want to learn about dexter cows and jersey's

Which is better for small acerage. I need a milk cow and hubby wants a jersey but I have heard that dexters are just as good just smaller. And a good beef cow for small acerage. I have close to three acers but have access to put them in with other cows down the road if needed.

amybyrd21 wrote:
Which is better for small acerage. I need a milk cow and hubby wants a jersey but I have heard that dexters are just as good just smaller. And a good beef cow for small acerage. I have close to three acers but have access to put them in with other cows down the road if needed.

Hi Amybyrd,

Dexters are a dual purpose breed... Dairy, draft (beef)... I would recommend a Jersey... She will provide your family with ample milk for the table.... Extra milk for butter, cream, cheese, etc... You are able to limit the productivity of any milking animal, by the means of limiting concentrates (grain).. You are quite unable to increase milk production beyond genetic capabilities...

Jersey bull calves, will produce beef... Just like any other bovine.. Your meat to bone ratio, may fluctuate.. But IMHO.. Not enough to justify going with a dual purpose animal...
.

So is Jersey the all around best choice for small acreage? I've heard of Guinea cows but know nothing about them... With limited acreage are goats the best option?

Dyson, I only have 2 acres, so we opted for goats. Nigerian Dwarf goats, to be exact. They weigh less than 50 pounds but are listed as dairy goats. I've heard a lot of people complain about their goats being escape artists, but ours have never gotten out of their pen. With my health issues, I couldn't handle a full size goat, although they give more milk. The NDs give pleny of milk for my family and they have a fairly high fat content for churning into butter etc.

Dyson wrote:So is Jersey the all around best choice for small acreage? I've heard of Guinea cows but know nothing about them... With limited acreage are goats the best option?

I would hesitate to say which breed is best for your needs.It would depend upon the size of your place and the amount of forage it is capable of producing.

The "Guinea" cattle you are referring to are probably Florida Cracker or Pineywoods cattle. They are a holdover of the cattle that were first brought to this country by the Spanish in the 16th century.

Dexter will mature between 600-800 lbs. Cracker between 600-1000 lbs. Jerseys 800 to 1200 lbs.

In my opinion goat milk is an acquired taste. So i would suggest that you sample goat milk befor considering goats.