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Post by bruff64 on Jul 2, 2014 16:55:57 GMT -5
I thought some of you might find this interesting. I was at the barns of Muckross House in Killarney National Park, Ireland this week and the Barn Manager showed me three 2 year old Heifers. Two are going to beef this week. The other, much smaller than the other 2, is being kept to go on display at the Muckrooss Traditional Farm exhibit. He said they considered her a throw back and her small size represented some of the Kerry's of times past. As you can see she is half the size of the other 2 and all are the same age. They have a herd of 200 here and all are very uniform.
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Post by bruff64 on Jul 2, 2014 16:57:59 GMT -5
Here is another view. Patty Adams you may find this interesting, having raised both.
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zephyrhillsusan
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Caught Dexteritis in Dec. 2009. Member of this forum since Oct. 2013.
Posts: 1,502
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Post by zephyrhillsusan on Jul 2, 2014 18:58:11 GMT -5
There is something very unusual about the short one's head. I can't quite put my finger on it, but in the first photo her face looks more like a horse than a cow.
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Post by kansasdexters on Jul 2, 2014 21:20:17 GMT -5
It's the photo angle, not the cow. We visited Muckross in March this year and we saw the same small Kerry heifer. We also saw a red Kerry heifer at Muckross and another one at George Kelly's Hazel Fort farm: www.hazelfortfarm.com/Bruff64, I hope that you are enjoying the beautiful scenery and having some nice weather during your trip! Patti
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Post by cddexter on Jul 2, 2014 23:17:03 GMT -5
My photo album of a visit I paid to Muckross in 1994 (or was it '92?) disappeared from the AGM in TAS three years ago, I'll have to see if I can find the negatives (fat chance but hope, and all that...). Glad to hear they are uniform. They must have done a lot of culling in the last 20 years. The herd had only just been set up when I saw it, garnering animals from all over the country.
Since you are there, you might check if Raymonde Hilliard is still going, and/or find out what happened to her herd. It was one of a very few that's been around for close to 100 years. Her father ran/owned? the Lake Hotel, just down the road from Muckross. Her animals were beautiful, around 48 inches tall, very deep, lots of capacity, high quality animals.
Any photos to share?
Cheers, c.
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Post by kansasdexters on Jul 2, 2014 23:52:03 GMT -5
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Post by bruff64 on Jul 3, 2014 2:57:21 GMT -5
Muckross Herd in Killarney Park
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Post by bruff64 on Jul 3, 2014 3:04:12 GMT -5
I thought the herd looked fairly uniform and in great condition. Patty, you may have got a better look than I. The weather here has been perfect, 2 hours of rain in the last 9 days. I got a sunburn here. Of course the locals tell me this is most unusual weather so we have been very fortunate. I did call Hillard's but was unable to make a connection. I did drive down to their farm but found no one around. I did not see any of their Kerrys. Maybe next trip as there will surely be one. I have had such a great time here and I would recommend everyone make it if you can. I did not see any Dexters. We have covered Dublin down the south and west coasts to County Claire and our time is now up, sadly.
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Post by cddexter on Jul 3, 2014 7:44:08 GMT -5
When I visited Raymonde, I had written ahead with the date, but came unannounced, and she was in the middle of putting hay in the barn, so I pitched in and helped. She invited me to stay for dinner, and asked where I intended to spend the night. I hadn't made any fixed plans, figuring I could get a B&B somewhere. Raymonde said there was some kind of festival going on, and not a bed to be had. oops. I could see a long drive ahead of me, looking for a bed for the night. I think it was more from resignation than desire, but she put me up overnight. By the time the hay was put away, and dinner over, it was almost dark, so when we went to see the cows in a pasture down by the lake, the most I could see was dark outlines and very little detail. Seemed deep bodied, long, and all the same height. She sure had strong views on current Kerries and on 'Dexters'.
When I was at Muckross, they had one 'Dexter' that was pointed out to me. A very nice, small, proportionate-looking animal with pure shorthorn coloring. Anyone who got a copy of the History DVD will see her in one of th pics. At that time, the Muckross Kerry kerd had only just been assembled, so there was a great variety of sizes and quality. They were running several subherds so it's interesting to hear how it is turning out.
Patti--thanks for the pics. DID YOU NOTE THE REAR UDDER ATTACHMENTS AND TEAT SPACING!!!!!!!!!!! wow
Some of the early Dexters in the US were from the Castlelough herd. If that's what Dexters started with when they were dwarf Kerries, it's an eye opener. Based on info when I started 30+ years ago, North American selection was focused on chondro size (and not much else) for 100 years, and this seems to have left us with the kind of udders you see being touted on the udder thread here. We have a lot of catching up to do!
Bruff: you can see from Patti's pics that a visit to Raymonde's is a must for your next trip there. Don't know how old she is, but I'm 72 and she was older than I; don't wait too long.
cheers, c.
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zephyrhillsusan
member
Caught Dexteritis in Dec. 2009. Member of this forum since Oct. 2013.
Posts: 1,502
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Post by zephyrhillsusan on Jul 3, 2014 16:56:49 GMT -5
Yes! I already had before I read your comment. Not so much the white-spotted udder, but some really nice ones in there!
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Post by kansasdexters on Jul 3, 2014 17:58:59 GMT -5
Zephyrhillsusan,
The Kerry cow with the white-spotted udder was an old cow. She still has four working quarters, and is still a great milk producer, even at 18 years old. That's extraordinary!
Patti
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zephyrhillsusan
member
Caught Dexteritis in Dec. 2009. Member of this forum since Oct. 2013.
Posts: 1,502
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Post by zephyrhillsusan on Jul 3, 2014 22:02:59 GMT -5
Thanks, Patti, that makes it impressive, too!
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Post by dollarlessbill on Jul 21, 2014 10:16:46 GMT -5
The Kerry cow I had was a super nice look n cow but was buy-poller, she was fine in the daylight but afterdark would try to run u down...
Bill
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Post by dollarlessbill on Jul 21, 2014 10:18:25 GMT -5
the de-horned part is what made me remember that
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