Stephen is a wonderful bull
and a fine example of the attributes that make the Dexter breed so popular.
He is amazingly patient, calm and friendly, and is very
respectful of us and the rest of the herd. He enjoys daily
interaction with us, he is very easy to handle, and he is an
eager participant in frequent brushing and focused attention.
Stephen takes very good care of his cows and calves, and is a
constant source of pleasure and satisfaction. It is hard
to imagine a better bull for our homesteading efforts than
Stephen!
Stephen's sire
is Dagget's Prince and his mother is Glenn Land Surprise.
Stephen carries excellent udder genetics that have clearly
improved the udders in our heifers.
Willow was born and raised here
at the ranch, and her calm and peaceful demeanor make her a
popular member of our herd. She was born February 27,
2017. Willow has a coppery light
dun coat, and sweet eyes that smile in response to a good
brushing. She also has a well-balanced conformation and is a strong, heavy,
healthy girl. Willow is A2/A2, homozygous polled, 100%
grass-fed organic, halter trained, and a very good mother.
Willow
has a nicely formed udder that is well attached, well
balanced, and held
tightly. She is very excited about milking, she stands
well throughout the process, and her milk is delicious!
Honey is our sweetest, most easy-going cow.
Honey wants to be brushed and petted as often as possible, and
as we approach she will stand still and put her head down to
tell us that she is ready. Honey is heavy, healthy, and
holds her weight well throughout the year. She is dun,
A2N, and heterozygous polled. Honey is
very nicely halter
trained and leads effortlessly.
Honey has a generous udder and provides a large
amount of milk for her calves. Honey is an excellent,
sweet mother, and consistently raises outstanding calves.
Ginger was born February 28, 2018 to our wonderful cow
Honey. Ginger is calm and gentle like her mother, and has a
beautiful dun coat and a heavy, balanced conformation.
Ginger is halter trained, A2/A2,
homozygous polled, and 100% grass-fed organic.
Ginger has an excellent udder that is well formed
and perfect for milking. She is very excited about being
milked, she stands perfectly throughout the process without
complaint, and her delicious milk has a very high percentage of
cream.
Taffy was born February 20, 2018 to our outstanding cow Dulcinea. Taffy is sweet and friendly, and loves to be the
center of attention.
Taffy is
halter trained, dun, A2/A2, heterozygous polled, and 100%
grass-fed organic.
Taffy
has a plump, well-formed udder. She runs excitedly to the
corral to be milked, and her milk is very creamy and delicious.
On February 24, 2019, our
wonderful cow Willow delivered a
beautiful little girl named Maribelle ("Belle"). Willow is an
incredibly sweet girl, and Belle is just like her mother
(homozygous sweet!). On the day that she was born, we found Willow and Belle in a cozy
cove among the brush, enjoying the morning sun and resting
peacefully. Belle allowed us to fully pet and brush her
from the moment we first sat down with her. Belle has an
amazingly friendly, confident personality, and is always a daily
joy to interact with. She is halter trained, black, A2/A2,
homozygous polled, and 100% grass-fed organic.
Belle is an exceptional cow of the
highest quality and demeanor, and she has a very well-structured
udder.
She gets very excited at milking time, she gives generously
while cooperating perfectly, and her milk is
incredibly creamy and delicious!
A clinging fog swirls around me as I walk down
the hill past the dense snag of ageless oaks and tangled brush
that provides a hiding place for those that secretly watch as I
come and go. I hear the rustle of leaves, the flutter of wings,
and the sudden dash of whitetail hooves that remind me of the
feathered and furry friends that share these pastures and
forests that we call home. Late-autumn mornings include an early
visit to the barn to restock hay and provide encouragement and
praise to our sweet little herd of Dexters, and as I round the
corner, I’m greeted by the familiar sight of their gentle eyes
patiently and eagerly awaiting my affections. The pleasing sound
of thankfulness fills the air as I restock their crib with
fresh, leafy flakes, and as they settle down to enjoy their
breakfast, I open the dusty, time-worn gate before me with
anticipation of another little life that silently waits there
before me. While the herd crowds in front of the crib to enjoy
their bounty, here in the corner at the end of their trough lies
tiny little Bessie, sleepily relaxing with a belly full of
cream. Bessie was born a few days ago to our cow Treva, and is
endlessly adorable in her fluffy, strawberry-blond coat and
fuzzy ears. I settle down beside her and quietly sing a song of
her beauty as I enjoy the softness of her newborn fur and the
twinkle of her eyes. Bessie closes her eyes and lays her head
upon the soft bed of hay as the sounds of peace and satisfaction
fill her morning and her thoughts drift away to visions of the
green pastures and sparkling sunshine of bright spring mornings
to come. Welcome to the ranch little Bessie, welcome to the
love!
Bessie was born October 7, 2023
and is being raised as our future milk cow. Bessie is red,
homozygous polled, and A2A2.
The
ranch is decorated in pink and blue as wildflower season is upon
us once again. Gray skies mute the colors of the morning, but as
I walk to the barn my path is decorated with the soft pinks of
Meadow Garlic and Evening primrose, and with cheerful hues of
Blue-Eyed Grass and Texas Bluebonnets. The carpet of wildflowers
is nearing peak bloom, and as I walk down the hill, they bring a
refreshing excitement to the morning as the shiver of winter
browns and grays has quickly surrendered to the warm breezes of
early spring.
Mounds of bluebonnets grace the pasture as it slopes to the
limestone bed of our dry creek that trickles past our barn with
the excess of gentle overnight rains. I climb the damp softness
of the opposite bank, and pass the low dry stack stone wall that
yet stands as a testament to past generations that once lived
here and worked the land. Only a few steps remain before I round
the corner of our old barn to greet our sweet Dexter herd,
hoping that Willow will be there with her special gift of the
season. I smile with delight knowing the precious cuteness that
awaits, and after one more step I place my hand on the rough
timber of the barn and instantly connect with the years of
history it has supported. As I step up into the run, Willow
indeed stands amid the clamor of the herd, protectively hovering
over her tiny calf snuggled into a warm spot of hay away from
the slow drip of wetness from the decaying tin roof. Tiny little
Buttercup stirs as I cautiously approach and kneel to enjoy the
plush softness of her newborn coat, and I once again wonder with
delight at the miracle of new life that Willow has given us. It
is indeed a beautiful day to be part of the herd as I joyfully
welcome little Buttercup to the comfort of the barn on a cool,
damp morning graced with the magnificent blossoms of spring!
Buttercup was born February 9,
2024 and is being raised as our future milk cow. Buttercup is
black, homozygous polled, and A2A2.
Honey rested quietly in the middle of the sunny, windswept
expanse of our front pasture. While most of our cows prefer a
private, secluded spot for their delivery, Honey couldn't find
privacy because she is our herd leader and is followed anywhere
she goes. As morning grazing gave way to an afternoon nap in the
sun-warmed spring grasses, the herd continued to follow and was
close by as I approached to check on her condition. While Willow
stood by attentively to keep the herd away from her mama, the
time arrived and tiny little Gracie entered the world to a
loving mama and a plentiful udder. Honey's enthusiastic cleaning
had Gracie standing on wobbly legs within a few short minutes,
and she quickly discovered how to obtain sweet cream a few
moments after that. Gracie toddled around as the herd greeted
her enthusiastically, and then she and Honey laid down to rest
and recover. It was a wonderful place to enter the world -- a
place of peace and contentment, of family and of abundance.
Welcome to the ranch little Gracie!
Gracie was born 3/16/2023, and
is homozygous polled, A2/A2, and very well halter trained.
Dawn arrived with eager anticipation of the
arrival of another calf. Maribelle was absolutely bursting with
new milk the previous evening, so we knew that she would deliver
her calf during the night. As we walked to the corral with
morning treats for the herd, we could see Ginger and Gracie
excitedly waiting ahead. Ginger and her tiny new boy Brewster
settled into the corral, while Gracie danced over to me in the
pasture and kicked up her heals with a moo of delight and began
enjoying her bucket of goodness. In hopefulness I looked for
Belle, and caught her peeking around the corner of her shed with
a mouthful of fresh hay. It was clear that she had delivered her
calf, and I knew that it must be hidden somewhere close by.
Belle finished munching and stood contentedly staring into the
distance, refusing to look in the direction of her calf in an
attempt to prevent me from finding it.
As I walked back to the corral, I secretly glanced behind me
knowing that she would attempt to casually wander off to her
calf. Belle disappeared under the canopy of trees and brush not
far from where we had stood together a minute ago, so I hurried
back to see where she was headed. I walked past her into the
tangle of brush and gazed around expecting to see a tiny black
lump of fluffy fur somewhere around me, but saw nothing there. I
walked another ten feet ahead and looked harder, but again saw
nothing. Belle walked up quietly behind me and nudged my elbow
to gently urge me ahead, and after taking a few more steps, I
suddenly realized that the brown lump in the path ahead wasn’t a
pile of leaves, but a newborn calf curled up tightly in the
swale of the path. To my utter surprise and delight, Belle had
delivered us a red calf! As we slowly approached, the tiny
heifer blinked her sparkling eyes in our direction, and
struggled to her feet as she let out the tiniest baby moo to
tell Belle that she wanted cream. Belle lovingly hummed back to
her, and sweet little Maggie spent the next fifteen minutes
enjoying the bounty of Belle’s udder as I gently petted and
greeted her with joy. When she was plump with milk, Maggie
toddled over to me one last time for a final greeting, and then
wandered off with Belle as they headed to a private spot to rest
and recover from the excitement of the morning.
What a memorable, joyful blessing it was! Welcome to the ranch
little Maggie, you’ll be a fabulous milk cow one day!
Maggie was born November 17,
2023 and is being raised as our future milk cow. Maggie is
red, homozygous polled, and A2A2.
Every member of our herd wants to be treated as
the baby, but today was our sweet Gracie’s turn to graduate from
baby to big sister. New calves always get the most attention,
the most praise, the most laughter, the most smiles, and the
most encouragement. They also get private visits into the barn,
extra treats, and very special attention as they practice
walking on the halter. When they graduate from their special
time of training, they continue to receive special treats and
attention as they learn to be a milk cow. Gracie is now one year
old, and she has flourished as a result of all the loving
attention lavished upon her over the past year. She’s grown into
a beautiful, shining, healthy girl with outstanding potential
for the milking parlor, and she continues to adore being the
center of attention. This morning, however, Gracie came to
understand that it is her turn to be a big sister instead of the
baby.
Gracie lounged in the shade of the Petting Tree with her mama
Honey as well as our cow Treva and her adorable calf Bessie.
Also resting next to Honey was her precious new daughter
Sugarberry, and everyone was sleepy-headed and quietly napping
after having had their flies removed. I knelt down beside Gracie
and began to gently brush her shoulder, when after only a brief
minute I felt a tiny soft nose gently pressing into my back. As
I slowly turned around, there behind me was diminutive little
Sugarberry telling me that it was her turn to be brushed. She
held her head high and stretched her neck tight to tell me that
she wanted it scratched, and I simply couldn’t resist the
twinkle in her fresh, new eyes and the eagerness of her stance.
As I turned my attention and praise to her, Gracie quickly
nudged my leg in a plea for me to return. Then as I turned in
response to Gracie, I felt another nudge in my back as little
Sugarberry chest-bumped me in her sweetly successful
determination to win the battle for my attention. Heifers are an
amazing blessing and so much fun, and they learn so quickly!
Congratulations on becoming a big sister Gracie, and welcome to the ranch
little Sugarberry…there are many more wonderful days ahead!
Sugarberry was born February 10, 2024 and is being raised as our future
milk cow. sugarberry is black, homozygous polled, and A2A2.
The dewy autumn grasses soaked the toes of our shoes as we hiked
the pastures in search of Taffy's secret hiding place. We awoke
early this morning to the familiar sight of our herd parading
past our house in single file on their way to our barn to await
their morning treats, hay, and visit. As expected, Taffy wasn't
included in the procession and therefore we knew that she had
delivered her calf overnight and was hiding somewhere in the
brush. Following breakfast, we hiked to the barn to confirm that
she wasn't there, and then began a thorough search of the ranch.
The grasses were thick with golden seedheads glowing in the
morning rays, and the tangles of brush and briars made the
search difficult as we looked into every potential hiding place.
Once again, Taffy had chosen her spot well, and it took a few
hours before we finally spotted her standing attentively in a
thicket of yaupon holly with a sweet little black calf under her
nose. Her calf was still wet, and only partially cleaned, as we
slowly approached with quiet praise for her efforts. Her sweet
little calf calmly watched as I knelt and reached out to pet his
damp newborn curls, and Taffy softly hummed her mama song to let
her little boy know that we could be trusted. We spent an hour
there with joyful praises for Taffy's effort and the wonder of
her new boy, soaking in the love of a new mother for her
beautiful calf as the autumn leaves twisted and fell amid the
peace of the forest and the sparkling of the morning sun through
the treetops of the oaks far above. Welcome to the love and
beauty little “Hickory” -- welcome to the ranch!
Our Dexter herd shuffled impatiently at the gate, poised once
again to race into the corral and enjoy their morning treat of
cultured alfalfa. We distributed their treat evenly across the
two feed troughs while they watched with eager eyes, and then I
headed towards them to open the gate. The younger members of our
herd usually hang back to avoid the rush, but this morning our
two new little boys were standing at the feet of their mamas at
the very front of the lineup. Hickory was there in front of
Taffy, and our newest addition Dusty, born only two weeks ago,
was also there in front of his wonderful mama Ginger. Both of
the boys were too young to sample the alfalfa, but they were
excited to participate simply because everyone else was excited
too.
As I swung the long gate back and away, the big girls surged
forward toward the feed troughs, causing the boys in front to
dash full speed ahead just to keep from getting underfoot. In a
flash they reached the troughs, and while Hickory hit the breaks
as he completed the 20-foot dash, tiny Dusty hadn’t thought
ahead. Instead, as he reached the trough he leaped high and
gracefully cleared it like a championship horse racing the
steeplechase. We laughed and cheered in astonishment as little
Dusty sheepishly turned to see everyone lined up on the other
side and devouring the aromatic treat, not quite understanding
the praise and excitement he was receiving as he suddenly
realized there was another side to the troughs and he now had
uncontested access to all of it! Welcome to the ranch little
Dusty…welcome to the morning fun!
Gracie was born two years ago on a sunny spring afternoon in the windswept
expanse of our front pasture amid a profusion of lush spring grasses dotted
with prairie wildflowers. Her mama Honey attended to her every need,
provided her with an abundance of milk, and raised her to be beautiful,
strong, and exceptionally sweet. As she was pampered and hugged throughout
the changes of the seasons, Gracie learned to appreciate warm spring mornings
relaxing in the pasture as she delighted in the whisper of the brush and
gentle words of peace and joy. The long-anticipated moment eventually
arrived when she prepared to deliver a calf of her own, and in the open
beauty of our back pasture, on another sunny, breezy spring afternoon much
like the day when she was born, Gracie delivered a beautiful little boy
named “BJ” (Benjamin Jeremiah) to our delight and excitement. After only
six minutes from the time when her delivery began, her tiny boy BJ was
lying in the grass as his mama eagerly encouraged him to stand, and within
a few minutes and a few stumbling attempts, he stood and enjoyed his first
taste of sweet cream. Having sampled her udder, he stood tall there on
wobbly legs in a world totally unexpected and unknown, seeing everything
for the very first time, and looked into the eyes of his mama and saw her
love and pride welcoming him into the family. Never forget the moment
little BJ…we will treasure it! Welcome to the ranch!
The cool breezes of a final day of delightful spring weather linger
in the pasture as I sit beside “Stratus” and run my brush through
his silky newborn curls. Stratus raises his head and sniffs the
air, and then looks at me with sleepy eyes and silently lays his
head back down upon his bed of spring grasses. I marvel at how
tiny he is compared to his big brothers Roger and Brazos who now
weigh more than 900 pounds, and imagine all the carefree mornings
of freedom that he'll enjoy with his mama Honey as he grows big and
strong and brings daily smiles to the ranch. As I gently caress his
soft new coat, a small black nose silently appears over my left shoulder,
and a tongue ever-so-tenderly touches my cheek to wrest my attention away
from Stratus. Lovely little Meadow, now five months old, sweetly asks
for my praise and affections -- once again jealous at the arrival of her
herd mate and the excitement now focused upon him. Yes, Meadow, you’re
still special! And welcome to the ranch little Stratus -- enjoy your
turn at being the baby!
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