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Post by Olga on Oct 16, 2009 9:16:36 GMT -5
Hey Gene, would you mind posting some pics of Bucky? The ones on dextercattle2 are from this summer. Do you have any newer ones? What is his age/highth now?
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Post by Olga on Oct 26, 2009 19:41:50 GMT -5
Thank you, Gene, for the pictures. That is amazing! He is so small! Any luck yet contacting the Guiness World Records to have him as the world smallest bovine?
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Post by wstevenl on Oct 27, 2009 12:36:45 GMT -5
Poor little guy. Do you think there is something wrong with him? Kind of looks like his sire could have been a goat.  |
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Post by liz on Oct 27, 2009 16:52:29 GMT -5
Gene the picture of Bucky has been bothering me for days now. I really didn't know how to express it, so thank you for your explanation. I think that it would be a real aid to you and your neighbour to pull some tail hairs and do some testing, certainly on that calf but perhaps before anymore like your neighbour's who die at a year. I would be really interested to know the outcome of DNA testing your calf, but I just can't get over how sad it is. Liz
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Post by Star Creek Dexters on Oct 27, 2009 21:01:38 GMT -5
Gene, I think it's a fabulous story! I love that he is friends with the goat. =) Every where you look, all through out history, there are stories of 'strange happenings' or just plain 'How did that happen?' in people and animals. The important thing is he is living a happy, loved life and that his uniqueness is being appreciated! I think you should go after that Guiness record!!! =)
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Post by liz on Oct 28, 2009 17:56:57 GMT -5
Hi Gene, I'm glad that Bucky is comfortable and gets lots of attention even though he isn't living the life of fellow cattle. What makes me sad is the breeding that is behind a 'Bucky'. The fact that your neighbour breeds these small bovines but has lost 2 at a year because they are inviable and 'smother' makes me sad. Personally I believe that breeding a calf and then waiting to see if it was going to suffer and die a year later, is very sad. I don't think that is humane, particularly if you can't test to insure that it doesn't happen... but keep doing it. jmo. Even if Bucky makes it, what are his options? His genetic makeup says that he is a bovine, as you pointed out, yet he is too small and not knowing his problems, would you be inclined to even allow him to reproduce and fulfill that genetic destiny even though the results might be horrific? Liz
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Post by rhonda on Oct 28, 2009 18:22:25 GMT -5
Hi all. I have to say I agree with Liz--I think it is sad. I thought I was the only one that felt that way. Rhonda
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Post by Olga on Oct 28, 2009 21:58:07 GMT -5
Thank you, Gene, for providing clarification to all concerned. I don't remember where I've read it, but don't all breeds of cattle occasional crop out some form of dwarfism? The handy thing about Dexters, is that their form of dwarfism is dominant, so a carrier is clearly seen via phenotype. In breeds like Angus, however, a carrier looks perfectly normal, but when bred to another carrier has a chance of producing a severely affected calf. Since most beef breeders run big herds with more than one bull (isn't it 1 bull per 13 cows or so, when out on the range?) it is harder to pick up on who might have the probelm.
As to unusual relationships between animals, I've seen it happen between dogs and cows. We tried to adopt Brandy, an australian shepherd. She had pretty good herding instincts, but unfortunately developed a taste for eggs. There was a man that logged our land and he fell in love at first sight with Brandy, so she found an immediate home with him. But, going back to cow-dog relationships: Brandy would "go after" our Dexters when told to do so, but she would never "get" our Brown Swiss steer Lyle. Instead, she would run up to him wagging her tail and start licking his nose clean. She'd give him a full face wash, if he'd let her. I just loved telling her to go "get" Lyle!
Another dog, Marsh-A-Mellow, loved to hang out with our Dex-Beefmaster MuuMuu. They would play together, gallop around the yard, they would lay close together on a sunny day. MuuMuu liked to aggrevate the dog when she was playing with a toy, and the dog would get mad "thinking" that MuuMuu wanted to take the toy away. And when I would take MuuMuu on the front lawn on a leash for grazing, the dog would start eating grass. And not just nipping! No, she would very purposefully gobble up all the grass she could get in her mouth. Because if MuuMuu was doing it - so should she!
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Post by liz on Oct 29, 2009 19:35:49 GMT -5
Hi Gene, thanks for explaining. I wanted to write this morning but I have been slugging around 40 - 50lb squares with my partner, too old for this and so a bath with the Epsom salts are next! Anyway, now that you have explained the 'neighbour' thing, I understand that you were talking about two different people, I am glad about that! People can do unconscionable things breeding for the pet industry, albeit they are cattle. Still haven't changed my opinion about Bucky though but 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' so more power to you. Liz Oh btw the Angus do have a test for the several kinds of dwarfism so if he chose to, your other neighbour could avoid that in the future.
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