# Mismatched cows



## jeremypmc (Sep 13, 2009)

Hi all,

I am new to this forum.  I help my father-in-law with raising mini cows (hopefully try pigs next spring).  I have q question hopefully someone can shed some light on for me.  The herd is all dexters and nothing else has been introduced, yet one cow just gave birth to her third red and white calf (hereford I think)?  Anyone know why?  Thanks. I have a picture to attach but not sure how.


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## ksalvagno (Sep 13, 2009)

I don't know cows but do you know for sure that your cows are purebreed dexters? Sounds like your cow may be a mix and the other breed in her is coming through stronger? Not sure.


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## amysflock (Sep 22, 2009)

You might see if you can find more info through Dexter breeders, but I believe I heard there are red genes in Dexters as well. Not sure about the white, though.

Another possibility...does your FIL have neighbors nearby who raise Herefords, Pinzgauers or another red and white breed? If a bull can find a way to get to girls in heat, he will. Someone just last week told me about a "mystery" they'd been having with wrong-colored calves coming out of their purebred herd, and it turns out a neighbor bull found a way through a fence in a discreet corner and visited frequently, but always put himself away so no one knew he was getting out!!!


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## no nonsense (Oct 21, 2009)

Red in Dexters, Black and Dun as well, is solid, with no white markings. Some small amounts of white are permisable on the udder and underline, and the tail switch, but it is discouraged. There should be no white markings on the head. Your cow, the bull or both are not pure. With this craze for miniature livestock breeds in the last 20 years, has come a lot of mixed breeding which is passed off as pure, or grade cattle given a name and proclaimed to be a new breed, but they are nothing more than crosses. Buyer beware.


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## rittert3 (Nov 18, 2009)

If it is only one cow that is having mismatched calves It wouldn't be a sneeky neighbor bull, it would be a sneeky gene in that particular cow, my guess is she has a little mini hereford in her that is showing up in the calves. Somebody was probably trying to get mini black baldies and got a pure blk so they sold her.


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