Early heat behavior

genebo · #1 07/05/09, 11:17 AM

I've posted a group of photos on Photobucket that shows my Dexter bull Brenn courting Wee Gaelic Ms. Fermoy in the early stages of heat. He shows a lot of interest in her and stays close to her. Her heats last three days. This is day one.

http://s270.photobucket.com/albums/j...20Ms%20Fermoy/

Genebo
Paradise Farm

**gone-a-milkin** · #2 07/05/09, 02:42 PM

You sure do starve them animals dont you?

Good looking bull there. Here's hoping she catches.

genebo · #3 07/05/09, 03:33 PM

She's 18 years old. She has a fibrous uterus. She catches every time, but by the 4th month she comes back into heat.

She has very valuable genes. She's E+/E+ for red, the same as the original red US Dexters at the beginning of the last century. We're trying to find a way to have her flushed, to preserve her embryos. It's too expensive for me to do it.

The bull in the pictures is black, but carries the same red color. We keep trying, hoping she'll carry one of his calves to term. Then we 're hoping the calf will be red. There's a 50/50 chance if she'll ever carry a calf through.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

**gone-a-milkin** · #4 07/05/09, 03:42 PM

18? wow.

**gone-a-milkin** · #5 07/05/09, 03:47 PM

How long has it been since she carried to term?

genebo · #6 07/05/09, 07:07 PM

Five years. Everything still functions, she regularly gets pregnant, but her uterus won't stretch enough, so she slips the fetus and comes open.

She's been inspected and declared a good candidate for flushing. It just costs too much for me.

I had her lined up to be flushed by the University of Georgia, but she was found to be pregnant at the time. So that opportunity passed.

Genebo
Paradise Farm