New Stock...

[Deleted]

Wednesday, Jim and I went to look at bulls...we each got a new one! I decided it would be in my best interest to get rid of the bull I have due to his horns, and his new habit of breaking fences. He is short, but at 600#+, he can still do some damage and even be deadly. I don't need him getting out and hurting one of the neighbor kids. So, here is what I got.

He is now about 6 months old. He is a shortleg Irish Dexter, polled, and will be registered when I bring I bring him home. I need to figure out a name for him, both registered and what I will call him daily. He should get to be the same size as Count, the bull I have now, and already seems to have a much calmer disposition.





Next to his 2 year old father, Bar None's Hunter...




This is his twin sister. She will be full size, and will be large enough to cross with Jims new Black Angus bull. So Jim bought her. She is already about 4" taller than the bull calf, and will look exactly like my Dexter heifer, Patty.


And this is the new Black Angus bull. He has good bloodlines, but the man that has him now is low on feed and hay, so the entire herd is a bit underweight. He is 8 months old and about 600#. He will be coming home on Sunday afternoon. He is NOT a very pretty bull, but he is the right age and everything for what we need. He will not be full grown when it's time to breed the new heifers, so we don;t have to worry about him breaking them down in the back end, but he already shows a lot of interest in open cows, so if he does what he is suppose to, he will have a nice life here on the Bar Double J farm...for a few years anyways!!

[kutkota]

Good stuff. I don't know what half of what you typed meant but sounds like you have a handle on things over there. Good luck.

[Deleted]

Not sure if this will help any, but it's the fastest way to explain some things...

Polled: born naturally without horns. Otherwise, they are considered horned even if they have been cut off.

THIS page is very informative and shows good pics and results of waterbaby and bulldog calves caused by PHA and Chondrodysplasia. Graphic for those with weak stomachs!!
www.dexters4u.com/2012/04/dexter-bulldogs-and-waterbabies/

This is about the gene that causes the shortleg Dexters.
www.dextercattle.org/genetics/CDChondroArticle.pdf

This piece is from the ADCA (American Dexter Cattle Association)...

The native home of the Dexter is in the southern part of Ireland where they were bred by small land holders and roamed about the shelter less mountainous districts in an almost wild state of nature. The first recorded knowledge of Dexters in America is when more than two hundred Dexters were imported to the US between 1905 and 1915. In recent years there has been a worldwide surge of interest in Dexter cattle. They thrive in hot as well as cold climates and do well outdoors year round, needing only a windbreak, shelter and fresh water. Fertility is high and calves are dropped in the field without difficulty. They are dual purpose, being raised for both milk and meat. Dexters are also the perfect old-fashioned family cow. Pound for pound, Dexters cost less to get to the table, economically turning forage into rich milk and quality, lean meat.

According to the guidelines, the ideal three year old Dexter bull measures 38 to 44 inches at the shoulder and weighs less than 1000 pounds. The ideal three year old Dexter cow measures between 36 to 42 inches at the shoulder, and weighs less than 750 pounds. There are two varieties of Dexters, short legged and long legged. Milk and beef production and other characteristics are generally the same for both types.

Dexters come in Black, Red or Dun. Dexters are horned or polled, with some people preferring to dehorn them. A milking cow can produce more milk for its weight than any other breed. The daily yield averages 1 to 3 gallons per day with a butterfat content of 4 to 5 percent. Yields of cream up to one quart per gallon are possible. The cream can be skimmed for butter or ice cream.

Beef animals mature in 18 to 24 months and result in small cuts of high quality lean meat, graded choice, with little waste. The expectable average dress out is 50 to 60 percent and the beef is slightly darker red than that of other breeds.

No other bovine can satisfy such a diverse market.

[angelhelp]

My vote is for Loverboy. I had a cat named Loverboy once... funny story 'bout him. Two doors down from us was a young married couple. I had opened our front door and was calling the cat, "Loverboy! Loverboy!" At the same time, the wife stuck her head out her own door in anticipation of her husband returning from work. She had timed it correctly and indeed, it was he who I saw driving down the street. Loverboy had begun trotting home from across the street, and the wife had heard me call. She saw the husband turn his head toward me just because he heard a voice, saw him slow down in case the cat did something stupid and turn around), NEVER SAW THE CAT, and promptly but mistakenly concluded that her husband and I must be having an affair (based on the sudden change of expression on her face). I quickly went out the door to scoop up the cat and made sure she both saw me and heard me call that cat by his name. Had she known me at all, she'd have known that I'd have died of embarrassment if I was suspected of being "the other woman". They sold the house some months later. Anywho, your bull should be called Loverboy. ;D