Mini cattle or full size?

[Klayton]

Butchering at home is really not that difficult.

Tons of books and videos on it. =)

[EFR]

I believe the Lowline Angus are an excellent animal and well worth the money for someone that wants a more docile animal. They eat about a third of what a full size angus eats. They are very hardy in cold weather. There is more beef per pound of animal so you are feeding less head and legs and more of the body where the meat is! Alot of people are buying bulls that are partially lowline or all lowline because the birthweight is so much less. They breed their commercial cattle and have almost no or at least very few calving issues. Being their calves are 1/2 or more full sized yet they still can sell them at any sale or market. I have 3 Lowline Angus cross bulls for sale. They are 3/4 bloods. The other 1/4 is Dexter. Very nice looking animals. Their calves will be low birthweight. They have excellent marbling. Take a look at our website at www.buybales.com They are on the photos page. If you are interested let me know, or make an offer through the 'contact us' page!

EFR - Revier Lowlines
Waubun, MN USA
www.buybales.com

[1Admin]

EFR- sounds like you may have some INFORMATION to share also other than just pitching your cows. Feel free to share that also...

[ANVIL]

A good dairy cow produces an avarage of 6 to 8 gallons of milk a day! Are you ready to deal with that much milk ever day ? Holstein dairy cows weigh a typical 1,500 pounds and the bulls top the scale at 2,000 pounds The Jersey dairy cow weigh between 900 & 1,000 pounds. The Jersey bulls weight around 1,500 pounds. The jersey breed of Dairy cows produce the most milk per pound of the cow. Around 5.8 gallons a day. and have the highest butter fat. They have the reputation of being a calm sweet breed of cattle that historicaly were the American farm family favorite "The Queen of the barnyard"
These two breeds of dairy cows are oneof the largest and smallest of the norma lsize cows.The Milking Devon breed is another excellent smaller dairy cow as is the Guernesy, and the Ayrshire. I am intrested in the Dexters but have never owned any.

[heyman]

I would prefer cows only because thats what I was raised with but since then goats have just recently become the mainstay, they eat less, they do eat almost anything(beware just like children they can be spoiled very quickly), they can be tethered with alot les weight than a cow, and yes they can become the family pet very quickly and will at times want to sit in your lap. our doe will actually try to buck the dogs wanting to play it is quite comical as the dogs just sit there and look at her. a goat doesnt dress out as heavy as I think when we butcher as they are mostly stomach and hips. I wouldnt say the milk tastes nasty it is just an aquired taste. When we moved from the farm I thought store bought milk tasted nasty.

[huckridge]

I like to eat beef, but, I've had stock cows and knowing how much feed/hay and water it takes to keep them alive and healthy, I don't think they're on my list of items to get. I had cows until 3years ago and the drought we had made it impossible for me to keep them any longer. My grass died, pastures over grazed and rolls of hay that I first started buying in 1994 for $12 each had gone up to $45-60 each when I sold mine. I've kept my goats and we have chickens as well and might add a calf or so to feed out through the spring into fall and then slaughter but not winter over.

Just remember, whatever you get in the way of livestock requires fed and cared for 7 days a week. Also, a cow has a gestation period of 9 months and if you're lucky, a healthy calf will be born and the mother will let it nurse and all is good, in the best of times this doesn't always turn out good, patience is a virtue in the cattle business. And even a small size cow, is a lot of meat to deal with if you have no power or way to store it. We used to raise hogs when I was young and we salted some and smoked some of the meat for storage, I don't know if you can preserve beef the same way or not.

I hope I don't sound too discouraging, I'm just sharing my experiences.

[Klayton]

Just don't forget, you DO need a bull, whether were talking ram (goats) or bull (cattle) as without breeding and babies, the females will soon run out of milk and become walking hamburger. :)

[PerryJeff]

Thanks on the low line Angus EFR hadn't heard about them. I hadn't ever considered the smaller breeds always thought of them as novelties. But can see the point of them eating less. At the premium prices for the stock in my mind I think I would rather have standard breed but there is a place. Klayton is correct you have to have or have access to a bull/male. In my area it is common to rent out the bull from guys that own them. Main problem is you don't get them at prime breeding season because they are in with the owners cows. If you just have one or two cows you can usually take the cows to the bull for a month or so for the fee. As huckridge states with cattle unless they are on pasture you have to be there to feed them once or twice a day. That is one big advantage on hogs self feeders and auto waters you can get by checking in on them every few days. I am lucking in my brother in law raises cattle so I can buy half steer when I want every year or two. I have no experience with goats and don't think I want to unless for milk. We had sheep growing up and they are always working the fences to get out. Interesting discussion... Thanks

[Karen]

I have Irish Dexters. There is some debate as to wether or not they are true miniatures. They are good for just about any climate and they are supposed to have a higher carcass yeild as compared to other cattle. I've only had mine for a few months. The meat and mik taste great and they definitely eat a LOT less than full size cows. The milk has a slightly hight fat content than most cows' milk. They are fairly docile and mine have never bothered my fences. They cost a lot less than other miniature breeds. I bought two cows for $800 each. Both of them are bred for spring calves and have been previously milked. They are great foragers, but if I couldn't feed them, I would put them in the freezer. I'm planning to learn how to butcher them myself to avoid the costs associated with butchering/processing meat. It's a skill we should all learn anyway.
I'm sure there are other breeds that would fit your needs just as well as the dexters, but I can't offer any info about them because I only own dexters.

[Klayton]

OK just looked for Dexters in Texas, man $800 each your lucky. Congratulations!! :)

[Karen]

Thanks. It took some searching, but it was well worth it :-) I waited until the prices were starting to drop a bit. Farmers started selling off thier extra stock a bit early this year due to the drought.
I know of someone who is selling some Dexters in Texas right now. She is asking $1000 each. I think she is near Dallas.