We bought in 3 maiden heifers last September. I had in my mind that they would calf sometime over the summer. A week ago i noticed 1 was really very big and her bag had filled up, i didnt think to much about it, because it is pretty much the summer so she is probably due.
i brought her in yesterday so i could keep an eye on her. she was clearly going to calf very soon. i looked back in my records and saw she arrived early september, but did not run with the bull until October!!
Lunch time today my father calls me out of the butchery, the heifer is starting.
2 large feet protuding. she was really struggling. i got the old baler twine round the hocks and started to move the feet forward and work my hand around the head. as more of the feet started to come forward the hair was a strange grey colour. i thought oh a dun calf, the 1st this year. the head was really tight and i had to summon the jack.
just as some one brought it we got the front end out but it was stuck on the pelvis.2 of us were hauling at the twine and it would not budge.
got the jack working and out it popped.
A silver Dexter!! or more likely and escaped bull, but what sort? i immediately thought of the charlie, but i have a jersey that has a silveryness, brown swiss?
any ideas.
poor wee heifer has the calve of the week, but it doesnt look like her! ...... or my bull.
the seller will probably want the extra for an in calf heifer rather than the bulling heifer i bought her as!!
dom
Silver Calf - Suprise Calf
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Duncan MacIntyre
- Posts: 2372
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 12:38 am
- Location: Isle of Bute, Scotland, UK
White Shorthorn? A blue grey dexter?
If heifer bought at auction (market, not farm displenishing sale) free of bull it used to be the rule that if it turned out in calf the purchaser was entitled to half the purchase price back. I know someone who managed frequently to do this, buy at £400, get £200 back, calve the heifer and sell it with calf at foot for £1000.
Duncan
If heifer bought at auction (market, not farm displenishing sale) free of bull it used to be the rule that if it turned out in calf the purchaser was entitled to half the purchase price back. I know someone who managed frequently to do this, buy at £400, get £200 back, calve the heifer and sell it with calf at foot for £1000.
Duncan
Duncan MacIntyre
Burnside Dexters 00316
Burnside
Ascog
Isle of Bute
Burnside Dexters 00316
Burnside
Ascog
Isle of Bute
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Duncan MacIntyre
- Posts: 2372
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 12:38 am
- Location: Isle of Bute, Scotland, UK
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Mark Bowles
- Site Admin
- Posts: 1290
- Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2004 6:03 pm
- Location: Leicestershire England
I have a freind who had a silver calf, definately dexter, black nose but lots of silver hair amongst some black.
It turned black in the end. I think it was slightly premature, was yours born early? What is slightly different is the size, is yours bigger than the average dexter calves you have had, if so it could be from another breed.
It turned black in the end. I think it was slightly premature, was yours born early? What is slightly different is the size, is yours bigger than the average dexter calves you have had, if so it could be from another breed.
Mark Bowles
Linford Dexters
Webmaster
Linford Dexters
Webmaster
Years ago I bought in a group of dexters, and one of the bull calves had a distinctly silver coat at approx 6 months of age. They were in poor condition, and I wondered whether it was mineral deficiency, as with good nutrition he turned black. Definite dexter, no chance of having mixed with another breed, although I suppose it is impossible to rule out previous mixing in the parents/grandparents.