Dexter calves! Color help? (pics)

[Little Cow]

Another new dexter baby born on Sunday morning. It seems the cows know to wait until we go to church!

Here's the new baby heifer. For those that know Dexter colors, what do you think? Will she be red or dun?

She is doing very well and was even more of a handful to move to the pasture than the first calf. Momma was more protective, too, so we had to be careful. The new baby is April.

Now, here's my second color question. Here was our first calf, Easter, at one day old.

Here she is now at two weeks. I think she's going to be a dun. Or, is it too soon to say?

BTW, Easter's momma is dun and April's momma is black. The bull is red.

 

[Little Cow]

Any Dexter folks out there tonight? Rats....

 

[IluvABbeef]

Little Cow, sorry I can't help you with your question, but I sure like the pics. Calves are cuuuuute!!

Btw, it might be just a wild guess, but it MIGHT be a little early to tell as of yet what coat color they'll be.

 

[Gale Seddon]

Hi Little Cow,

My guess is the first one is dun (just by looking). Does the bull carry the dun gene? Could be a red if the cow carries a red gene, I think. I am NOT a genetics person, just going by what I've read.

The second one will probably be black. I've seen them get that reddish tinge, then as new hair grows in over the months, they turn black again.

Best way to tell for sure is to pull some tail hair (while you can catch them, LOL) and get them color tested.

Either way, congratulations on two healthy heifer calves; they look great and I know you're relieved to have them arrive safely!

 

[Little Cow]

Thanks, Gale!

The bull is red and the cow carries red, so I guess April is red. The bull's owner weighed in last night and sounds like you guys agree that Easter will be black. I was guessing dun because her mother is dun.

I guess I am relieved to get through my first REAL calving season. And I didn't have to do much except dip navels and check placentas!

 

[iowahawkeyes]

My son's cow calved on Easter too. That's her name.

 

[Rustler9]

Littlecow,
I don't have Dexters but in past experience with other black cattle and even with some of my black Longhorns, the calves may look reddish brown when born but turn black as they get older. I would think that those calves will actually be black when mature.

 

[Little Cow]

Thanks, everyone! Nice to know there is another Easter calf out there.

The bull's owner emailed me and said she votes black for the second calf.

 

[IL Rancher]

That first calf... Nose says it isn't dun, never seen a dun dexter with a nose that dark.. Have seen a FEW reds with black or near black noses but Ihave also seen calves born that ruddy color with the black nose basically be black by the time you wean them.. Usually a red Dexter will have a pink nose.. I stress usually.. NOt saying it isn't red just saying keep an eye on April.



Easter is Black...

 

[Ryan]

BTW, Easter's momma is dun. The bull is red.

In regards to Easter: Can a dun colored cow and a red colored bull have a black calf? Not a genetics expert, and coloring could be different in Dexters, however I thought Black was dominant, and to exhibit red one must be double recessive (homozygous) red.

Now if dun is like roan in Shorthorns, then the dun animal would be genetically heterozygous and carry one black and one red gene. In this case, calf could not be black either... the calf would have a 50/50 chance to be either dun or red.

I think thats right... unless i missed something there.

Ryan

 

[Little Cow]

IL Rancher- Interesting...you might be on to something as she looks a bit darker than at birth. But, I guess time will tell.

I don't know if a dun and a red can have a black calf. Good question.

Whatever they end up looking like, they are the best color: healthy!

 

[Alice]

Whatever the color...they are fantastic! :heart:

Alice

 

[IL Rancher]

Dun in Dexters is brown... Think of Labrador retreivers when thinking of color possibilities..

Yellow Lab = Red Dexter
Chocolate Lab = Dun Dexter
Black Lab= Black Dexter

Simple answer, yes a red and dun can have a black calf.. here we go

black and Black, depending on recesives, can have black, Dun or red.

Black and Dun or red can also toss those three colors

Dun and Dun can toss dun or red.

Dun and red can toss dun, red or black depending on recessives.

Red and red will always be red.

That is all... Clear as mud?

The only black nosed Dexters I have seen have the cow Wee Gaelic Ms. Fermoy in the background.. She was used extenisvely in the Llanfair herd and is the dam of several AI sires.

 

[Little Cow]

Great info, IL Rancher! Thanks!

Don't see any of the line mentioned in either bull or cow, so she'll probably be black. I'll try to post a few more pictures just for fun, (and for you, Alice: I know you love babies! ).