shootlands ben macdui - breeding

[jeanthomas]

It poured with rain in suffolk yesterday (Friday). I have just been lucky enough to take three weeks of work (juggling a smallholding, son, husband, housework, you know what I mean? Didn't do anything like what I thought I could get done! Anyway as I said it rained all of yesterday and the choice was clean the house, get very wet or read Beryl's book which arrived yesterday morning (thank you Duncan!).

No choice, I spent all day reading the book, very interesting too, however I was slightly shocked at the problem with Shootlands Ben Macdui breeding - nothing we can do about it I realise and frankly does not affect me too much but I would have thought I would have read about it in the bulletin, did I miss it?

[Duncan MacIntyre]

When I failed to record giving a farmer a box of intramammary tubes or bottle of this or than, my now retired senior partner used to say "how many more I ask myself?" and the same could be said of this sort of problem. Obviously DNA testing can now be used to verify parentage but in days gone by no such thing was possible. and in any case it is expensive. Ocassional mistakes in pedigrees in the past cannot now be corrected and at the end of the day Shootlands Ben McDhui was the bull he was regardless of a mistake in records of his parentage - it is not as though the true parents were not Dexters.
Others have made much of pedigree inaccuracies and upset a great number of Austalian breeders after the 1st World Congress. Personally I think there is no gain whatever in worrying over old mistakes, they have happened and the breed has gone on. It just as irrelevant to cast aspertions on any polled Dexters on the grounds that they must be from introduced blood. In most cases the polling gene got there legitimately through grading up and if it did not then the effect after a few generations is just the same as if by grading up - what is the fuss all about?

I am glad you enjoyed "My Love Affair With The Dexter" - it is a frequent comment that once picked up it cannot be left till it has been read from cover to cover.

Duncan

[Saffy]

Would I be right in saying that in most types and breeds of animal other breeds have been slipped in occasionally by someone wanting to "improve" conformation or some other excuse?

For instance I have heard that there is thought to be a little Arab blood now in Welsh Mountain Ponies- hence the more extreme dishing of the face.

Personally I think with many animal breeds showing has done them no favours as breeders go to the extreme with breed standard but that is another argument entirely.

Also I was a little suspicious once or twice about the paternity of a cow or two that had been fathered by AI but never went to the expense of checking, silly really considering the cost of the semen. But much more than suspicious on the occasion that my Pedigree Friesian produced a very beautiful calf with black body and white head! Hmmm. The AI Centre didn't seem too bothered, just said mistakes happen.

My opinion is if you are happy with the look of your stock, not a lot else matters.

Stephanie

[Inger]

But did they offer to provide you with free straws the next season, to make up for it? ???