I'm almost afraid to type this...  I put a deposit on a bull  🙌

If you know Dexters, you'll recognize names like...

Belle Fourche Mr. Right
Hillview Red Wing
Saltaire Suzie
Saltaire Platinum
Belle Fourche Sparklett

... it's like a who's who of Dexters on both the sire and dam's lineage.  These animals are probably in the top 10% of Dexter quality in the United States.  Diamond actually shares many of these same individuals in his pedigree so to find another bull of this caliber is a huge relief to me!

Now I know some people shop 100% by the animal's paperwork.  While I respect the careful breeding that has gone into the aforementioned Dexter "superstars", I'm not actually hung up on paperwork as the be all end all of my reason for selection.  Obviously, these Dexters are known for their quality but the question is, do they bring to the table the things I'm looking for in a bull? 

I personally don't think people put enough thought into the selection of their bull most of the time.  We should always remember, 50% of his genes are being brought to the table -- even for things like the quality of the udder.  There are several things high on my list of qualities in a bull, things that most people talk about such as size and temperament.  Most Dexter bulls will check these two boxes.  But what about other qualities? Udders are becoming increasingly important to me and since I had to start the bull search over again -- I put that high on my list.

The new bull comes from a farm known far and wide for breeding excellent udders. 

I really thought there was no possible way we could afford this bull.  I was almost certain it would well exceed our budget.  Turns out, it was a case of me being in the right place at the right time and not being afraid to ask.  He's a stretch for us financially, but I'm hoping those excellent udder genes will pay off in spades.

Combine his excellent udder genes with the excellent udder genes of the bull we are using to AI our girls this year and with any luck... we'll be seeing some excellent uddered offspring within just a couple of generations.

So what's with the truck bed livestock hauler?

This new bull is down Atlanta way.  Have you ever driven through Atlanta?  NO WAY do we want to go through there pulling a 30-foot gooseneck!  Since he's just four months old, we should be able to haul him easily in the bed of the truck.  I think it'll be much safer for him and much easier for us to negotiate Atlanta traffic this way!  We'll give him a tarp for some shade and we should be able to roll on.

I'm hoping we will be able to collect him by next weekend 🤞