A Great Dexter Day

Labor Day was spent with new and old Dexter friends learning more grooming/clipping skills for showing.  The beauty parlor was open for business!  We set up the cow wash (aka the grooming chute) in as much shade as we could find.  Pete and Kristie trailered two of their show prospects as our "show and tell" subjects.  Jim and Peggy made a return visit to teach/remind us how to prepare Dexters for showing.  After showers and blow drys, hair was flying as the clippers (and kids) performed magic! 

We can't show at the N.I.L.E. this year due to other commitments, but there will be lots of beautifully groomed Dexters in Billings - no question about that!

Dexter burgers, peaches and Dexter cream, and banana <dexter>cream pie were on the menu as we all relaxed after our most enjoyable learning experience!  Thanks so much to Jim and Peggy for driving down from South Dakota.  Not only do we love our Dexters, but we also feel so fortunate that Dexter breeders are so generous with both time and knowledge!

Weaning is Loud!

We separated the last three calves yesterday for weaning.  Oh! the noise.  It was very cool last night and very loud with the windows open.  Bawling babies and crying mommas make for a long night for all of us.

Fenceline weaning is our way of trying to keep the stress levels down for both moms and kids, but it doesn't lower the decibel level at all.

The kids got fitted for halters today.  They get tied off to the fence post for a while to help them figure out that they can't get away.  Yellowstone figured it all out quickly and was really calm.

Daddy 'Dance came over to tell him that it would be okay......

Harper was so relaxed that he didn't even run away after he'd been untied.  He wasn't too interested in his feed though.  We know that will change soon enough!

Results

More about showing at the Nebraska State Fair in another post.  Suffice it to say that we were thrilled with Yanni's performance and our results.  The real result, though, was a wonderful few days with other Dexter owners who unselfishly shared their time and expertise throughout our entire "first timer" experience.  We say thanks to all of you!

Oh Happy Day!

Three of these are now tucked safely in the barn!  Winter can arrive whenever it wants now!

The Road to the Fair

Just under two weeks until the State Fair in Nebraska.  Grand Island - here we come!

Showing is a whole new adventure for us.  The learning curve is steep especially since we didn't have this experience when we were younger.  It's all new.  Given that we are learning everything as we go, the decision to start with calves was probably a good one.  They are a bit easier to manage while we are "learning" on them!

Yesterday we took Yanni on a 30 mile ride to the south so that she could have a manicure:

What an experience!  The tilt table is a fascinating piece of equipment, but isn't really Dexter-sized.  In any case, this was a first for Yanni (and us).  Her hooves look beautiful now.   When she was even younger, she'd damaged the side of her back hoof a bit.  It was growing out, but raggedly.  The hoof trimming took care of that and more....  All look neat and even now.

A few hours later, off to the next appointment for vet health certificates, a half hour to the north.  This is the second visit for the girls - the first required a blood draw for BVD testing (a requirement for showing in Nebraska). 

Yanni is explaining to Cinder that her manicure was wonderful, but she sure is tired of riding around in the trailer. 

At this point, we've pretty well decided that Cinder isn't going to be show material, even though we registered her for the fair.  However, Yanni needs a companion so Cinder is coming along for the ride anyway!  She's actually easier to work with than Yanni... 

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to prepare for the Fair!

Before and After

Before - with his little horns poking through

After - no more horns

This is our little Yellowstone before and after his dehorning.  He was joined by Harper and Yardley at our vet's office for the procedure.  In a week or two, after his hair begins to grow back,  you won't even know that those little nubbies were ever present on the top of his head. 

We weren't sure if Yardley was horned or scurred to begin with, but the vet agrees that although her horns were tiny, they were indeed horns.  She is a horned heifer from two polled parents.  Yes, it is possible.  Since both of our polled parents were heterozygous, Yardley had a 25% chance of being horned.  You can read more about the genetics here.

Bye Bye to Welcome and Yoshi

Welcome and her 2011 bull calf, Moosters Yoshi are on the way to their new home today.  Yoshi has turned out to be a nice little herd sire prospect - one of the first sons from our red polled USommDance.  So far, we are really pleased with his sons and his daughters.

Thanks and good luck with your new herd additions Paul!