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Saturday, March 06, 2010

Seeing Red


Got a real surprise yesterday. My Holstein heifer, Bama Breeze, was bred last year to our milking shorthorn bull, Promise, and finally calved. Not only did she have a lovely little heifer calf, but it was bright, carrot red. We have never seen any red in her family before, not a single sign of it, although she is sired by our O-C-E-C Lindy Fred bull, who is out of C Stewart Haven TT Fallon, who was a Triple Threat daughter (he carried black red). Not sure where it came from as the gene for red coat color is recessive and can hide for generations. Anyhow, she was supposed to be sold along with a package deal of several other shorty and Holstein calves, but all that red makes her a keeper.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a color---she's gorgeous!

Dani said...

I love her!
I would have a hard time getting work done with all that baby cuteness around.

Paintsmh said...

And she is mine now. I LOVE HER!!! I have my own shortie!!!! Now for a name...It must be a splendid name...

Jessika said...

What a beauty!

Sandcastle Momma said...

She's a beauty!
My niece is a redhead and we all tease my sister because there hasn't been a redhead in our family for years. Now thanks to my cousin whenever someone asks my niece (she's 3) where she got that pretty red hair she'll say "from the mailman" LOL

R.Powers said...

Yes!!!

I've been afraid to ask about "Bama Breeze", knowing that you are a working farm and she's not a pet.
Didn't want to hear that she had been ... "retired."

That calf is beautiful!

Throwback at Trapper Creek said...

She's gorgeous! How about Carmine?

The Milk Maid said...

Beautiful calf! We love the red ones.

Kristen Montgomery Breh said...

I don't think I've ever said this about a calf, but she is beautiful! How interesting the way genes work.

Jinglebob said...

I love them red colored cows.

goatmilker said...

She is so cute. It is always nice to have a different looking baby. It makes them really hard to get rid of. Have a great day. Rebekah

joated said...

I love redheads! Where ever it came from, she's beautiful.

lisa said...

She is a beautiful one! I'd keep her too!

Deb said...

Congratulations ~ She's a beautiful calf :)
You just never know what your going to get until they arrive - I love surprises :)

Earl said...

Gorevan! a beautiful calf, thanks for the picture.

Ericka said...

is she as soft as she looks?

i don't normally say this about a creature i view as dinner and a coat on the hoof, but she's beautiful!

threecollie said...

RM, I was shocked to see her! I never imagined there was any red in this family...and thanks

Dani, I sure do do spend some time around the barn scratching ears and rubbing heads! lol

Paints, have fun with her...you have no idea how hard it was to giver her up. lol

Jessika, thanks!

SCMomma, ha, she must be a real good sport.

FC, I understand. Things do happen. The boss and I milked her for the first time last night and she stood pretty good. She is a bit on the small side, but a nicely made heifer and she sure has a lovely baby.

Nita, thanks, good name...Liz is picking as I gave her to her

The Milk Maid, thanks, just a few years ago, we almost never saw a red one and never any heifers. Of course this one is half milking shorthorn...

Kristen, thanks, she is a sweet little thing, quite friendly and tame. Alan set her down on a bale of hay in the yard while we were moving her mother to the cow barn and she was quite content just to stay there with him....then he carried her the rest of the way over and she didn't even struggle.

JB, I do too. Even though I love Holsteins, there is something about the dark, smooth, red shorties that I love

GM, thanks! I love having a red one...but we are trying to put together a package of calves for another farmer...black shorties and Holstein bulls. Still...and you have a great day too!

Joated, thanks, she is a dear little thing

Lisa, thanks, we are going to have quite a herd of shorties if this keeps up.

Deb, boy ain't that the truth!!! We have had some real surprises this spring!

Earl, I had to look that up....and thanks!


Ericka, funny you should ask that. I pet calves all the time, just because I like to. I was stroking her while we moved her mother to the cow barn and she was coming along behind and she is as soft as a human baby...amazing!

Tipper said...

Congrats! She is a sweetie : )

Cathy said...

Awwwww . . . she is truly awwwesome:-)

Mrs. Mecomber said...

A real cutie!

Those genes, they can be wiley at times, eh?

threecollie said...

Tipper, thanks! She is just delightful, such a sweet pet!

Cathy, thank you, I think so too.

Mrs. M, they can. They are. We have another heifer close up to have a shorthorn calf and I am so curious about what she might have.