Hello from Millbrook, Ont.

[BikerChick]

Hello fellow cheese making fanatics.  I have been learning the art of cheese making for a couple of years now and look forward to learning more and more!  My next project is to cold smoke some hard cheeses.  I milk a couple of Dexter cows and will soon have a Jersey freshen.  I love cheese making!!!

[zenith1]

Welcome Biker- what the heck is a Dexter. How does the milk quantity and make up of the milk compare with a Jersey or Guernsey? Welcome to the forum and have some fun making cheese. Who needs Kraft anyway!

[Cheese Head]

Howdy BikerChick, welcome, always nice to have more canucks here as we are under-represented!

[BikerChick]

Thanks for the welcome...
Zeneth the Irish Dexter is a small duo purpose breed of cattle that is making a comeback as far as #s go.  They produce milk that is @4% and very white.  The fat globules are very small and it takes a couple days for the cream to separate.  They can produce more milk per their body weight than most dairy breeds.  Here is an article that appeared in 'Mother Earth News'  http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/1980-03-01/The-Amazing-Irish-Dexters.aspx

As for how their milk compares to Jersey or Guernsey?  I will have to wait for my Jersey to freshen to make that comparison

[ConnieG]

Hi Biker Chick - Great to have another cow person on board!

[zenith1]

Thanks BC! That was a very informative article. They are quite an unique breed, so small at the shoulder. They are apparently very hard to come by in the US. I have 4 acres of old pasture behind our house, Hummmmm....

[ConnieG]

Zenith,

You could keep any cow on 4 acres - you could practically have a dairy on 4 acres (as long as you fed year-round)

[dttorun]

I was wondering the same thing. There must be a limit of animals per a piece of land. Does anybody know what the regulation for Ontario?
Tan

[ConnieG]

No idea about the regs but cows per acre is something the local agriculture department could help you with.  It comes down to grazing and how many cows the land will support.   Here in the desert Southwest, that number is pretty small.  I feed hay year-round.  You also have to consider manure production.  That stuff builds up fast!  Think of what a feed lot or intensive commercial dairy looks like. 

[BikerChick]

Zenith; They are quite popular in the US actually:  http://www.dextercattle.org/  Around here with decent pasture you can support 2 Dexter's per acre.  They can't survive on 'nothing' but will browse plants that other breeds won't. 

dttorun; I think with decent pasture most other breeds will stock at 1/acre or 1/1.5 acres....Dexter's require 1/2 to 1/3 the feed of most commercial breeds. 

[zenith1]

I know that cattle are generally social animals but how many would it take to make a happy healthy herd?

[KosherBaker]

I know that cattle are generally social animals but how many would it take to make a happy healthy herd?

Zenith, if I were you I would post this questions in the DAIRY FARM - Animals subforum as it will get a lot more attention from folks that keep animals.
I personally love to read that subforum and fantasize that I too may have some goats, chickens and maybe a cow someday.
Anyway, from reading that forum the answer to your question may just be 1. One animal, since their social interactions with you the owner appear to be more important than their social interactions with other cows, their kids notwithstanding.