Newbie! Advice please

dizzydex · Post by **dizzydex** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 10:17 am

It certainly is. Just had to wait longer than expected this year. I wanted to download my pics of the girls last night but it just keeps showing as usb device not recognised. After a couple of hours of updating drivers and trying numerous things I gave up. I am hopeing that my son will come to the rescue later today.

dizzydex · Post by **dizzydex** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 5:21 pm

Hi at last! Taken in the rain so a bit misty

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 10:11 pm

Hello again Julie,

Thanks for the pics, it is always a pleasure to get a look at someone elses cows and I love photographs!

Can you tell us who is who please?

Stephanie :D

dizzydex · Post by **dizzydex** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:04 am

Hi looking at the first photo from the left is

Left - Knivers Meadow Iris
On the ground - Majestic Karenza
Behind her - Woodmagic Mallard 7th
Right - Majestic Karenza's 17 month old steer

Second photo

Woodmagic Mallard 7th

Third photo

Majestic Karenza

Rutherford · Post by **Rutherford** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:32 pm

Many thanks for the pics. It is always difficult to be certain from photo’s, but I suspect Karenza is a carrier. Iris is not distinct enough to tell, Mallard of course is not. If you use a long leg bull you will be safe, providing the bull is a small long leg Mallard’s calves will look like both parents, if the other two are both carriers their calves will be all shapes and sizes. Good luck anyway.
Beryl (Woodmagic)

dizzydex · Post by **dizzydex** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:43 pm

Hi Beryl, I don't understand 'all shapes and sizes' do you mean short and long or even medium?

Rutherford · Post by **Rutherford** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:23 pm

Assuming they are both carriers, yes. Each time can be different, it depends which gene they pass on. Unless you test them you would be wise to stick to a long bull even if you want to breed short. You will finish with the same number of short, but if you used a short bull, half your possible long legs would be exchanged for bulldog calves.
Beryl (Woodmagic)

ann · Post by **ann** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:08 pm

I must have miss something as no where in Julie's post does she say she begged the cattle, and I can see no harm in her at least trying to contact the seller to see if they have been running with a bull.

welcome aboard and hopefully your new dexters will have found a more permanent and loving home.

sadly to many people are rushing in and out of dexters. I always try to sell privately as I like to try and settle my surplus dexters in as near permanent homes as poss.

Rutherford · Post by **Rutherford** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:53 am

I always aim to sell mine to a permanent home, and sell privately for this reason, unfortunately circumstances can change, hence my Mallard found herself in an auction mart. Sickness, financial circumstances can force a sale, and the small breeder, the new owner finds it difficult to make a sale, in desperation they use the only venue known to them. Hence my plea that our official breed sales should be open to non haltered stock, and the smallholder. If you look at past postings, two of us suggested contacting the former owner about the possibility that a bull might have been running with them.
Beryl (Woodmagic)

dizzydex · Post by **dizzydex** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 3:48 pm

Hi I thought I would give you a quick update. I have spoken to Woodmagic Mallard 7th previous owner today, who is a lovely lady that is happy her cow has found a good home. I now know that she had a heifer calf early this year and that she had been running with the bull until July so she may be in calf. I have contacted the bulls owner and will hopefully know more next week. A scan is in order I think if no bulling is evident by next week.

dizzydex · Post by **dizzydex** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:01 pm

Hi its been a long time since visiting the forum. I wanted to let you know how we are getting on with the 2 Dexter cows bought at the sales in september last year.

We settled in well to keeping an incalf cow, a steer and 2 new dexter cows. After a brief period we were required to have them all TB tested and had to ask a local farmer how this was carried out. He chuckled when he saw how 'wild' the 2 new girls were and suggested that we find a crush. We went on eBay and purchased an old crush which was modified and made serviceable. The day came for testing and the same farmer came up to give a hand. I was amazed at his ability to handle them all into the barn and then one by one into the crush. We asked the vet to PD the 2 new girls and sadly she confirmed that they were not in-calf. The TB test was all clear and we started to watch for signs of bulling. The steer was showing no interest other than being playful, so just before Christmas we made the decision to bring a bull in.

What a handsome chap he is. He walked calmly off the trailer, walked down the field and served one of the new cows straight away. A couple of weeks later he served the second one. We have waited for them to return and there have been no signs so I have both fingers crossed that they are in-calf.

The bull will be going at the end of March and when he is TB tested I intend to ask the vet for another PD.

So all is well, they eat massive amounts of hay and bellow loudly if I am late with breakfast. It seems that they are here to stay and with the first calf due to be born in March and the steer going for beef things are looking good.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 6:17 pm

"So all is well, they eat massive amounts of hay and bellow loudly if I am late with breakfast"...They've have you well-trained then :D. Be wary not to let them get fat, easy to put on, hard to get off and can lead to a variety of problems.

Edited By Broomcroft on 1233854262

dizzydex · Post by **dizzydex** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:39 pm

where have I heard that before ??? A moment on the lips and years on the ....

No seriously I am trying to be careful but they ate all the grass!

Edited By dizzydex on 1233873618

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 8:13 am

It would be a very lucky person to have much grass to speak of at this time of year! :D

CarolineL · Post by **CarolineL** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 2:37 pm

Hi DizzyDex - great to hear you're getting on well with your new Dexters. We got our small herd last April and are still really enjoying them. We had an issue with them getting too fat too - when the vet came to do the TB test at the end of last year we asked him how they were looking and he said on a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is a very skinny cow and 10 a very fat cow all ours were 8 or 9! Very embarrassing! We had been giving in to the bellows of "feed us, we're starving!" and giving them as much hay as they would eat (they'd eaten all the grass). The vet likened it to children shouting for more sweets. So now if they've finished the big round bale of hay/haylage before the weekend, and especially if it's very cold or snowy as it has been recently, we give them a bale of barley straw to fill their bellies and slow down the digestion (suggested by the vet) to last them till the next hay bale.
It's difficult though when you've got one cow suckling a calf and two very greedy cows without calves in the herd, as they eat as much as the one with the calf and she needs more than they do.
Would be interested to hear how others get this balance right in a small herd. Any suggestions?
All the best,
Caroline