Meet Carlos the Fourth. He is a 6 month old Dexter Bull. And he arrived yesterday at the farm.
He will never be a big bull but he sure will be a sturdy one. He is long legged, bright, well trained and very friendly (which may or may not be a good thing in a bull). He is in a side pen in the West Barn and in a few days he will go out to meet Aunty Del and Queenies Bobby through a gate and if all goes well he can go out with them by the end of the week.
His mother is a very good milk cow giving 3 gallons of milk a day which is pretty good for a Dexter, he is tested as A2A2 so hopefully if he produces daughters they will have A2 milk. A2 milk is widely discussed as being easier to digest and has other health benefits that I am still researching. Many people with an intolerance to milk find it easier to drink A2 milk.
All goats milk is A2.
New Zealand has been a leader in the field of A2 milk research and there has been a lot of work done at home to increase the numbers of A2 carriers in the big herds. But it is a complicated discussion at best. Most big herds are A1. All the modern Holsteins are A1. 
Carlos IV has some growing to do before he starts work but I like the idea of breeding Dexters and if he can have a go at covering the other cows I would be grateful. The Dexter heifer Alex, who is bred already, arrives on Wednesday.
Manu the Hereford boar is deeply underwhelmed by his new flat mate. As long as he does not touch Manu’s vegetables all will be well in that department also. 
This boar is NOT being overfed – he is a big fella though still very good with me.
When I feed him I go into his pen and pick up bowls and scratch him around a bit while he is eating, I have done this every day since he arrived so he knows who I am and that I am the boss and bringer of food. No-one else is allowed in the pen with him.
But with boars and bulls one goes on full alert if there is an animal in heat around. This is why the boys are over in their own barn so I can maintain some semblance of control. And choose when I put animals together. It is easier on ones fences that way! 
These will both be hefty animals – I want no surprises. But I do want babies. He will probably come over and run with the girls for a few months in the summer.
I wish I could leave Aunty Del over with Lady Astor at the home farm but Aunty will not leave Lady’ s udder alone. And Lady has a very nice udder that we do not want damaged. This is why Aunty is in the boys barn for a while. She might be bred you know – I have seen no untoward behaviour.
It is possible that I will get my wish and milk three cows next summer. Maybe.
I hope you have a lovely day!
Love your friend
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
42 responses to “In a Bulls Eye”
It’s amazing to watch how the farmy has grown and evolved during the past few years, Celi. Carlos IV may be the newest member but we all know he is far from being the last. 🙂
What a lovely Thanksgiving arrival! (And Carlos is quite handsome. Sturdy it best….and friendly in a bull to me is a good thing – they all get a bit rowdy as teenagers anyway….still watch your feet!)
How interesting about the milk types – i will have to look into that. My brother with all the allergies could only tolerate goats milk as an infant in WW II. He had a terrible time and mom was sure he would starve to death before they would find something he could tolerate. Neither one of them do well with anything with cow’s milk….now I wonder about this A-1 and A-2 thing. In an attempt to breed “better” cows have we also bred poorer quality milk? Heritage cows as well as heritage vegetable should be the new goal?
Hope you, yours, and all the farmy have a lovely day for Thanksgiving ( farmers never get a day off, but they do have that lovely farm)
Three cows to milk!
I’m really excited to read about your latest venture! I looked into Irish Dexter’s many years ago – decades ago – actually, several decades ago – crikey I’m old! – but was put off by the genetic issue/uncertainties. If you’ve decided to breed them, I’m guessing that problem has been bred out and is now a thing of the past? Wow, you’ve got me thinking about raising cattle for the first time in ages 🙂
Go for the Long Legged Dexters! That is what I have brought in. The short legged ones seem to have the dwarfgene. These ones are also polled so I think that must be the result of some other genes being merged. True old Dexters have horns. But they are small! c
A handsome young bull. Manu is a nice-looking boar.