Post by genebo on Mar 8, 2015 18:06:51 GMT
The sun is shining brightly on Paradise Farm, but not where I am or where Brenn should be, but isn't.
Brenn was born on a beautiful fall day, just before Thanksgiving. He was such a small calf. We all gathered around to see him. I held him in my arms on that day, as I stepped on the scales to get his weight. 27 pounds of sweet joy.
Watching him grow was such fun. He was such a friendly calf and no trouble at all. Throughout his entire life, no needle penetrated his skin. He enjoyed good health and grew to rule his herd with majesty. He was an ardent breeder and served his cows well.
I didn't realize that he was special at first. I was fairly new to Dexters and didn't know how to appreciate the qualities that made up a fine bull. It slowly dawned on me that he was special. It came from the mouths of long-time breeders who came to visit him. It came from the mouths of beginners who were so impressed with his manners. I saw it every day with my own eyes, as he lived a life of regal elegance within the confines of our small farm.
Gradually, his fame spread and I was convinced to have him collected for AI. His semen sold well and he sired over 30 offspring that have become widely recognized for thjere own quality. One of his daughters won the blue ribbon at the ADCA AGM Show and Sale in 2012. The best of a large Adult Senior Heifer Class. Many others won private acclaim and will continue to spread Brenn's genes.
Brenn was the first Dexter bull to be DNA tested to be A2/A2 for beta casein. He was DNA proven to carry the chondrodysplasia gene that is unique to Dexters, and was chosen to be included in the Swiss Village Foundation's vaults, to preserve these traits. He became the standard that several laboratories used to calibrate their equipment for their DNA tests.
His reputation drew a group from Canada to want to import his semen to Canada. I wouldn't allow Brenn to stay in the collection facility for as many weeks as it would take to do that. I couldn't stand to part with him for that long.
A rodeo promoter from Texas was so impressed with Brenn's appearance that he offered an obscene amount of money for him, but I had to rebuff him. Brenn belonged here, on Paradise Farm, with me. We were buddies.
Brenn scored so highly in his fertility tests done at North American Breeders that they labeled him "the second best bull, of any breed, that we have ever collected". His fertility tests so impressed a renowned AI veterinarian, that he sent his "unbreedable" cows to visit Brenn. He bred them both.
Brenn became popular with owners of other breeds to breed their cows. He started when he was only seven months old, breeding a small herd of dairy cows. It was one of the bull calves from that breeding that eventually launched the Dangus beef herd near here that was so successful. Brenn was used to breed many Jersey cows, resulting in mini Jerseys and good beef calves. He was used to AI Charolais heifers at 15 months instead of the usual 27 months that they usually wait. The resulting small calves conditioned the Charolais heifers to more easily bear their own calves. Losses in that herd were reduced for the cows that bore first time Charolais calves.
Brenn was famous locally. His fame began when a man came here to spread fertilizer on the pastures. He saw my little bull just as he started spreading. He looked down at his settings for spreading, and when he looked up he had nearly run over my bull. He said, "I thought he was farther away!" He didn't realize he was so small. He went back to the feed store and told the story. A lot of people came to see the little bull, including a local newspaper reporter and a cameraman. We got half of the front page and another page inside. I became known around town as the guy with the little cows.
It has been like that for over 10 years. If someone mentioned me, they soon mentioned Brenn. We have been a pair.
Three years ago, Brenn got hurt during a breeding session. The vet said he probably fell of to the side and twisted a joint. Maybe his knee, hip or back. It tore some nerves, causing him to drag his right rear leg. He got better in between breedings and was successful at breeding, but afterward, he drug the right rear foot. The vet said it would be a long time healing, as nerves grow slowly. He was improving, when he injured his left front foot. He kicked a board that had a nail in it. The nail penetrated his hoof and the tissue under the hoof got infected. He went to see Dr. Fulper, who put him on the tilt table and worked on his foot. He ground a large hole in the hoof then used a scalpel to cut out the infected tissue, The hole was packed with sulfa drigs and he was sent home. Dr. Fulper said it would take 18 months to heal.
Brenn was hampered in his movements. He was reluctant to graze, preferring to stay in one spot. I took him hay, feed, minerals and water. I gave him time to heal. It was working. After a couple of months, he began going out with the herd to graze. You could see the improvement in both legs. Until time to breed. He completely ignored his pain when a cow was in heat, and did his best to fulfill his duties. After each breeding, he would go back to his one spot and stay for 3 days. Then he went back to grazing.
When I got hurt and wasn't able to go to the pasture for months, his health declined. The man who replaced me in doing the farm work said he seemed depressed and had lost the will to live. I finally got the OK to ride to the pasture in the Mule, but I had to stay in the Mule. The first day, Brenn watched me as they drove me close to where he was. The second day, he walked to me and ate bread from my hand. He seemed to have perked up. He improved every day. Once I got the OK to walk, we became buddies again. His front foot split where the hole was growing out and it caused him a lot of pain. He let me lift his foot and trim the edges to relieve the pressure. I began to feel that if we could get through winter, with the ice and mud, he would continue to improve and I would have my bull back.
Last week a cow came into heat on Tuesday, with lots of crunchy ice all around. Brenn spent the day trying to breed her, without success. He couldn't mount. Somehow, he hurt himself again. At nightfall, he had made his way to the barn, but was about to fall down. Both hind legs were dragging. The next morning, another cow came into heat. Brenn was trying to follow her around the pasture, but couldn't keep up. By mid-day he was down in the center of the pastures, with his hind legs out to the side. I trimmed his hooves a little, then called the vet. Before he called me back, I went back to the pasture and Brenn was up, trying to breed the cow. That night, he made it to the barn again, but it looked like his rear end was paralyzed.
I called the butcher with the mobile slaughter service. He promised to come the next day.
The next morning, a third cow came into heat and he was standing near her while she tried to mount him. He tried to mount but couldn't. He was trying to do his duty. He stayed with her through the day, until the butcher showed up late in the afternoon. Within minutes, Brenn was suffering no more. He was in the trailer, heading for the butcher's shop.
From the first time that someone ate one of Brenn's descendants, I had heard about how good the beef was. Yet through the years, I kept buying steers from elsewhere to satisfy my beef needs. It would be unthinkable to dig a hole and throw him in it, to go to waste. He was a bull, a very good bull, and to let his beef go to waste would be a travesty. I offered 1/2 of his beef to the man and his wife who had done so much to help while I was injured. They were thrilled. Two others have asked for some. He will fullfill the destiny of a dual purpose Dexter by filling my freezer with good beef.
I have gone out and done my work for two days now, with no Brenn in the pasture. It's not fun right now. I think the herd is different, more somber, without him. I have spent most of both days with them. McBrenn will assume the duties of herd bull and the two new calves are great. It will take a while to get over missing him so much, but it will happen. I'll never forget him. I'll always be so glad that I had him for this short time.
This is Brenn's last evening, suppounded by his herd.
I know how much you loved Brenn. Prayers for you. 
