We finally got our Dexters, 9 months later than we had anticipated but we are really pleased. We got a bred 5 yr old and a bred heifer. They are a bit skittish but we are hoping that some time spent with them will make them into friendly homestead cows. Of course David leaves in less than 3 weeks for 2 months in the Antarctic and I am here with new critters. To be fair, he thinks I'm crazy for taking this on but I am so excited. Earthmama I may have lots of questions. We have to do some serious fencing the next 2 weeks, hmmmmm and I had hopes of getting the indoor bathroom finished. Priorities, Priorities!!!

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. Kim

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2001

Answers

Congratulations, Kim!

I would plan on spending ALOT of quality time with your newcomers.....as I've mentioned lots of times, Dexters can be difficult to tame if they werent handled as youngsters. But then maybe yours were and just arent used to ya yet? They can be stubborn little cusses sometimes......but I sure loved mine. Some of em were REAL

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2001

Congratulations, Kim!

I would plan on spending ALOT of quality time with your newcomers.....as I've mentioned lots of times, Dexters can be difficult to tame if they werent handled as youngsters. But then maybe yours were and just arent used to ya yet? They can be stubborn little cusses sometimes......but I sure loved mine. Some of em were REAL friendly, like goats almost, but not most of em.

Good luck with your little cows!!

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2001

Thanks Earthmama, we plan on lots of cow time. In the worst scenario, we should at least manage to have sweet calves. We are just getting ready to go out with a bit of grain to try to sweet talk them.

Did you have shelter for yours up north there. Most folks don't here in Arkansas, and we don't have anything really prepared. Ice is our biggest threat, now it is just cold (below freezing throughout the day). Also how much grain did you feed yours. We talked to one guy with a big heard who only fed a little grain at night just to keep them friendly and bring them up to the house. The guy we bought these from kept them with his buffalo (yes buffalo's they liked odd things) and it was impossible to figure out how much grain he fed the cows and how much the buffalo!

We hope to take pictures today and load them on the Countryside picture album. May be needing some help! Kim

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2001

Kim, most of my animals had access to shelter in the winter. The bull never did though, and he was fine. He did have a good windbreak though, and truth be told I always worried about him when it was really cold. The freezing cold rain is the only thing that is really worrisome I think; up here of course it usually gets to 20 to 30 below zero for a least a few weeks at night (not usually all at once, but that is COLD!)

Wow, living with buffalo. That probably didnt help tame em up too much huh? I'm sure you'll win em over eventually!

Peace,

I used very little grain. Except for finishing steers with only about 2# a day for a couple months, I only used it for treats, tempting them to go where I wanted them to go, and keeping the cow occupied when being milked, and during very cold weather if I had new calves, I would creep feed the babies. You probably already heard that Dexters don't do well on rich feed anyway, and will bloat easier than some breeds. I personally wouldnt give your girls any more than two pounds at a time, and take a several days to work up to that, keeping an eye on their plops.

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2001

This is VERY informative since I am hoping to have a heifer calf this June. I was worrying about how much feed other than grass and hay already and what to feed..ration or BOC or a whole grain like barley or oats. I learn best by doing it seems so I figured I'd wing it and do the best I could. My cow book has nothing about Dexters in them. Oooh Kim what colors did you get?

-- Anonymous, December 30, 2001

Alison,

Both my cows are black. I am slowly getting to know them. They will now both nibble grain out a bucket when I hold it. The older more agressive one (Bossy) will let me rub her neck when she eats. Rubbing her nose makes her butt me and I have learned it is not something she likes. The more younger more shy one (Bessy) only lets me pet her when she doesn't realize. Bossy doesn't like to let her get any grain and butts her out of the way. You'll never guess how I chose their names. I want to get halters for them and begin giving them their grain in the barn one at a time. I think they will come along but it will take time. They are definitely curious though and want to be with us when we are out in the field.

Earthmama is a wealth of information, she will be getting lots of questions from me.

Kim

-- Anonymous, December 30, 2001

Mmmm the blacks so so very glossy and so BLACK! There always seems to be a someone more dominant eh? I see that with my sheep every evening at the grain feeding. They have hay all day and then in evenings to get them into the barn I feed the grain and they butt each other around trying to eat it all themselves and act like they are starving to death. I have yet to tame these girls..they move too fast. My friend tamed her goat by tying her and feeding and grooming her and treats etc while she's tied. Now, the goat climbs all over her when she's got goodies and is much much frienlier and less wild. Maybe such a thing would work with the calves one at a time? I have my name in with a local breeder for a 3 month old heifer calf but only if she's a dun. In their shaggy way they look like bovine teddy bears. I thought I'd want black but was captivated by his dun cow and calf. I have a name picked out already thanks to Carolyn Ekins at A Country Life..she gave me some nice Gaelic names and I have chosen Siofra (Shee-fra) which means little elf. Part of me wonders if I am crazy to take on another critter and the other part can't wait!!!! hee hee

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2002