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Dreamroad Extreme Heather |
Here's a good story on the history of Osborndale Ivanhoe, including a bit on the lethal recessive that he and his offspring spread throughout the breed, due to their tremendous influence on the genetic makeup of the modern Holstein.
Recessive defects in dairy cattle. More on that.
Alan got a bit of interesting news the other day. A few years ago....maybe three...Liz had a nice little bull calf out of her venerable show Jersey, Dreamroad Extreme Heather.
At the time calves were bringing almost nothing at the auction and Jersey bulls even less.
We had no use for him, but to send him to the sale and end up with nothing but a bill for trucking seemed foolish. Plus there was the fact that Heather came from a leading Jersey breeder of fine show cattle and the calf's sire was Sunset Canyon Mecca a bull that had done well for us.
So we let him stay for a while so as to puzzle out a sensible fate for him. Turned out one of Alan's good college friend's family raised registered Jerseys. Initially Liz gave the little guy to them, but they didn't think that was fair and paid her a decent price for him.
They registered him, raised him, and used him on their heifers. They rented him out to other breeders when they weren't using him and he bred those heifers too. As of now there are a LOT of his daughters around their area and I guess the farmers out there like them quite a lot.
And here comes the serendipity. He got to be a real big boy, too big for the heifers he was breeding. Thus his owners sent him to the auction barn, where he was sold to yet another breeder to go on with his Jersey-making career....and believe it or not, he was sold on the very day that our herd went, at the very same auction.
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| I am pretty sure this is a picture of the bull in question at about a day old |
Ralph saw him sell, but of course didn't recognize him, as he was three years older and over a thousand pounds heavier than when he left our place.
Nice to know that an animal bred and born here at Northview and carrying the Maqua-Kil prefix, which Liz took over from his parents, went on to do so well for someone.
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6 comments:
Oh! Yes! That is neat!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
That's amazing, small world in a big world I would say. My son went to KG and first grade with a young man and then lost touch, they both grew up joined the army and have crossed paths a number of times since and there friendship has become a very good one, again small world.
What a great story. And honestly . . when you say 'a thousand pounds heavier . . ." Well, those of us who've never worked around 'big' animals . . .well . . . that's a lot of animal .
Cool story!
Linda, I much enjoyed reading the story of Ivanhoe, and hearing about the little bull was frosting on the cake.
ellie, what a wonderful story!
Cathy, he got to be pretty big for a Jersey. lol
Nita, thanks, I enjoyed hearing it.
I'm just so pleased he turned out so well. Who would have thought Heather's offsprings bull calves would all be so gentle and easily handled?
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