to high, or about average. I asked a lot of local farmers and it was about 60-40 split. Most said it was about right. What is the opinions out there? She is registered and they are willing to get the off spring registered. Thanks, They are not a common cow for RI. That is the main reason why I want to offer a different meat around here.

Larry

For our area that is a good deal. Our cow calf pairs of cross/mix bred with no papers are $1,400-$1,800 and that just the Cow and one calf. Single breed dairy without papers is $1,500-3,000 and single breed beef without papers is $3,000-$4,000 and those are all just cow/calf pair. So for us that price is perfectly reasonable and actually cheap for a single breed with papers.

Prices vary GREATLY around the country for all livestock so my good/cheap price here might not be the same for you. The other aspect is you don't eat papers, no one local to us gives a fig if any livestock has papers and will not pay a penny more for papers. We learned this when we bought two registered hereford pigs and a registered hereford boar, the boar was $1,000 and the girls were $400 each because we got it as a package deal. We also had a un-registered duroc pig. We could not sell the registered ones for anymore then the mutt ones, cause no on here cares. So it is worth checking in your area if buying registered animals is really something that is going to be worth while for your farm, pocketbook, and customers.

We have also found it very difficult to sell anything here that people are not "used to" locally. They will also not pay more for anything, they are not paying more for single breed registered beef then they are for mutt beef and certainly not paying more for grass fed vs grain fed etc. That is just how my area is, but 3hrs away from us people do pay more for those things. So just make sure you have researched your area and market well if that is a concern for you, before investing in registered single breed livestock. Farming is all about being willing to take the risk or not and learning from your mistakes.....which we all make!

 

[Mini Horses]

Same here with papers for most part. Now, in areas where showing is available, the registered is a consideration. With my milk goats, they just want good milk. With meat goats, just a good carcass....not saying registered isn't a good thing just agree that what your intended use might be can be a consideration. There is a cost to registering. If bloodline is important, it helps. Commercial herds usually have some of each and usually because the animal was exceptional, a herd upgrade thing. Normally the male as they service all the females.

Here, in my section of VA, that price is ok to you can buy for less. Truly not a huge number of those around. There are fewer Highlands and Devon. But a search will find them.

 

[Baymule]

Good advice on the registered/unregistered. Know your market. While lots of people here in the area we live in are just getting by, there are upper middle class who are willing to pay more for meat. I raise Cornish Cross chickens and sell them for $6 per pound, cut and vacuum sealed. we sell pork by the whole hog or half for $5 per pound and we will raise and sell our first beef for $8 per pound, all is based on hanging weight. We are a very small operation. Our goal was to raise good meat for us and our family and sell enough to pay for it. Word of mouth has us slowly growing. We went from 1 pig customer to 4, 1 chicken customer to 5, plus 1 guy we swap chicken for catfish. We raised a beef for us and our DD and family last year to see what the costs would be. Our first customer was waiting for the verdict and ordered half a beef, then found someone else to buy the other half. LOL

The point is, are there people in your area that will pay more than grocery store on sale prices for quality meat?

 

[The Farming Carpenter]

For our area that is a good deal. Our cow calf pairs of cross/mix bred with no papers are $1,400-$1,800 and that just the Cow and one calf. Single breed dairy without papers is $1,500-3,000 and single breed beef without papers is $3,000-$4,000 and those are all just cow/calf pair. So for us that price is perfectly reasonable and actually cheap for a single breed with papers.

Prices vary GREATLY around the country for all livestock so my good/cheap price here might not be the same for you. The other aspect is you don't eat papers, no one local to us gives a fig if any livestock has papers and will not pay a penny more for papers. We learned this when we bought two registered hereford pigs and a registered hereford boar, the boar was $1,000 and the girls were $400 each because we got it as a package deal. We also had a un-registered duroc pig. We could not sell the registered ones for anymore then the mutt ones, cause no on here cares. So it is worth checking in your area if buying registered animals is really something that is going to be worth while for your farm, pocketbook, and customers.

We have also found it very difficult to sell anything here that people are not "used to" locally. They will also not pay more for anything, they are not paying more for single breed registered beef then they are for mutt beef and certainly not paying more for grass fed vs grain fed etc. That is just how my area is, but 3hrs away from us people do pay more for those things. So just make sure you have researched your area and market well if that is a concern for you, before investing in registered single breed livestock. Farming is all about being willing to take the risk or not and learning from your mistakes.....which we all make!

Thanks for the reply. It turns out you are correct. It depends on the area. That is good deal around here according to a couple of farms I spoke with, especially because of how calm the cows are. The momma cow is halter trained and up to about a few months ago, was milked regularly. So anyway, I made the deal and will be picking them up some time next week when the owners get back from vacation. These 3 are all 2 wire fenced trained and are all registered. I will be posting pictures next week. THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR INPUT. GOD BLESS ALL!!!!

 

[Grant]

Pics or it didn’t happen.

 

[The Farming Carpenter]

LOL, it did happen, but they can't get the heifer certified until the Sept. 8 when the vet can make it out to there place.

I will post ASAP.

 

[Baymule]

Congratulations! We. Will. Be. Waiting. On. PICTURES!!

 

[farmerjan]

That is good that you got some good references on them and that the cow has been milked too. So, all considered, it you are happy with the deal then it is a good deal....