tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post8058706373048452893..comments2023-11-07T06:51:41.301-06:00Comments on The Beginning Farmer: Are Dexters a Fad?Ethan Bookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333115493519268802noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-70818940892884530952008-04-02T15:37:00.000-05:002008-04-02T15:37:00.000-05:00By the way, speaking of NOT a fad, they're going t...By the way, speaking of NOT a fad, they're going to reprint Gene Logsdon's Small-Scale Grain Raising! Yayyy!!<BR/><BR/>Right from the horse's mouth at organictobe.org. (Scroll down to Gene's post from March 31.)mhcshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10327849859164878472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-43886623141842979332008-04-02T15:32:00.000-05:002008-04-02T15:32:00.000-05:00Here's another good way to tell if there's a specu...Here's another good way to tell if there's a speculation bubble (I like "speculation bubble" a lot better than fad- fads can still pan out. : ) Idiots are buyin' 'em. My favorite example, once again, alpacas.<BR/><BR/>The thing about a speculation bubble-priced animal is that real farmers can't afford it. Even a "cheap" alpaca is $1,000, which doesn't appeal to the demographic that has ever made a living running livestock. That leaves rich retirees looking for a "second career," meaning emotional attachment to the idea coupled with lots of cash. <BR/><BR/>The result is we have lots of folks down here in Florida trying to raise alpacas. Dude! Just because YOU want to retire in Florida does not make it a good place for alpacas. They're from the Andes. They grow wool. Connect the dots, and get into something you can actually do in Florida like trying to breed racehorses that never quite make it to champion, so they have to be cattletrained down to Mexico to be turned into dog food because it's no longer legal to slaughter horses here. <BR/><BR/>...Sorry... been one of those days here at the vet hospital. : )mhcshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10327849859164878472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-64114706877011167172008-04-02T11:45:00.000-05:002008-04-02T11:45:00.000-05:00Glad someone brought up Alpacas. Ostriches, emus,...Glad someone brought up Alpacas. Ostriches, emus, llamas and so forth have all been very inflated and when the bubble popped it all came tumbling the crash was thunderous. 30k for a breeding pair of Ostriches now they are free. The big thing to watch for is the value of a product on the consumable level. 200k for an alpaca has no chance of producing 200k worth of yarn. If the current value of an animal is only based on selling progeny to other people who will do the same thing and to use the animals for the end product would result in a huge loss. You may have found a fad.<BR/><BR/>Dexters i would say are fairly safe. If it all breaks loose they are still cows, steaks and leather. Commodity prices would hold the floor up. With cattle there are fads ie Piedmontese in the 90's. When a fad hits you see one scary thing happen. Every bull calf born with at least one testicle is a herd sire. We also saw this when the black fad hit. I do see a lot of steer quality bulls for sale in the Dexter world. Don't get barn blind look for the not as good ones and castrate them even if they have papers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-53184247124747919932008-04-02T08:17:00.000-05:002008-04-02T08:17:00.000-05:00Great thoughts everyone. Thanks for adding to the...Great thoughts everyone. Thanks for adding to the discussion and bringing out a few points I missed!<BR/><BR/>Walter - From my little bit of experience the Dexters have been great and I have seen and experienced first hand why I think they are here to stay for small scale grass farms. Also, in the future I really want to take advantage of their triple purpose abilities, but I have to wait until we are fully prepared!<BR/><BR/>Yeoman - You are so right about the marketing of beef by name at various places. I do admit that I'm a little jealous though because I think the Dexter Associations should be working to promote like that ... maybe they could learn something from the Angus folks. Although I do know not everyone is happy with the Angus association.<BR/><BR/>Again, great thoughts by all. The comments after the post are always so much better than the posts themselves :)Ethan Bookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01333115493519268802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-81094502004159212512008-04-01T18:18:00.000-05:002008-04-01T18:18:00.000-05:00I dont think that Dexters are a fad. I believe you...I dont think that Dexters are a fad. I believe you use what you want. Dexter are one of 2 breeds that I have been researching. <BR/><BR/>The other is the Galloway. I like the Galloway for their calving-ease, hybrid vigor, durability, maternal efficiency, carcass quality and feed efficiency.<BR/><BR/>I think most of the above could also be said of the Dexter. <BR/><BR/>I think the biggest difference in my opion between these breeds compared to the "commercial breeds" is that the Galloway and Dexter are more appropriate for grassfed beef production. They are not your ordinary sale barn cattle.<BR/><BR/>Guess the biggest point is raise what you like.<BR/><BR/>ErnieErniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07353330961805034523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-33703765071160166092008-04-01T15:27:00.000-05:002008-04-01T15:27:00.000-05:00The last few years I have shown horses at 2 differ...The last few years I have shown horses at 2 different county fairs in IL. Well, I think this is the end of that: "A Livestock Premises Identification number will be required for exhibition at all 2008 county, state, 4-H and FFA fairs in Illinois."Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004108517882417325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-66392114880623471392008-04-01T13:03:00.000-05:002008-04-01T13:03:00.000-05:00I just totally got had over at Sugar Mountain Farm...I just totally got had over at Sugar Mountain Farm's blog. Thanks Walter!Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004108517882417325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-50706537317725323552008-04-01T13:01:00.000-05:002008-04-01T13:01:00.000-05:00Just because it's popular doesn't mean it's bad- i...Just because it's popular doesn't mean it's bad- it just means there might be a lot of other people who like it for the wrong reasons. : )<BR/><BR/>The Dexter was developed as a small, easy-keepin', triple-purpose cow for a reason. That's what people needed. And if it just so happens that you have the same needs as the folks who created the Dexter, then Dexters are probably a good choice for you regardless of what other yahoos think they make cute lawn ornaments.<BR/><BR/>Good example of a fad: alpacas. (There are people down here in Florida who raise them and we get them here at our vet hospital all summer because of heat stroke... >:-{ But that's another story.) They're a total pyramid scheme at the moment. But, the point remains that they do give great wool. My mom loves to spin yarn, and I think when we've got the acreage I may get an alpaca or two for her to play with. But, that doesn't mean I have to lay out $200,000 for a stud-quality male. I'm probably getting a couple el-cheapo geldings of boring color instead. : )mhcshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10327849859164878472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-51268342303009105582008-04-01T12:08:00.000-05:002008-04-01T12:08:00.000-05:00Interesting. Dexters and Highlands are the two cat...Interesting. Dexters and Highlands are the two cattle we're thinking about. Still years away probably. Both are smaller. I feel intimidated by the bigger breeds. I am getting used to working with larger animals as we now have sows and boars in the 600 lb to 1,400 lb range. I was shocked when we 'taped' our big boar. I've known him since he was a wee-wee-wee piglet of three pounds.<BR/><BR/>As to fad or not, I don't think it matters. What matters is does the animal do what you need it to do on your farmstead. That is the real question.Walter Jeffrieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12720110642967540506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-91982294724802272352008-04-01T09:21:00.000-05:002008-04-01T09:21:00.000-05:00Ack!Bad typo.That first line should read:"There ar...Ack!<BR/><BR/>Bad typo.<BR/><BR/>That first line should read:<BR/><BR/><BR/>"There are fad livestock"<BR/><BR/>Not, "They're are fad livestock"<BR/><BR/>Big difference.<BR/><BR/>I've never heard of a Dexter fad, and I've never seen a Dexter, so I certainly do not mean to suggest they're a fad.<BR/><BR/>Sorry.Yeomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13907293659510877574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-89712375389679567242008-04-01T09:20:00.000-05:002008-04-01T09:20:00.000-05:00The answer to your titled question would depend on...The answer to your titled question would depend on what "fad" is supposed to mean.<BR/><BR/>They're are fad livestock. But they generally fit into the pasture pet variety. I've seen a few herds of Dutch Belted around here that would meet this criteria. A few might be sold for meat, but by and large the owners of them like they way they look, and keep them for that purpose. They're not really farming. They're sort of gigantic pot bellied Vietnamese pigs of the range, so to speak.<BR/><BR/>I might even include the Charolais in one rich dudes herd around here, but not those in a working stockman's herd. The difference is the purpose. If somebody keeps them because they look cool, and thats based on everyone else thinking that they look cool, and they're kept to look cool, it speaks of fadism. If they're kept because I like the breed for some reason, and I'm working the herd, that isn't.<BR/><BR/>They're are trends within livestock that are a bit different. Out here the current trend remains black cattle. They're more marketable. Is that a fad? Probably not, as we keep black cattle as they sell better. If red cattle sold better tomorrow, I'd go to red.<BR/><BR/>You are keeping Dexters as you like their qualities. That doesn't speak to an element of fadism. Whether it's a wise long term strategy (and I'm not opining on that, as I have no idea) is another matter. But it isn't a fad based decision.<BR/><BR/>And, you note an important element. If I'm going to have 400 head of cattle, I better have cattle that are commercially marketable. If I'm going to have much, much fewer, I better be looking at my market another way.<BR/><BR/>Having said all that, one thing I would note as a fad is the really odd restaurant habit of identifying beef by breed, even though they know nothing about what they're talking about. We've all seen the "100% Angus Beef Burger" ads, for example. Coming out of Mass Produced Burger Barn, or whatever, it could be "100% Corriente" and most people couldn't tell the difference. I do think that sort of fast food restaurant, or even general restaurant, marketing habit is some sort of odd fad.Yeomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13907293659510877574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-566440371939327282008-04-01T08:55:00.000-05:002008-04-01T08:55:00.000-05:00As long as you can create a market for your produc...As long as you can create a market for your product that offers a profit, I don't see how anything can be a fad. The key is creating, recognizing, and maintaining the market. <BR/><BR/>The only way I can see that a person can get into trouble with something like Dexters is planning to sell every single calf at a grossly inflated registered animal price. But that doesn't mean that the market for registered stock should be completely disregarded though. <BR/><BR/>I thought one of the advantages of Dexters was their triple purpose uses as dairy, beef, and draft animals. If people want a smaller dairy cow, wouldn't a Dexter be a good candidate? Wouldn't a "lawn ornament" that could pull a small cart or plow be desirable to some customers? It would be easier to find or create those markets with Dexter cattle. <BR/><BR/>Don't forget that when the first British cattle were introduced into the U.S., most people said that they were just "fads".Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11412944120622315804noreply@blogger.com