Virtual Stockjudging - Duffryn Herd

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Sun May 23, 2010 6:41 pm

Thank you for the pics of your steer Stephanie, he looks lovely. The grass belly on our steer seems to vary from day to day and makes it hard guessing the size of the rest of him.
Clive that is a good idea to guess the grade, I wouldn't know where to start I am afraid but can ask the abattoir when he goes in.

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Sun May 23, 2010 7:04 pm

Excellent idea Clive! So what would you say about mine, he isn't the best of shapes and having for various reasons sent a very young one before, I want to get this one as big as possible and I realise he may go a bit over fat. If he went now how would you reckon he would grade?

Stephanie

Tim Watson · Post by **Tim Watson** » Sun May 23, 2010 8:24 pm

OK well here goes.
Two happy little heifers. Dehorned on Wednesday and kept in until this evening. Now let loose in a 3 acre field full of grass.

The heifer above is 10 months old.

The heifer above is 16 months old.

Having not kept cattle before, honest comments would be appreciated.

Many thanks

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun May 23, 2010 9:48 pm

Tim - Personally I would be very happy to have those cattle and just looking at them I would hope and expect that they would just get on with it. Mine have still got some winter coat but yours have even more. Same with our horses, they still have a winter coat.

Some the best beef we've ever produced Stephanie has been from "poor" grading animals and I suspect that is actually a key to the flavour. You wouldn't grade a Wagyu using the normal system! Anyhow, I've just sent two heifers and they graded O+4L. Issy looks to have slightly more fat cover than my heifers (which I deliberately sent earlier than usual as a trial, as I've always piled on more fat before).

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Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Wed May 26, 2010 10:42 am

Hello Tim,

Well they are both very nice but have thier differences.

The 10 month heifer looks a chunky little thing in the pics and seems quite a stocky, deep bodied, well made hiefer. I think she has the makings of a big strong cow, her calves will make excellent beef.

The 16 month hiefer is a more dairy type and will possibly milk the best and do her calves very well indeed. If you are going to milk one for the house I think it will be this one. She has a very friendly face.

Come back in a couple of years and tell me if I am right or wrong!!! :;):

Stephanie

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Fri May 28, 2010 10:36 am

1. To use photobucket go to the website www.photobucket.com and follow the prompts to start your own page.

2. Once that is set up you can upload to it with ease.

3. Then when you are ready start your Topic or Post in the usual way, minimise the page down using the little minus icon in the top right hand corner of the page.

4. Go to your icon for the net and go onto the internet again and then go to your photobucket page.

5. Find the picture you want to copy onto your post. I find it is best to click the centre of the image and wait for it to enlarge. To the left there will be four options - Email and IM, Direct Link, HTML Code and IMG Code. You need the HTML Code.

6. Left Click on your mouse over the HTML code, it will light up blue and the word "copied" will come up.

7. Now go down to the bottom line of the screen with your cursor and click on The Dexter for Sale Site wording and it will pop back up.

8. Go to the box for your post. Hold your cursor where you would like your photograph to be and Right Click on your mouse. It will light up a small drop down menu with options in it.

9. With a Left Click choose Paste and your photo will appear as a jumble of letters and numbers. Go to Preview Post to see if it is the right one! GOOD LUCK!

That way you can go back and forth and put on a string of pics one after the other.

10. If you just want to show us the one pic you can open up your photobucket - choose your pic - step 6 and then go to this site in the usual way start a post and drop it in - no need for opening up a seperate window.

Stephanie

If you get stuck PM me.

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Fri May 28, 2010 10:46 am

Tim both of yours look lovely but I really like the shape of the 10 month old.
Di, I look forward to seeing your lot :D .

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri May 28, 2010 11:16 am

Sorry to go off in another direction, but looking at some photos, there's a lot of buttercups this year in places. I'm confused about buttercups because what I read on the web says all varieties are pretty toxic when alive but OK dead in forage I think, but most people have some buttercups so I assume the cattle just avoid them, unless there's too many? Somewhere I also read they can turn a cows milk red and presumably toxic as well.

Edited By Broomcroft on 1275041862

bjreroberts · Post by **bjreroberts** » Fri May 28, 2010 11:47 am

Mine have been avoiding them and I have then topped the field after they have grazed around them. There are loads of buttercups this year, I have topped some paddocks for someone with horses because of them.

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Sat May 29, 2010 8:28 pm

Well here goes - I am sure you will get lots of replies and certainly none of us will agree, I am certainly no expert!

Poppy has a pretty head and is a lovely colour, she appears to slope from tail to shoulder in the picture but that may be the way the photo was taken.

Pepper has a good straight back and is a very chunky, strong steer, with a wide head, almost like that of a young bull.

Maple looks to be a good young heifer, well worthy of being kept as a replacement and will I think make a lovely cow.

Daisy looks to have a nice udder. However she is holding her tail and back up, which makes it difficult to assess her conformation. Perhaps she has just been examined?

Chilli is a nice steer, straight backed and good conformation but a bit longer legged and not quite as chunky as Pepper. I can't see his head properly - I know he is the one you are suspicious of.

Basil has nice conformation and can't be far of freezer fit.

Stephanie

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Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Sun May 30, 2010 9:00 am

Hello Di

Ah yes I did wonder if I could see a little bit of string in the other photo that showed her in the background, can't blame her not being impressed. :;):

They don't help us when we try to take a photo do they? I think they wonder what we are up to and make it as difficult as they can! It is really interesting to see other herds though and I really hope more people give comments because it helps us all to learn, both a bit about judging stock and what people think of our own animals. So come on you lot be brave!

Anyone else photograph their herd yet?

Stephanie

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wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Mon May 31, 2010 5:22 am

Stephanie, I love all the photos, and it is great to see other people's far away cattle so I hope others keep them coming, but how can we see what the pasterns and feet are like with all that wonderful feed on the ground?
Margaret

Minnie · Post by **Minnie** » Tue Jun 01, 2010 10:55 pm

Hi Di,

A local farmer here told me that one of our steers wasn't done fully and he could tell because of his pizzle, as it was more pizzley than the other steers.

From the photo Pepper looks more than the others, not sure in the flesh if he is or not, but it certainly was right for ours.

I took photos of ours just to show the difference.

Here's the one that was still a bull when the burdizzo left one behind.

and the other steer

The difference is really noticeable, I think.

Vicki

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Wed Jun 02, 2010 7:45 am

We've got one like that Vicki and I've seen him doing a heifer so had to have all my heifers tested (they were clear) and now keep my steers separate from my heifers, which is a nuisance.

Roger Goy · Post by **Roger Goy** » Wed Jun 02, 2010 7:14 pm

These are our four dexters. We bought them as our first dexters last year when the (heifer) calves were both 5 months old. We would very much appreciate advice/opinions on these?

The calves Bonnie and Midnight had the same sire.
Midnight has just never stopped growing and is now the same height as her mother, but short-leg Bonnie just doesn't seem to change. She is still only c 30 inches high. When the vet TB tested in December, he thought she was normal development for a short-leg, but she still just doesn't seem to grow. You can see her back end on the left of the group photo below.
We were planning to put her to the bull with the others when we get one in in September but wonder whether she is just too small?
They are all registered, but wonder whether Bonnie will be suitable to keep for breeding, or whether we should part with her.
Roger

Rosemary - 7 years old - due to calve late June

Ebony - 7 years old - due to calve early July

Midnight - she is Ebony's calf, 14 months old.

Bonnie - she is Rosemary's calf, again 14 months old and a short leg.