Milk Performance in Dexters

[Gorignak]

Good things come in small packages.

HEIFER # 1......Jan 11 calving. First calf, chondro positive 36" heifer. On the heart-girth tape, she tapes out at about 600 lbs. We had "good" Fescue pasture. As good as Fescue can be, all summer. She was fed 2 lb of alfalfa pellets, and 1 lb of a cottonseed meal cube (25%) daily. We had to pull back on the feed, as her condition was Excellent+. She was in full flesh the whole time, and did not lose weight at any point. She seemed oblivious to the large output months. We became more concerned about her being "over-conditioned". The display of condition, output, and feed efficiency was nothing short of spectacular. We milked 2X daily, on a 12 hr schedule. Because she did not have a calf, she acclimated quickly to milking, let down rapidly, and was easy to milk.
Jan....280 lbs/35 Gal(18 days milking)
Feb.......400lbs/50 Gal
March....400 lbs/50 Gal
April......440 lbs/ 55 Gal
May.....400 lbs/50 Gal
June......350 lbs/43 Gal
July.....320 lbs/40 Gal
Aug..... 320 lbs/40 gal
Sept.....280lbs/35 Gal
Oct.....240 lbs/30 Gal
Nov.....150 lbs. 18 Gal
Dec.....Dried out for next calving, due on Feb 22. 82 day rest period

Last day of milking first calf heifer. Udder never looked much different.


COW # 2.....May 11 calving. Chondro negative cow. 6th calf. Calf was dun, chondro negative, 45 lbs birth weight. Calf died, probably of "hardware" disease, at about 4 months old. Calf was grazing constantly, and readily began creep feeding at under 3 months. Calf would eagerly bounce into a stall and eat alfalfa pellets and Calf Manna in the late morning. In hindsight, and now understanding milk output and growth genetics. We see where the looming problems first began.

We milked the cow for the first 3 weeks to relieve pressure. We got somewhere in the vicinity of a gallon / day in those milkings. THE CALF GAINED 2.25 LBS DAILY FOR 111 DAYS. The calf was weighed weekly.2.25 lbs of gain takes about 23 lbs of milk according to readily available charts. This translates to about 2.75 gallons of milk output for the cow. Add our take at the beginning, and you have an initial output of about 3.5 gal/day !! Nice. We ceased hand milking at about 3 weeks to allow the calf to grow to full potential. It appeared all milk produced was being consumed. At 3 months, we began the "calf-and-half" share milking with an emphasis on creep feeding. The calf greedily gobbled 2 lbs of creep feed daily. A first, the calf loosened up, and scared us that we were doing something wrong. No temperature, no "scours" , just loose. We caught back up, and the calf's manure firmed up.
THIS IS THE POINT where a really keen "stockman" would have done some numbers in their head and asked a couple questions. When we resumed share milking, the calf was still gaining 2.25 lbs/day.We were getting about 1/2 - 3/4 gal of milk. We "ASSUMED"....after reading the "information" available here, and elsewhere on the web, that the cow was still producing large amounts, and was "holding back" and giving the calf most of her production.

IN HINDSIGHT....the cow's production was spectacular at first, but began to plummet after about 2.5 months. She was about 900 lbs, and we were supplementing good pasture with about 3-4 lbs daily of alfalfa pellets and 25% cottonseed based range cubes. She was in real good condition, but never carries the flesh that the chondro positive cows seem to be capable of. Except for attachment, I pay NO attention to udder size anymore. Her udder, as was the smaller heifer's udder, are "high-and-tight" . They carry them well above the brush and rough pasture they are expected to graze. Their production did not suffer from not having pendulous udders. THE SLUMP IN PRODUCTION IS EITHER GENETIC BASED, OR AN "ACQUIRED" HABIT...if that is possible.
Her calf from last year was a chondro pos bull, who did not grow at the extraordinary rate that this year's calf grew at.But, we now see some indicators in his eagerness to begin creep feeding early.
BY 2.5 MONTHS....THE CALF'S GROWTH POTENTIAL/GENETICS OUTSTRIPPED THE COW'S DECLINING MILK PRODUCTION. The stage was set for disaster.


Good Milk Cow?? Don't bet on it.

SO..........
Do you know your calf's true growth potential. Is it receiving adequate nutrition to match its genetic potential.If you think the answer is "YES" then, pray tell..."HOW" do you know that. Measured milk output?? Calf weigh-ins weekly?? Or just the visual certainty...."the calf is fine"....?? Define fine. Explain the casual acceptance of possibly less than optimum growth in the face of a large body of evidence that the first 6 months determine the future efficiency and milk output of a heifer, and true growth rate of a bull. In other words, "doing fine" may be 75% of " optimum performance.

Do you measure milk output from the udders you offer photos of here and tout as "worthy of praise" What are you praising. I'll take my tiny udder, chondro positive, future high producer ANY day of the week over her larger, more attractive counterparts....Just exactly what DO you know for certain??? Is milk production tied to udder appearance....size....or configuration. OR....is it possible in many regions that the surge to breed and sell these cows has created a DIVERGING SET OF CHARACTERISTICS.....PRETTY UDDERS WITH LOW OUTPUT ?? HOW DO YOU KNOW OTHERWISE.......AND HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY USING THAT AS A MARKETING TOOL TO UNSUSPECTING BUYERS.  My purchases will be data driven, if that is even possible. I believe that the Aussies are in better shape here. The genetic profile of many "herds" in the USA has been subject to the pressures of the "homesteader" market for almost 2 decades, with few able to provide measured data. "Looks Good" is not data.

DO YOU WANT THE POTENTIAL FOR 2.25 LBS/DAY GROWTH IN YOUR CALF'S GENETICS ?? ?? I , for one, do not. At least, not at the outset. That growth rate is in the upper tier OF HOLSTEIN OR ANGUS calves performance. I am/was planning on/will,  look for about 1.5-1.75 lbs / day growth. I don't have the skill set to manage super-charged genetics at present. AND, most of the casual, anecdotal, backhome, folksy references to the breed failed to even offer that trait as possible.

I need 10 more cows this year. Anyone with information on milk production, weight gain, along with the basics...calving ease, size, birth weights, who have cows or heifers to sell would do well to contact me.So far, I find most of the necessary records unavailable. I DO have a fallback game. I can carry 30% or more chondro positive cows on my 80 acres of nascent pasture. They will do better, forage better, and be far more thrifty than their non chondro counterparts. Starting with chondro positive cows exclusively, I would be able to broaden my genetic options by the same 30% or more. With AI, and a good non chondro bull, I could develop a herd of non chondro milkers and establish production far faster than with fewer genetic avenues available. I laugh at worrying about A2.....Louise was so spot-on that one. What does A2 even matter if you have no idea of your milk output?? And, to put a point on that pencil, we are frantically researching milk replacer types for the February calvings. Current plans are to remove EVERY first calf heifer calf and milk through an entire cycle. that will at least allow a baseline data set to base future breeding choices on. We can also select the adequate producers for milking or selling honestly as home milkers

And, you can bet I'll get in touch with Genebo for help in finding those cows that nurse 2, 3 and even 4 calves at a time. Gene...that is my show cards and a couple of my hole cards.....what exactly do YOU have in your hand.....


THAT is a milk cow.....all 36" of her.

[carragheendexters]

Hi Mike,
they are admirable milking figures for your heifer. You keep great records as well, much better than I would, I'm hopeless.
I did some quick calculations and if my maths is right, she produced 446 gallons (2024 litres) in the 10.5 months of milking.
Our Australian Dexter society (DCAI) has a Certificate of Merit for milking cows.
They are to be herd tested under and official Herd Recording organisation, personal records don't count. Your girl if recorded would have been eligible for a C of M.
Requirements are for first calvers, 1750 litres (385 gallons) over 305 day lactation,
2nd calvers, 2430 litres (535 gallons) over 305 day lactation,
and 3rd and subsequent calvings 2580 litres (568 gallons) over 305 day lactation. They have to average 4% butterfat over the lactation.

I wonder if anyone in Australia has ever had a Certificate of Merit with a cow?

If your heifer's production had been herd recorded she would have been eligible for a Certificate of Merit.

Well done! All you need now as you say is another 10 just like her. Good Hunting!!!

regards Louise

[Gorignak]

COOL   Finally, some good news. Now back to reality. Due to the way we purchased the cows, this batch has a real, "Good Cow, Bad Cow" set of traits. It was a group bought by a young couple from a slightly older couple who were in the "business" of dabbling in Dexters. They, (the slightly older couple) had bought THEIR stock from an old man who has a herd of30 - 40  Dexters for 20 years.
A pedigree search will outline the "Asinus" herd. I don't know if the old man knew what he was doing....better put, I don't know what his plan was.

Anyway....the genetics that produced the Milky little heifer, Sheila, also produced her dam...Dorothy...who is a spectacular starting milker.....OVER 3 Gallons/day. Dorothy's production dropped below 2 QUARTS/day at 3 months !!?? Even MORE disturbing, is the fact that the dun heifer calf of this spring who died, and who was Sheila's full sister....GAINED 2.25 LBS DAY..... As I stated, I feel that this is way, way too much gain for a Dexter....Now, it might put you on top in the show ring if all else was sound. At least, it would encourage mass in a good line of established "beefy" animals.....like Louise's bull. So, I guess that to some, there is an admirable trait there to be explored.

I, personally, am looking for moderation and overall excellence. I would like to see a max of 1.5 lb / day gain in any animal I had. If you do the math, you will see that even with the exemplary milk production that Sheila had, she could have BARELY KEPT UP with a calf gaining 2.25 lb / day. No cream for daddy's coffee. This is the dead cat under the porch that everyone is tiptoeing past.
I really appreciated Margaret's frank evaluation that just three cows in her herd were capable of " calf + house half ", milking. With the stratospheric prices that the current boutique market in the USA is encouraging, I feel that honest evaluation is taking a back seat to the shuck-and-jive that elevates a comment in "New Age" homesteading magazines, concerning super milk production, to the status of well researched and documented data. I want to see the 2 - 3 - 4 calves nursing on one Dexter cow. At a meager gain of ONE POUND EACH PER DAY, 2 calves would require 20 lbs of milk daily....2.25 Gallons. 3 Calves would require 30 lbs daily....about 3.3 Gallons......and the Holy Grail of 4 Calves would require 40 lbs, or over 4.5 Gallons milk production daily JUST TO MAINTAIN A MINIMAL 1 LB / DAY GAIN IN EACH CALF.
Give me a break.....come'on.....I'm green, but I didn't JUST fall off the turnip truck.

GENETICS FOR 2.25 LBS DAILY GROWTH + GENETICS FOR PRECIPITOUS DECLINE IN MILK PRODUCTION AFTER 60 DAYS = DISASTER.

I think that, due to a lack of "due diligence" on the part of many, there is a disastrous mishmash of genetics waiting to bite any unsuspecting newcomer on the butt. Red. Polled, A2.....LOL .....get the real critical criteria right first.

At least, that's the plan here. I HAVE to pull the next calf off of Dorothy and bottle feed it....she can't do it adequately. Hey....I could advertise her as a "great milk cow" when she freshens and sell her to some unsuspecting, rosy-cheeked family with a couple of real cute kids..... She'd be giving 3 gallons/day..... for a few weeks....
She will never leave this farm not wrapped in butcher paper.......PROMISE.
THANKS for the info, Louise.......made our day....the milkmaids are VERY happy with their little gal.

EDIT.....I used 8 lbs for the weight of a gallon of milk....MORE ACCURATELY is about 8.4 to 8.6 lbs per gallon. If the math is redone....and we DID weigh all the milkings, not estimate volume....we fall right into the winners circle with a few gallons to spare, Louise....
WOW....and the cream line was still at about 20% of the jar depth on the last day. My "diet" now includes drinking my coffee black. I'm serious.... even our cats will not drink the store-bought half-and-half.

[Deleted]

Hi

Another poster gave me this link to read:

Bovineengineering.com/newsletters.html

Which is of interest for those talking here about quantity Vs quality

[Gorignak]

Close to home on that one. The Fry family are all ranchers in our nearby county. Several are Forest Service and Game and Fish officers.The Patriarch of the clan, Auburn Fry, once broke down driving up to our mountaintop farm. He parked his truck about a kilometer from the house, and walked up. The dogs were sleeping, and when he got 200 yards from the house he hollered out...."Hello, Hey....y'all home". As I looked out the window, I saw my 4 huge hounds headed straight for him at a gallop, snarling and barking....That man was 70 years old and he went straight up a tree trunk faster than a bear cub. The first branch was 10 feet off the ground, and when I got there to pull the dogs off, he was wrapped around it for dear life.

Great link. My bet is that the genetics of the Dexters are going to get so screwed up with the boutique trends, that the smart money is on a strong milking, medium sized, highly adaptable, super efficient Dexter.....or....back to the basics that made the breed so valuable.
No $$$ in it for me in my lifetime, but the kids will reap the benefits of maintaining a middle-of-the-road breeding program.

I STRESS THE EFFICIENCY AND ADAPTABILITY.... traits that take a skilled hand to select for. I have never seen the efficiency displayed better than in the little heifer I described. We began to feed her as she came in milk heavy.....and had to cut back to 2 lbs of alfalfa (lucerne) pellets a day. She was making milk and getting fat on rough Fescue pasture and brush.
:)We don't know to comment yet....but her, chondro positive also, sister is a bit smaller, FAR more stocky, wide legged, big boned, and meaty.....and is due her first calf on Feb 10. She has done so well on pasture alone, that we are excited to see the milking results. HER efficiency is incredible.

So, that is what was dropped in our laps. What we do with it is up to us.Thanks for that link.

[Gorignak]

Thanks for that information.   ATTRA    attra.ncat.org/    has proven to be the small, sustainable farmer's best friend, time and again. Their resource library, and availability of real time free consultation is invaluable. I am fortunate to be close to their home base at the U of A in Fayetteville.

That is a valuable insight on feed inputs. Our main hurdle will be acquiring a steady source of quality hay. Local hay is invariably Fescue, and usually harvested for volume, not quality. It looks like the large square bales, trucked in, of Alfalfa and a good Southern Legume mix will be the best choice. I had the Forest Service team, and then a Game and Fish consultant out for our re-certification in the Tree Farm system. All of them BEGGED me not to plant Fescue on any new pasture I developed. They promised to help in any way possible to get cost-share to use better grasses. Orchard Grass, Lespedezia, and Bluestem were their favorites.Even with liming, we have to reseed clovers here every 3 years.

[cddexter]

back itgod (in the good old days) I used to keep track of calf gain. My stats agree with Mikes.

The trick to breeding good quality Dexters, for milk, is not to look at the volume of milk in the first couple of weeks, but to see how the curve goes over the length of the lactation. As Mike has found, a cow that looks like she's milking well, but whose production drops off early, is NOT a good milker. One of my lines used to give about 4 gallons a day, and after 10 months, was still giving over 2.5 gallons/day. That's first hand experience, not third hand fables. Hiyu Saturn's Warlord, on AI and available from Paula Maras, was a son from this line by the Register of Merit English bull Saturn of Knotting (also sire of Galaxy, and we all know how he produced superior udder genetics). Reports I've had from those who have calves on the ground say they are beautiful with silky-skinned udders. Have to give them a few years to get old enough to have milk records. Food for though, maybe, Mike. Cheers, c.

[emgiger]

Thanks for the info, Carol. I will be AI'ing three of my best cows with Warlord in the next couple of weeks. I am so excited to incorporate his udder/milk genetics into my herd!

Eileen

[Gorignak]

I'd have to chop 100 miles of ice to get to Paula's today... I'M ON IT. I'll drop her a line. She has been very helpful so far.  My recent lack of enthusiasm/advancement has more to do with the latest string of upsets than from lack of desire to do so. We got beat up by the calf loss. BUT...the lesson learned burns brightly.The worst winter in 20 years is about to pound us to oblivion. The poor cows are looking at me..."MAKE IT STOP"!! Even the 7 year old has not seen much snow. We have had a string of VERY mild winters.

I am going to abandon my hyper-sensitivity to the "upgrades" after reading your milk output figures.....BUT....there is still one line in the sand I am keeping. The cows HAVE to have the adaptability, and efficiency that characterizes the "traditional" Dexter. If I abandon the breed's utility, adaptability, and efficiency, I might as well get Guernseys. That stupid Guernsey we have eats what 4 Dexters eat.

While I have your attention, Carol.......what is up with the 2.25 lbs / day gain by Sassy. Is that anywhere within "normal" for the breed. It looks like OZ is putting on the milking qualities....the dam of our "good" milker is the poor milker. But, to complicate things....Sire (OZ) and dam (Dorothy) are brother and sister....I DON'T look to this as anything more than an interesting initial exercise in genetics....never to be repeated indiscriminately by us, but worth the lesson. I'm trying to play the cards I have been dealt as best I can.
Like you have commented...inside every chondro carrier is a much larger animal .... restricted by that one gene.Obviously something paired in Sassy for the extraordinary growth.

[cddexter]

mike, I don't know for sure, but think the growth rate for sassy was normal. At least in my experience. Growth rate in this case being weight gain, not height. Chondro doesn't affect muscle and guts, so whether or not she was a dwarf had nothing to do with the gain.
You've been promising to get to Paulas' for months, "only another hour past where we do our shopping" is how I think you put it. We're waiting...... (smile). cheers, me.

[Gorignak]

Will need to go by Paula's when the terrain allows a walk among the stock. Haven't gotten over to Fayetteville  in 4 months "shopping". Anyway....can't hurry too much, it took 7 years get Judy running water in the kitchen from a promise to do it soon. Wouldn't want to piss HER off My daughters inherited a herd of some of the finest Flemish Giant rabbits in the world when our "hillbilly" friend died suddenly. It has been cage and shelter building for a couple months. The family hauled 3 pickup loads of trophies out of the house, besides the ones that they kept and gave to friends.
I contacted Paula concerning a Craigslist cow that was nearby. She had raised it, and advised that the udder was less than perfect. It had passed through 2 or 3 hands. I think it was sold as a "milk cow" each time and the owners had been disappointed and sold her on. As we discussed / disgust (I love the English language), each one had lied/obfuscated/concealed from the next that there was less than they expected waiting down the road. I pulled up the seller short with some pointed questions, based on Paula's info. He admitted to being less than honest about the cow. Thank you Paula !!

I think that we need to leave the question of 2.25 lbs gain / day open. I think it is too much, based on what I can find on the web. I'd sure like to hear from some Dexter statisticians. She was 310 lbs at 110 days, from a 45 lb birth. She was certainly non-chondro.
I need to AI my two short girls after February 10 & 20 births. I am going to do what makes sense, and take your advice on that one. I am never embarrassed to change my mind. I agree wholeheartedly with Louise....Dexter genetics are rife with uncertainties. There is no use pursuing several of my desired traits if it is a death knell to quality milk production. The bull sounds like a winner.  I am ordering a de-horning iron soon. I admit that my love of horns on the cattle is outweighed by the stark reality of having spent a year in a 20 x 40 building with 4 or 5 horned cattle.....each of which has a personal plan on the social hierarchy.....with us at the bottom. No, there is no place in a confined space for multiple horned cattle and people.
Live and Learn...Die and Forget it All ......thanks Carol

[carragheendexters]

Hi Mike,

so you've been given the hints and tips on which bull to use, now go for it. Perhaps if you are in the market for purchasing new cows, you could look at getting some with these genetics. The thing about these English bulls is that they have come from milking herds, animals that had to milk well to make a living for the farmer, not just for fun as most people have Dexters now. The milking records were also kept, any poor producer no doubt was culled.

I have seen a photo of "Warlord", and he is very nice looking bull. (Thanks to Margaret W)

With Sassy's growth I don't have statistics on weights as you have done, (you have to excuse me I get a little confused sometimes, constantly converting back and forth between metric and imperial, maths may be wrong), but 311lbs (140kg) is a big calf at that age. Did I read somewhere that her mother is 900lb (410kg) or am I imagining it, if so, that is a big cow, so genetically maybe Sassy was programmed to be large anyway, and the supplementing that you gave her helped her reach that potential, which if only getting milk from her mother and pasture she would not have been able to do.

I just sent off a 2 yr old Murray Grey heifer  in fantastic condition, and she was only 450kg (990), and a 2yr old black baldy steer likewise condition, and he weighed 500kg (1100lb)

For comparison, we have just had 2 heifer calves slaughtered at just over 5 months of age, I only have carcass weights but you can do an approximation of liveweight. The 2 carcasses were 60.0 kg (132lb) and 54.3kg (119lb) cold carcass weight, they both lost 1kg (2.2lb) from hot carcass weight. Our calves tend to dress out a little higher than older cattle, so would be higher than 55%, I visually estimated the calves liveweight at around 100kg.(220lb)Going by the carcass weights that would be just about right, one maybe a little less. These calves were not supplemented at all, just milk and pasture, nor were their mothers, they were on our coastal property and were only grass fed. Both calves were non chondro, were in good condition, and had fat around their pins and over their ribs

So yes, Sassy was much larger (a third) and at a younger age. No idea why that would be, but you did say you were giving her alfalfa pellets and calf manna (whatever that is, we don't have that over here, I'm guessing it's some sort of calf pellet LOL) and I can only guess that is the reason, letting her reach her potential growth that wouldn't have happened if only nursing on her mother.

Gearld Fry has some interesting ideas, however I always find his style of writing a little frustrating. He never seems to get to the crux, he beats around the bush and just when you think he is getting to the part where he gives some profound information, it just kind of petres out. Some time back a friend told me to read his escutcheon article, for picking good milking cows. I checked out all of my cows, and to be honest I didn't notice a whole lot of difference, they are all very similar. What I did notice was that their condition and different muscling did affect the width . Fatter cows and more beef muscled cows  "filled it out", not that my cows are beef muscled but I should say those with more muscle.

He would have a heart attack with the hairy udders of Dexters LOL, your young cow's udder brings a smile to my face when I look at her photo, hairy little creatures!!

Mike, have you tried the old trick of checking ears and tails for cows with higher butterfat? There is a marked difference between some of my cows, I need to get their milk analysed and see if it corresponds.

regards Louise

PS Go to the English discussion on Mark Bowles site and read under the posting "Horn Injury", and you will be confirmed in your thoughts to dehorn. It was fortunate that she had an outstanding vet to put the heifer back together again, I can just imagine though a massive vet bill, as they charge surgery by the hour (or at least they do over here)

[zephyrhillsusan]

Louise, what old trick of checking ears and tails? All I know is, mine have them! What else should I be looking for?

[cddexter]

Louise... I follow Peter Chilcott rather than Fry. Very similar points, but Peter uses the female line, Gerald uses the male.
Mike, just don't expect a 36 inch cow from Warlord. My cows were mostly in the 42 inch range, bulls around 44-45, unless you get a dwarf. c.

[Gorignak]

Hey Carol.....I'm (unfortunately) older....and (fortunately) wiser. The size is fine. If I glom all the traits I "wanted" together and put them in the gas tank....I'd get about a mile down the road and screech to a halt. THE IMPORTANT TRAITS ARE ADAPTABILITY, EFFICIENCY, PERSONALITY, AND VIGOR. I'm going to avoid some of the current trends because I see genetic uncertainties and bottlenecks looming. We want DEXTERS ....rugged, multi - purpose, diminutive cattle.....42" is fine when compared to our Guernsey who I (6'3") can barely look over.I have gained a new appreciation of what the BD-1 gene can be used for, so pardon if I deviate and ramp up our genetic spread with the higher number of cattle the chondro carrier cows would allow me to sustain. I'm headed where many are....non chondro, sub 40" cows. 50 % of my calves will be non-chondro, and will be the pool WE select from.

Louise....the creep feeding had little to zero effect on the weight gain, except to allow it to continue when the milk production was dropping off. AND, if all had gone well for us, we still wouldn't know that the cow's milk production had diminished so much. SORRY that this event became so involved and convoluted. The calf getting sick, and then dying confused what might have been a more straightforward lesson.
The calf was gaining 2.25 lbs / day with no help from us. Personally, I would select to eliminate those growth rates. The volume of milk it would take to maintain it is huge. There are lots and lots of growth studies on the web....good solid University trials, that follow heifers through lactation and steers through grow-out. Any limit or choke in the EARLY development shows up like a giant bruise on the animal's performance at 12-24 months. Heifers produce less milk, and steers have a lower feed efficiency and diminished rates of gain.  A 1.5 lbs / day growth for a Dexter would be fine with me.

Which brings me full circle to your opening post in this thread....If anyone has made it this far through the thread, it would serve them well to re-read Louise's opening set of observations and questions....WE ALL would be so lucky as to have the thought and experience in that post part of all of our exchanges.

I'm adding one more question to those thoughts. Besides the question of KNOWING what your cow's milk production is....and KNOWING what a calf is gaining weekly.....THERE IS ONE MORE UNKNOWN..... Is the calf's growth potential less, equal to, or greater than, the dam's milk output. THIS IS CRITICAL......if the calf is growing at 75% of its real genetic potential, it will have diminished capacity for performance when weaned. Why this became so obvious to me was the long reads we did on milk replacer. It turns out that the 20/20 milk replacers.....20% protein and 20% fat that most of us will go down to the farm store and buy.....are POOR, VERY POOR, substitutes for milk. Most of the current literature is recommending going with a 24/22 for replacement heifers. Well thought out, long term studies of later performance show a 10% lifetime diminishing in milk output from a restricted early nursing program, There are even 27/18 or 27/20 replacers that supply nearly the correct amount of protein.....27% , and restrict the fat to 18%-20% to force hunger and more eagerness to eat a creep ration. The calf grows fast, stays hungry, and can be shifted to a solid feed faster and safer. There is a "Winterizer" milk replacer that is 24% protein and 22% fat.....it is said to keep the calves warmer in the winter...with the caution...that the greater fat % fills them up faster, and they do not eat as much as faster growth would want. The dam’s milk is approximately 27% protein and 30% fat on a dry matter basis.

So.....I'm not letting past, hard learned lessons, be forgotten. Our "difficulty" had its origin in a cow producing far too little milk for its calf. There was a cascade of misinterpretations, and misperceptions that continued and compounded the problem. In hindsight, it is clear what happened. Dorothy will never raise a calf again. BTW, Louise....Dorothy is non Chondro, and tapes out to about 900 lbs. She may be "large" for a Dexter, and the sire of the hyper growth calf is her full brother. SO...the genetics might be sealed there. I have one more round to go with the hand I was dealt, and then I will try to adjust accordingly. The bull is obviously the source of the long milking, good output heifer's qualities. Dorothy is that heifer's dam.