Dexters (and more) for sale

A note about sale animals:  unless they say "unregistered" they can be registered in one or more of the registries under current rules or already are. However, I rarely register ahead of penalty deadlines (unless showing) because live animals, in my experience, can get hurt, sick, or dead and cause that registration money to be wasted.  Usually, the preliminary requirements have been met and registration involves only sending in the fee and paperwork.  Prices I may list with pictures of animals are "To Me" price for the animal as is.  GF includes a vet health check transport paper, and for registered animals a FIRST registration of seller's choice.  All other costs, such as tests, transfers, additional registrations, and transport are at the cost of buyer, though seller will assist with getting it done.  In some cases, I've put OBO (or best offer) and the above rules still apply.  Unless noted, or listed as "unregistered," the animals for sale are PHA-free and chondro-noncarriers by obligate status. The animals also typically have had a pasture-and-hay only diet, supplemented with minerals, kelp, salt...not show feeds, grains, or tubs with protein and molasses.  I believe this gives a buyer an "honest look" at what the genetics of the animal will allow him/her to do on a "just average" pasture situation similar to what most would have.  Please feel free to call (see contact info page) with a reasonable offer.  I will also give more info on each one that you are interested in if you talk with me.


Gladhour X-Rall O'Pref

Sire: SF Preference
Dam: Gladhour Rally
Born 2010
Red, polled, A2/A2,
Not trained to halter or pet, but good temperament.
$2500 OBO
Sire & Dam Qualify, DNA at UCD

Gladhour Yuro O'Rab

Sire: Gladhour Raben
Dam: Gladhour Urabina
Born 2011
Black (doesn't carry color), homo-polled
A2/A2 or A2/A1
Not trained to halter or pet, good temperament
$2600 OBO
ADCA 033244, Sire Qualifies, UCD (dam qualifies at another lab)

Gladhour Zwulu O'Pref

Sire: SF Preference
Dam: Gladhour WulliJilli
Born 2012
Red (& carries dun), polled, A2/A2,
VERY gentle and tractable natural personality,
thoroughly halter-trained & exhibited.
$2500 OBO
ADCA 033275, Sire Qualifies, UCD (dam qualifies at another lab)

Gladhour YhanSomm O'Pref

Sire: SF Preference
Dam: Gladhour SommmerDay
Born 2011
Red, horned, A2/A2, not trained to halter or pet, decent personality
$1700 OBO
Sire & Dam Qualify, UCD

Gladhour Xugar O'Pref

Sire: SF Preference
Dam: Gladhour Sugarsweet
Born 2010
Red, polled A2/A2 or A2/A1, not trained to halter but friendly
$1800 OBO
Sire Qualifies, UCD

Gladhour UK (pending better name)

Sire: Gladhour Wolirence (qualified at UCD)
Dam:
Born 2013
Black, polled, A2/A1 or A2/A2, not trained
much but can be haltered and led
$1300 OBO as unregistered price up to July 31.

Gladhour Ziles O'Ray

Sire: Gladhour Raymore
Dam: Gladhour Nila
Born Fall, 2012


Black (carries red &/or
dun possibly), polled, A2 status not known,
not trained, calm personality
$1500 OBO

Gladhour Zee-Swee O'Ray

Sire: Gladhour Raymore
Dam: Gladhour Sugarsweet
Born: 2012
Black, horned. unknown A2 status, not trained, not aggressive.
$1000 OBO

Gladhour Ayasal (or better name), unregistered

Sire: SF Preference
Dam: Gladhour YaSalle  11-10 (unregistered)
Born 2013
Red, polled, A2/A2 or A2/A1, was a friendly, nice calf
$1200 OBO

 Gladhour Ximiss O'Pref

Sire: SF Preference
Dam: Gladhour Missy
Born 2010
Black polled, A2/A2, decent personality, moderate size
$1700 OBO
ADCA 033250
Sire Qualifies, UCD

Gladhour Atwyl O'Pref

Sire: SF Preference
Dam: Gladhour Twyla
Born 2013
Red polled, A2/A2, pettable and gentle
$1200 OBO









Commercial moderate frame bull for efficient commercial cattle, unregistered

No pedigree.  Fairly young but DOB unknown.
Black polled, likely homozygous polled. Calm to walk around, untrained.

$3000 firm

March/April/May

Biggest news items:  1. My neighbors/friends who helped me throughout 2014, even getting involved in Dexters,  moved away.  It was to something they wanted, a full time ministry position, so I couldn't help but rejoice with them...and miss them badly!  2. The organic crop land renter who had farmed my land under the recent arrangement for 4 years decided not to do that this year.  That gave me a serious "pay cut."

May's highlight was the PDCA AGM and Ohio Valley Dexter Breeders Association show and sale.  I like the OVDBA attitude and approach but the location was so far! Make the attempt to go?  I wanted very much to make the PDCA meeting.  A surprise email from a young cattleman who wanted to show (lives more than an hour away) put preparations in full gear. (Inserting here, after pic, the "saga" I sent to a friend by email--modified a little.)

Our Plan A was for his dad to drive their truck pulling my trailer full of my animals (and 1 of his, if possible) for him to show at his first show, some of which I hoped to sell at their Dexter sale. Because of other workers on medical leave, his dad didn't know if he could get off work (in the end did so, but I /he didn't get word on that til the Tues before we were to leave on Thurs to show on Sat). Anyway, we had to send paperwork long before the dad would know if he got off. The meetings were the big thing I wanted to go for and were on Friday, so my Plan B, which I made with a senior center acquaintance (a woman with an adventurous spirit) was to go in my PT Cruiser with her as passenger in front and my two smallest calves in back, meet up at the event with boy and dad on Saturday (since if dad didn't get Fri off, he could still leave after work Fri and get there for boy to show on Sat), dad having driven his truck and a rented trailer and the son's bull to show, and able to take back my animals in the trailer if they didn't sell. I really didn't want to DRIVE. Found out on Mon or Tues that the dad's truck broke down on Mon. So we started trying to work out Plan C.  Boy tried finding a rental pickup as I did, but with no luck. On Wed, the woman who was to ride with me called me that she'd hurt her back and didn't think she should go. So in the end, Plan D was put in place. The dad and son and my smallest calf and I went to Ohio in my PT Cruiser. I drove most of the distance and all night after leaving Thurs night about 9:45 pm. Was giving us plenty of time for multiple stops and still to make the meetings that were to start at 4pm on Fri. We crossed into Ohio and stopped at rest area from which we left with the dad driving. Started having some car trouble so took next exit and pulled into shade at back of a McD's. Opened hood, couldn't see problem. I called AAA and didn't know if I needed tow or jump start so asked if they had a mechanic listed, then went to McD and asked various folks for mechanic recommendation. Talked with two shops. Started to try to drive to one when the car totally quit, so coasted into an accountant's parking lot and tried to get close to building for shade for my calf....and called AAA for tow to one of the mechanics. Waited...and waited. Not a busy place. Accountant owner came out and told us we had to move car into designated parking spots (in the sun). I said the car didn't run and AAA had been called so should be there soon. He said "3 adults, small car, you should be able to do it." We pushed it. Soon AAA tow came. Mechanic shop was very nice, put us inside right away, and even got a fan to blow on calf. Owner (guess) said he called 7 places to try to get alternator at good price, including 2 salvage yards, but only found one available on that day...total over $360. But he would hold check. We arrived at our destination about 8:30 pm. The trip that mapquest called about 11 hrs, we managed in about 23.  Missed all the meetings. Met lots of nice folks that night and next day, boy got tips and help in showing, which went ok for his first time. Only one item in the sale sold, a cow/calf pair. Watched oxen demo at end. Then I met with the president and an area manager to try to get caught up about meeting. Then we left, drove all night again (torture) and got home in time for church, tho I didn't make it til night church. So as you can see, the adventures continue. 



Quickly need to gear up now for the VA trip, which I've always intended to attend, ever since I learned the eeting would be in VA.  I loved living in VA in 1979-80, so have looked forward to the chance to go there for a visit.

January-February 2015

January is already gone in the blink of an eye, but I hope I am taking more note of February.

End of 2014 and into January of 2015 was focused on getting my commercial cow herd settled into new winter pastures.  My effort is directed toward preserving the genetics of the herd my dad developed so that I can pass on his work to nieces and nephews who will get my farm. The person who was caretaking them about 30 miles away from here sold his farm, so they needed to move and I wanted to do the best I can by them.  They are settled in by now but some moving around will need to happen when weaning time comes.

My biggest project taking most recent focus is trying to breed my Legacy and traditional cows using those old Dexter bloodlines.  Come to find out, straws I had stored in my vet's tank waiting for AI breeding had disappeared! I searched for replacement straws and ended up believing that the best choice was to get more straws of Woodmagic Hedgehog 3rd.  One of my very first Dexter cows, Rainbow Hills Henna (1998), and a 1999 heifer daughter of Rainbow Hills Holiday whom I brought home at the same time in January 2000--when my "life with Dexters" began--named Sturdevant's JoliJoyce, as well as Twainland's Kalla (2000) are now, I HOPE, bred to have a Hedgehog offspring.  I also had SF Ms Friendley AI-bred to Brambledel RedberryPrince.  So I will be on pins and needles watching to see if those "took" and waiting for calves.

My "class of 2014" are cute and mostly doing well.  I must admit to being partial to the two last cuties, heifer calf out of Zephyr and bull calf out of my all-grown-up special little bottle baby YesBeBesky O'Nob who began as a 17-pounder!  He is my current candidate to take to the ADCA show in VA in June.

Rest of 2014

My! I got behind in blog posting!
A young couple with a small child became active with my Dexters, and have recently become near neighbors.  They helped prepare Dexters for showing and also were one of the families which showed my Babydolls at Bethel in 2014.  Some pix taken through 2014 will follow.

Gladhour Zwulu O'Pref
A really sweet red polled young bull who does not carry chondro or PHA, and who is A2/A2.

Gladhour ZoBoy O'Ray
ZoBoy is a well-behaved red polled Dexter bull who is also a non-carrier of PHA and chondro.

Is Spring Here?

What a long-seeming and COLD winter!

Lately I have been concentrating on Dexter meat.  I raise grass-only, no hormones, no antibiotics, no GMOs beef.  Natural and delicious Dexter and Dexford beef.  Various local processors do the job.  Right now I'm eating very lean, winter-harvested meat.  Even though it would not be most recommended to order grass-fed beef in mid-winter, I have wonderful ground meat that is so lean I can put it in soups and spaghetti sauce without precooking and not have anything to skim off the top.  So far I have had "made-right" type sandwich, and also a chunk crockpotted for eating the next day, and I have been very happy with the ground.  Also, friends who pre-paid have an unexpected early pickup which gives me a chance to visit some folks I don't see often enough.  I send out evaluations to buyers who (buy live animals to make meat or) buy meat, and most come back positive.  I heard from a previous buyer this week who did NOT like a roast she'd cooked and I had no idea.  It turned out that she was unaware that grassfed beef needs to be cooked differently, and I thought she already knew the "low and slow" byword.  Shannon Hayes authored The Grassfed Gourmet, so is worth a look.  See http://www.shannonhayes.org/the-difference-between-grainfed-and-grassfed/

Early this week I had the anticipated birth of a "Legacy" calf.  In the early 2000s I was hoping to make a "mini-Woodmagic" herd on this side of the Atlantic and went in search of cows whose pedigrees contained mostly Beryl Rutherford's animals.  Hard to find relatively-unmixed, and dying off.  The "Colorado" herd came to my attention at around the same time, as a herd from early bloodlines in the U.S. that had been closed from outside influences for many years.  Among my Woodmagic finds/buys, only one gave me a calf that was unmixed (from AI, using Trillium Cluny semen).  Due to positive BLV tests in the cows, I isolated them from my normal herd and was pasturing them in an area I didn't visit often so did not get to know that bull calf well.  I eventually lost all the females without success in calves, and sold the bull last year, fortunately to some folks interested in preserving early bloodlines.  Meanwhile I had had one female transported from Delaware in 2004 or 2005 from the Colorado herd.  She has now given me 2 heifers from that Woodmagic-line bull.  I tried to buy a Colorado bull-calf from Delaware in 2012 but the owners said yes and then went into the process of dispersing their herd and I did not get one.  Now I have one Colorado cow, and two heifers that are a combination of Colorado and Woodmagic.  Have plans to try to tend and increase these rather rare Dexter lines as seedstock options for buyers, if I can manage it.

Meanwhile my Preference, from Llanfair's Mulligan (first red polled Dexter bull born in the US, I believe) is still his sweet self and getting along in a pen in my barnlot with three of my prospective future herd sires.  He has been my main herd sire for the calves to be born this year.  He tends to pass his sweet, calm temperament on to his offspring.  There is no Dexter bull in the U.S. that I am prouder to have had influence my herd than Mulligan.  And since Preference came with his sire and dam when I bought Mulligan, Preference has been with me since a calf and is so dear to me that he is prominent on my keychain and my cellphone!  I have various Mulligan descendants for sale.

My Babydoll sheep are a treasure too.  I enjoy them and appreciate their easy care.  It is nearing both shearing time and lambing time.  I have found a white ram that I was looking for but so late in the winter season that I couldn't get him to use this year.  I held out my oldest white ewes and did not breed them because I was hoping to get the ram I was seeking.  Hope that doesn't turn out to have been a mistake.  Meanwhile I have some ewe lambs from last year that should still be fine to show this year and I've tried to learn a bit more about showing so that I can.

I'm eagerly awaiting the young humans who will (I hope) be out to practice with calves and sheep and learn to handle and show them.  The weather, though it keeps bouncing between warm and cold, is moderating enough for the kids to start soon.  Your child, if you live nearby, may still enroll in the program, as I have several openings. 

A money-saving thing I ran into recently is that my cellphone provider is taking referrals and paying, $35 during March (presumably $25 later) to both the new customer and the referrer.  If you would rather switch from your contract cellphone and move to Virgin Mobile, I would definitely appreciate your using my code as referring customer:  https://refer.virginmobileusa.com/2djMlwJ .   I saw some new acquaintances in WalMart in February, I think, looking at phones and told them about the great customer service, inexpensive plans, and good phones that Virgin Mobile has.  Since Sprint as carrier has good service in their area, they decided to try it out.  When I spoke with them yesterday, they told me they had their month already credited to them and I found today that I did too!  So I don't owe another month on that phone until mid-May and will still have continuous service--woohoo!

Winter

Yes, I know.  I've neglected this blog for awhile.  Late September through early October was very busy with trying to make all the pieces of a puzzle fit together to take Dexters to FarmFest in Springfield and then the MO Dexter Breeders Show and Sale near there two weeks later.  Working to get the animals ready--foot trimming, halter-training, getting grooming-comfortable, having vet checks....  Working to get the arrangements made to keep them somewhere down there since driving a pickup and trailer that far is not my favorite thing to do; so handling both events in one trip was highly desired.  Had the reservations made, the money sent in.  Animals ready, six-year-old Abi all eager to show, etc.  Both events fell through for us because of my truck.  Mechanic shop didn't get truck ready soon enough for the first one and steering wasn't great.   Ok, so try to save and go to the second anyway....  We had the truck packed and ready, the animals loaded in the trailer, Abi in the back seat, her mom and I in the front and we headed off.  Stopped in Chillicothe at WalMart for something like water and--what should happen, but the power-steering goes out on the truck!  Limp to somewhere to try to get expert help.  Time spent waiting at the shop and I walking to ask nearby acquaintances if they know of someone for hire to drive.  Abi and her mom, and I concur, decide it is not best for them to make the trip, but I need to sell animals and have committed them to the sale as well as the show.  So they get a ride home and I head out.  Get a third of the way there and replenish the fluids and decide it is not really safe for me either.  DISAPPOINTING!!!!  Also needed to reduce animals for winter care.  Tried to find a way to do an online auction, worked on it til first week of December.  No carrier worked out.

Meanwhile, the Thanksgiving homestays went well; I was blessed to be a part of the process again of foreign students in the Intensive English Program at MU visiting in American family homes at Thanksgiving.  Christmas also came and went (with lots of cold weather surrounding that time.)

Winter is upon us, and a hard one it is.  Maintain.  Try to maintain.  The name of the game is day to day.  Neglect blog because positive things I can find to say are regarding the warmth of friends, but not farm news--so not the blog material to put up.  Hope everyone else is finding blessings in their relationships this winter...and maintaining!

Wheeling Homecoming

Since Assisi was already separated, washed, and easy to walk, I had the brilliant idea (!) to walk her in the Wheeling Homecoming parade.  The parade theme was "Happy, happy Wheeling."  Since I don't watch TV, that brought to mind clowns and balloons; E.P. makes balloon animals and enjoys making and selling them...so I thought the Wheeling Homecoming might be a fun time for him.  But the family had plenty of plans and declined.  So I proceeded to call and see if another family with kids might have a child or two who would like to walk in the parade.  The Howes thought that Hunter MIGHT, so I went to Chilli and got markers, poster board and 2 little flags and wrote "A happy, happy Wheeling needs a healthy, healthy USA" and registered the entry.  I used a red/white/blue lead rope and placed a  little flag in the halter between her ears. I wore a flag shirt and carried the sign and the other little flag. Assisi, the Babydoll, walked perfectly and many kids at the Homecoming wanted to pet her. The recruited Hunter did want to lead her and did fine.  So the experience was successful overall, even though decided on very quickly.  Thank goodness the day was not as hot as Saturday!  One picture of the three of us during the parade.  And one of Assisi afterwards.