Gidgegannup Small Farm Field Day 2015 - On the 24th of May at 6:30am Glenwarlock Dexter Stud starting getting their cattle ready for the Gidgegannup Small Farm Field Day. The previous day Chris Cleghorn had gotten the young bulls up ready for weighing. once finished we put the bulls and two limo cross steers back into their paddockwith receiving excellent weighing results, we kept Krom + Maurice as they were coming on the Small Farm Field Day Journey. Russell and Myself got up the cow and heifer paddocks, as we had the cow paddock up and we decided to dehorn the young calves. Dehorning three out of four calves, we sent the rest of the cows down back to their paddock with a bucket of feed. Chris got Hottie and her calf haltered, brushed and ready to settle down to a demanded bucket of pellets and hay. Of course the hay got thrown out onto the floor and the pellets were first priority! All five heifers were coming on the Small Farm Field Day Journey, as two of the heifers needed some more halter practice, taking them to the field day really helps improve their confidence around other people.

 

So back to 6:30am on Sunday morning, I dragged myself out of my nice warm bed and packed all our advertising brochures, pamphlets, flyers and cards into a bag and headed down to the cattle yards, were Chris and Russell were already getting the cattle set up. Russell and myself took all the cattle for a drink and a stretch of their legs, some needing more persuading to drink and others drinking almost the whole trough! We let them have another bucket of pellets and hay, as all three of us packed the back of the ute. We packed tables, chairs, combs, feed and buckets, and our DGWA signs/ glenwarlock signs. Now its down to the fun part playing tetris loading the cattle onto the trailers. Up first was of course Hottie and her Little boy Latavious, next the two young bulls, plus a heifer two finish the front row, down the side was three heifers, and at the back was the last heifer Ketsia. 

 

It hit 7:30am and it was time for us to hit the road and head of to the Gidgegannup Small Farm Field Day, Chittering Downs Dexter Stud followed closely behind us. A short journey from UpperSwan We travelled along Great Northern Highway onto Ried Highway then followed Toodjay Road Until we finally came across the field day, easy and quick entry we were unloading the cattle off the trailer at 8 O'clock. Chittering Down's (Albert Tan, Libby Day and Danielle Berkhout) had taken down young Andre the Miracle calf along with two black heifers. Whilst we were all setting up our bays and tables, Stoneybrooke (Colin and Jill Howell) showed up with a cow jackie and heifer named Kuddles. 

 

So we had a really good set up for the Small Farm Field day, all we had to do now was put up our banners and start luring in the interested on goers! At 10:30am the Spokesman of the Gidgegannup Small Farm Field Day came around and it was time for a speech on Dexter's. Russell Cleghorn did the talk, he definitely pulled in a crowd that was very interested and stayed back after his speech to ask more questions or to grab some flyers and brochures. Russell spoke about dexter characteristics, colours, height, temperament and the use of them on a small farm. 

 

After his speech every one was busy chatting away to passing on goers about the breed, we had a lot of very enthusiastic and excited people who were very keen on buying some dexter's and attending our field day. By 1 o'clock all our promotional information was gone! We kept writing out the field day information on the back of cards so we could keep getting the promotion out there as much as possible. All of the members were always on their feet talking, laughing and answering every question possible. We had a kids trail that the Dexters were apart of, so little young one's came through and had to check if the calf was a girl or a boy, and the two breeds of cattle that had attended the small farm field day! Lots of kids came up and gave our cow Billabong Hottie and her calf Latavious a scratch and some even had a go at milking her. 

 

At 1:30pm the spokesman came around again because it was our time to do another speech, this time Chris Cleghorn took the reigns and presented a great speech about Detxers. He had people asking loads of questions, plus a big crowd listening and hanging back to meet everyone's Dexters.The whole day was a fantastic success! We handed out all of our promotional products and received a lot of positive feed back. At 3 o'clock everyone started packing away slowly and by 3:45pm everyone was on their way heading home for another year! 

 

 

Editorial and Photographs Supplied by Chelsea Kelly & Glenwarlock Dexter Stud.

 

For more information about the Dexter Group of Western Australia, any of our activities or Dexter Cattle in general please contact our Group Secretary of visit our Group website www.dextergroupofwesternaustralia.weebly.com