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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 8:44 am
by Jamie
I'm in a bit of a dilema - I hope you lot can help me.
I have beemn offered two dexters. One is the mother, 5 years old. The other is the calf, 9 months old and is still horned.
I was going to take thecalf, halter train her and show her but I'm not sure now. I have been advised to get the horns of asap as they could leave stumps and be no good for showing. The cow is older (good/bad??), has been on a halter and is dehorned.
Both look fairly nice, both have no white and four teats. Please help me make my mind up! The cow is 200 pounds more expensive and she is not in calf.
Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:02 am
by natmadaboutdexters
Re the age of the cow, I don't think that it matters too much as long as she still looks good. I think Mark Bowles would agree as he is still having very good show results with an older cow. I would probably dehorn the calf for ease of handling, but I am not sure about in the show ring. Sorry if not much help but I am sure there are plenty of experienced dexter owners out there who will offer more advice.
Natasha
Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:09 am
by Saffy
Hello Jamie ,
I was offered a cow this time last year she was then 6 years old and at that moment in time was dry. She hadn't had a calf for 18 months. This was a concern but the owner said she hadn't been with a bull or AId.
As I liked the cow and her breeding very much indeed after careful consideration and several moths thought - I don't tend to do things all of a rush! I bought the cow and put her in with my very delighted bull, he served her 2 weeks later and she held first time, she is due 6th October.
Obviously I cannot promise that you will have this much luck!!! If she is very fat you may have to diet her first.
However if the cow isn't in calf and her calf is 9 months old, surely you have a bargaining tool here don't you? Why not offer considerably less and see waht the owner says - I would for an empty cow?
Stephanie
Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:36 am
by Jamie
Thanks everyone. Which one would you say is best showing wise? Both have no white and 4 teats.
Edited By Jamie on 1245659827
Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:50 am
by Saffy
Hello Jamie,
You have to make up your own mind. Look at the top line, legs feet etc.
Trust your instincts!
Perhaps go back and have another look? See her on a halter again. See her tied up. Ask yourself if she is friendly, do you think she is the type you want? If you really want to buy one or the other of these do it for the right reasons - because you like the type but unless they are a very reasonable price or very special - don't forget there are plenty of other Dexters on the market that you could also look at that would be already perfectly halter trained and de horned.
Stephanie
Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 6:00 pm
by Jamie
Thanks Saffy. I have been looking for a while now but there dosen't seem to be that many nice short heffers out there at a reasonable price. Seen a few but they are about £1000.
Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:36 pm
by Mark Bowles
Hi Jamie, its not easy, i could give you a list of breeders who would also want to buy a show heifer. The cattle are out there, its just a lot of time and trouble to find them.
Heifers at £1000 should at least have some kind of history in the showring at that price. Mind you the Knightsway sale showed what prices could be acheived, especially for heifers still on their dams, £2-3000 i believe, ....bargain!
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 11:17 am
by Saffy
Hello again Jamie,
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 11:26 am
by Saffy
Ooops
Hello again Jamie,
Does it have to be a short?
Are you going for short because you like the type or because they are the best ones for showing?
I ask as I have non short and took our bull to two shows last year Chepstow and Monmouth and did very well.
At the moment I admit I am told many judges prefer the short but that is hopefully being corrected in the near future by finding more judges that keep non short cattle as all Dexters are of equal merit aren't they?
Anyway my point is that it is possible to look out for some very small, pretty short legged non carrying non shorts like mine, which don't look that different too a short. In fact at both shows we went too and at our recent Dexter Group visit, dexter owners thought our bull was a short.
Stephanie
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 8:35 pm
by ann
Hi
How old was your bull when you took this photo? 
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 10:10 pm
by Saffy
He was 14 and a half months old.
I shall go out with the camera in the morning and try to get another as he is now nearly 2 years old but today he was in the shed in the shade.
Stephanie
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:09 am
by Saffy
This one was taken this morning, he is nearly 2 years old.
We won't be able to show him this year at all, as he has awful warts as is apparent in this photo. Because they are so bad we decided to get a vaccine made up for him, all the injections have been given and we are awaiting the outcome at the moment, quite interesting really but very annoying.
Stephanie
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:10 pm
by Mark Bowles
Hey Saffy, that looks a whopper, i think our very best blind judge would spot that!
The vaccine does seem to work but only for that wart and that animal.
Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 8:30 am
by Martin
Jamie,
I think you will get more pleasure showing something you have bred yourself. Anyone can 'buy' rosettes, not everyone can breed a winner. If you keep non shorts then that is what you should show. You should be pleased and proud to show your own prefix wherever you are placed, first or last.
I know a lot of people that show and some do show animals that they have not bred, they do this to show what direction they are going with their breeding program and are usually very experienced breeders that sell good cattle and the show is their shop window to their potential customers. Most will admit that you feel different winning with your own cattle.
Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 9:27 am
by Broomcroft
I would agree with Martin. We don't show cattle but we do show sheep. We have a Royal Show prize winning tup which we bought in for breeding (and paid good money for) but we have ever shown him because it would be showing someone else's stock! But we do show what we have bred from him and have done very well.
