Cattle
We chose Irish dexter cattle for our farm because they're triple purpose. Considered the ideal family cow in their homeland, they were historically used for milk, meat, and oxen. Dexters appealed to us because they thrive on grass alone. Throughout the ages, cows and other ruminants ate nothing but grasses -- no corn or soybeans, which is what modern milk cows are fed, because it increases production. Grain, however, is not good for cows, the people who consume their meat and milk, or the environment.
We bought our first Dexters in 2002 shortly after we moved to the farm, and although they produced nice calves, they were not friendly enough to be milked, so we sold them. We enjoyed the grass-fed beef we had from their calves though, so we decided to try again. We also wanted to increase our cheesemaking repertoire by adding cows milk cheeses, butter, and sour cream. Since goat milk is naturally homogenized, it's a challenge to make anything that requires cream or skimmed milk.
In May 2009, Molly and Bridget came to live at Antiquity Oaks from Five Ponds Farm in Missouri, where they were born. They are big, um, little sweethearts, so milking them should be much more doable after they calve in early 2011. Bridget is the black one, and she is naturally horned. Molly's color is called dun, and she is polled, which means naturally hornless. We'll be buying a polled bull in hopes that most (or all) of our calves will be born naturally hornless.
