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Post by hobbyfarmdave on Apr 23, 2015 18:59:45 GMT -5
Hi folks, my name is Dave. I'm new to the forum, hoping to learn about Dexters and possibly try to start raising some by the end of the year or next spring.
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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 Apr 23, 2015 20:18:24 GMT -5
Welcome, hobbyfarmdave, you've come to the right place. There are some long-time Dexter breeders on here, and after 5 1/2 years I'm still learning from them. Ask lots of questions!
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Post by kansasdexters on Apr 23, 2015 21:02:25 GMT -5
Thanks for introducing yourself, Dave. Welcome to "Olga's Board"!
Patti
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Post by Pinevalleydexters on Apr 23, 2015 22:43:46 GMT -5
Hi Dave, Dexter's are a very nice breed of cattle to raise. Just a warning they are addictive and you can't have just one:)
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Post by Fran on Apr 24, 2015 7:04:48 GMT -5
Welcome! What Pinevalleydexters said is VERY true!!
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Post by emsshamrock on Apr 24, 2015 9:02:56 GMT -5
Welcome hobbyfarmdave! I'll echo everything that has been said already. There are people from all over the world on here all with different experiences to learn from. Its always interesting to hear about things happening in other places. I've been around Dexters my entire life, wouldn't trade them for anything. Welcome from Western Michigan! Emily Shamrock Acres
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Post by poplinfarmdexter on May 5, 2015 17:16:24 GMT -5
Our very first Dexters arrived today. One cow calf pair. More to come soon. We are super excited and eager to learn all about Dexters. We are in the foothills of North Carolina and there are not many Dexter around here.
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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 May 5, 2015 18:56:46 GMT -5
Congratulations! You're going to love them!
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Post by Pinevalleydexters on May 5, 2015 20:50:09 GMT -5
Ditto what Susan said!
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Post by poplinfarmdexter on May 6, 2015 11:19:15 GMT -5
Thanks Susan and Cathy. The first 24 hours went well. I was able to brush Cinnamon this morning and she and Slick found their waterer on their own. Do you cattle drink from Mirafount blue-balled waterers? We removed the top since our two have not drank from these before. We hope to put it back on in a day or two. Do you feed minerals loose or block? Former owners says these won't eat block. Have you had experience with this? Ours are on lush grass. I am so glad to find source of info.
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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 May 6, 2015 11:28:55 GMT -5
Loose minerals are better, as cattle tend not to consume enough minerals from a block. Most of the actual mineral blocks are mostly salt and have only very trace amounts of minerals. I'm not sure where you are, but you can find a good quality loose mineral that is formulated for your geographic area. Cattle tend to eat is as needed. There are some discussions you can find on this board on this subject. We use tanks, so I can't help on the mirafounts.
Depending on where you're located, you could be past the worst danger of bloat (from eating too much legumes like clover or alfalfa, especially if wet), but I recommend you do some research on that. One helpful preventive measure is to keep hay available at all times, even when on pasture. There have been some discussions on this in the health section of this forum.
Also, I always recommend to people who are new to cattle to get a vet over to check their cattle over and ask their advice. Let them know it's a consultation. It's cheap insurance in that it can answer questions before problems develop, it builds a relationship in case you ever need a vet. A local vet knows what diseases are prevalent, what vaccines are needed, and what dietary related factors you should be aware of.
It sounds like you're doing great getting to know Cinnamon and Slick. Enjoy them!
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Post by poplinfarmdexter on May 10, 2015 5:51:46 GMT -5
I am so sad this morning. Our first cow that arrived this week has aborted her calf during the night. The expected due date would have been Sept. 23. I see no abnormalities in the fetus. This was probably caused from the stress of being moved and re-homed (about an two and a half hour drive). She was on good grass pasture with feed and mineral supplementation and was still nursing her last calf. In all my years growing up around cattle I never saw one miscarry. Are Dexters more prone to abort?
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Post by poplinfarmdexter on May 10, 2015 6:33:54 GMT -5
Hi Dave, I am new to Dexters too. We can learn together. I am counting on lots of advice from these folks.
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Post by Pinevalleydexters on May 10, 2015 8:48:50 GMT -5
poplinfarmdexter we have trailered bred cows 3 hours before with no problems. I would say no Dexter's are not prone to abort, I have never had a cow or heifer abort yet. I hope someone more knowledgeable on this subject gives you advice. I am sorry that you had to experience this loss, to me it's the hardest part of farming.
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Post by Dahdo on May 10, 2015 12:24:17 GMT -5
poplinfarmdexter, sorry about that calf. It may be too late this time, but you can have a necropsy done on an aborted fetus to possibly determine the cause. There are viral diseases, such as IBR, that cause abortions and can be detected in a necropsy. We are close to Oregon State University and they perform necropsies on fetus and placental tissue for about $100. You must chill the tissue and keep it chilled to prevent decay prior to the necropsy. One of my cows aborted this winter in her 4th month and I was not aware of the option to do a necropsy, so I just buried the fetus. My vet suspects it was IBR because the cow had a bad case of pinkeye that did not respond to antibiotics, a common symptom of IBR. This experience has led me to start vaccinating for IBR and other common cattle diseases.
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