Siobhan Is AI'd, Part I

Meet "Serenity Oak Farm Taco" or just "Taco," the sire of Siobhan's future calf.  This is his picture from his American Dexter Cattle Association online pedigree.  You can also read about him on his owners' website, Emerald Park Farm, in Auburn, WA.

He is dual-registered with both the ADCA and the PDCA.   He is dun and carries red. (My research indicates that since Siobhan is black and carries red, we could get either a red calf or a black one.)  He's a non-carrier of both genetic problems that can affect Dexters, chondrodysplasia and PHA.

According to the Emerald Park website (see link above):

 "Taco has proven to be quite a bull.

  Measured at 3 years of age he is 46.5 inches

  tall, 1,100 pounds.  Taco has a beautiful calf

  crop in Washington state. Red, dun and black

  heifers and only a couple bull calves are thick

  and deep.  He has passed on his disposition

  and the calves are enjoyed by their owners.    

  Taco is polled, dun, carries red, is long legged

  and tested chondrodyplasia and PHA free. 

  He carries Lucifer and Saturn of Knotting, 

  Cornahir Outlaw and Saltaire Platinum in his

  pedigree.  Taco's a great choice for nice size,

  udder and attitude."

We had initially chosen another bull for Siobhan, a small one who would throw a small calf for her first.  We ran into delays, and when I renewed my efforts a couple of months later, the owner of the favored bull did not answer any of my emails or voicemails.  

I had no idea where to start looking again, until the breeder we bought T-Bone from let me know that one of her Dexter bulls was actually being "collected" (collecting semen to put into straws) at Bickett.  Unfortunately, he was a brand new bull, so I was hesitant.  She recommended another of her bulls, until we realized he's Siobhan's half brother.  :(  Then she mentioned that a bunch of Taco's straws were passing through Bickett on their way from Washington state to her, so I could get them without paying shipping.  

moneya couple hundred dollars!  :)  I scoped Taco out.  He's larger than I hoped for, but then again, Siobhan is four months larger than when I started the process.  Taco has a LOT of things going for him:

He's polled.

He actually has calves on the ground to show what he does as a sire.

He's sired mostly heifers.

He's passed on his nice disposition.

He's negative for chondro and PHA.

He improves udders.

He comes from a line known for dairy attributes.

There's even more on his home page!

And as a plus, he's dun.  (Some people enjoy "color" in their Dexters just like they do in their Walking Horses!) 

So we are now the expectant owners of two straws of Taco's semen, safely residing at Bickett Genetics until one of them will hopefully begin the life of our third Zephyr Hill Dexter calf--and Siobhan's first!