Judith's first calf - Trad Red Bull

[wvdexters]

He's finally here!!  LOL  It has been a long week...  Up & down that hill, day & night.  Checking on our little Judith Triu - expecting her first calf.  It has been exciting & after 6 days late, exhausting.  But here he is Knobley Alroy Jude. 

The little guy got here about 9pm.  Cold night so we bundled up & watched over them for a while before heading in.  Judith was so excited when she saw him.  She got right up and bellowed & then got to work drying him off head to toe, talking to him all the time.  Never saw such happy little calf.  It was like he was smiling, felt good on a cold night.  Within just a few minutes he was starting to move around & trying to figure things out.  15 min he was working on standing.  By an hour old he already was working on a bellyful of warm milk & doing a little "happy dance" for us all to see. 

He is a cute little guy & already much loved.  Lots of growing to do, to be like his grandsire Macklynn. 

 

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[genebo]

Hay, Jude! You're a pretty boy.

Lucky you, Karrie.

When will you have his test results?

[wvdexters]

Hey Jude!!  Laughing.......... good song

We are lucky!  Tickled really.  He is a cute little guy, and so sweet.  I've been in playing with him everyday.  Mama is about as laid back as can be.  The weather here has been terrible for taking pictures.  Cold rain & windy.  Clears enough to get the camera out & then starts right up again. 

I love this age. He's been racing around the barnyard sooooooo fast, tail flying & then just stops.  Then off he goes again.  LOL.  Lots of napping and nursing too.  I do love them both.  

We'll probably have the test results in about a week or so.  Husband just mailed them out this morning. The mail can be really slow here anymore.  At first I was thinking LL, probably because Judith is so short.  But now that he is out running around & I can get a good look at them, I'm thinking shorty.  He has that look - compact, short nose, & thick chunky build.  Like a little tank coming at you.  Reminds me alot of Macklynn, Judith is built just like her sire. 
 

[genebo]

It would be nice if he is a short leg. Do you know how dangerously close we are to losing the chondro gene from Legacy Dexters? I believe there is just one Legacy chondro bull left.

[dexterfarm]

Oct 29, 2018 20:06:31 GMT -6 genebo said:

It would be nice if he is a short leg. Do you know how dangerously close we are to losing the chondro gene from Legacy Dexters? I believe there is just one Legacy chondro bull left.

Yes one bull and just a few cows. I have one of the cows but so far just long leg calves from her.
I have one modern cow caring a Legacy embryo from a dwarf bull and 4 more on ice waiting for the cows ready to implant. Embryos run 50/50 odds and then only 50/50 that it will be a dwarf. So I stand a good chance of getting one dwarf out of it.   

[genebo]

Good luck with your embryos.

I have a cow here now that is carrying another Wee Gaelic Ms Fermoy embryo. The sire is Rafter Dee Finn Bennach. I can't find out if he carried chondro or not. We'll know if this last embryo is a carrier. I can only hope that it is, as well as hoping that it is a bull.

Meanwhile, back in West Virginia, the red explosion continues! I hope that Jude finds a good home where he can help spread American red and chondro.

I hope I'm not too far behind.

[wvdexters]

Yes, Good luck with your embryos! Exciting news for both of you.

I've been having computer problems lately, Husband just surprised me with a wonderful new one. Told me he was going to the store for some cough drops (I have a cold) & came home smiling with a gift. Sweet man! And he brought the cough drops too. It has taken a couple days to get it set up & everything transferred over. It is wonderful, no more glitching. LOL

The little guy was doing laps around the barnyard again when I went down today. Cold & rainy, but he was having a great time. He is so sweet.

We have been so LUCKY here Gene! This is our 3rd little red. And it has been so much fun... 2 shorties for sure & probably 3 now. Being part of LDCB & the Preservation effort, I think what has been the most rewarding is spreading them around. Sharing this almost lost part of the breed with other Traditional breeders. Very cool!

[wvdexters]

You called it Gene.... Test results are back & he is a shorty. Just like mama. Really like this little guy. We seem to be the place for shorties anymore

[genebo]

You are about to get room for more Dexters. Randy and Kandi are on their way to see you and pick up Gretel.

[genebo]

I got a look at Gretel by flashlight. She was a dream to handle.

She stepped off of the small trailer into the corral and made the acquaintance of Queen, the Legacy cow, and her calf, Bonny.

The trailers were swapped, with the small trailer being parked and the big trailer hooked up to the truck. Then all 3 Dexters loaded onto the big trailer and they were off to North Carolina.

Randy and Kandi had stories to tell of what a nice farm Karrie has. One of these days I want to go see for myself.

[wvdexters]

She is a sweetheart, isn't she. Triu's temperament & such a pretty little heifer, reminds me so much of her mother when she was young.

The weather here was awful, but we had such a good time visiting & talking Dexter. Rain/sleet the whole mess- But she cooperated & loaded easily. Just followed me right up into the trailer. I do love that trailer! And yes, someday when you are up in the area you'll have to stop by. We'd have a great time. Not a big farm, but it is beautiful here tucked in the WV ridges.

Randy & Kandi are great & they are building a really nice herd. I know she has found a good home. North Carolina (With the weather we have been having I was tempted to just stay in the trailer with her. Stay still spring... it'd been lovely.) LOL