Aubrac x. Mashona

[WalnutCrest]

This is, I believe, the first of it's kind anywhere ... meet Diana ... born a couple of weeks ago ... a 55lb F1 heifer ... fullblood Mashona bull to a fullblood Aubrac heifer. The bull was heterozygous red/black; looks like the little lady got the red half of that equation. The Aubrac heifer was the best heifer of her year out of our best older cow (no longer living, unfortunately). It's kinda fun to see an enormous milestone in what's been a nearly-three year journey to get an Aubrac x. Mashona calf on the ground.

Here she is nuzzling into mama before she's one hour old:

And, taking a snooze when the drink was done and the sun popped out:

I'll post additional pictures here as she develops.

 

[R V]

Nice looking calf - she took the color of the Aubracs. Is she horned? I hope she does well and thanks for posting the picture!

 

[Rawhide_Horseman]

That's a real good looking heifer.

 

[uplandnut]

Looks like a nice little heifer,

 

[Lazy M]

Is it typical of the breed to make nests for their calves?

 

[Backbone Ranch]

This looks like it will be a very interesting cross. Keep us updated as to how she and others of similar breeding develop.

 

[Son of Butch]

Is it typical of the breed to make nests for their calves?

Yes...
Aubrac x Mashona calves are nest only type cattle and you gotta get load of the tree her mamma chose to build it in. :cowboy:

 

[WalnutCrest]

Nice looking calf - she took the color of the Aubracs.

Sometimes this changes (in FB Aubracs, too) as they age -- by the time they're a couple of months old, the color is far more fixed than it is at only a couple of weeks.

Is she horned?

Don't think so.

I hope she does well and thanks for posting the picture!

Thanks.

 

[WalnutCrest]

Is it typical of the breed to make nests for their calves?

Not typical for Aubracs, but yes, Mashona cattle developed this trait on the sour veld of Zimbabwe. It was a tough trait to breed in, but local herdsmen figured out it helped protect them from the Pterodactyls and other crazy creatures over there in Africa. It's a trait that doesn't show up often in F1s, so that makes this a pretty valuable heifer.