MooShine Ridge Dexter Farm

10/16/2026

We finally got a break from the heat. It went from 90-100* to 50-60* in a matter of days 🥶 But the cattle are loving it.

10/15/2026

I have a Dexter enrolled in “MooShine Finishing School for Difficult Heifers” 😂 and a mature bred cow to keep her company. Both locked in my barn area.

Cricket spends her day and nights in the field with her sisters but comes in twice a day to be milked, however she operates on Jersey time, which means the two Dexters have to be put up in the barn while Cricket takes her sweet time deciding whether she’s ready to leave and join her sisters in the pasture again after being milked out.

Well, this morning it was raining, and apparently that was just too much for this delicate flower and her sensitive skin to endure. 🌧️ She flat out REFUSED to leave the barn!

So, fine. I decided she would just keep the other two company until the rain let up. Heaven forbid a little water touch that precious hide! 🙄😂

Silly cow.

Even now with the rain gone she is thinking over her life choices.

10/11/2026

MooShine Izzie looking pretty. It was a cool morning so after milking I took some time to sit and watch the babies play and got a couple nice pictures.

Dam MooShine Gemma
Sire MooShine Buster Brown.

10/08/2026

10/04/2026

❤️ Our Birthing Story Here on the Ridge ❤️

Here on the Ridge, when one of our mamas gives birth, the calf’s first adventure is usually a ride in our calf cart. We carefully scoop that precious newborn up, safely roll them to the “maternity ward” aka the barn, with Mom following close behind.

For a new mama to the Ridge, this can be a little nerve wracking. After all, no one has ever scooped up her baby and taken it for a ride before! But even though she may be nervous, she quickly learns that she can trust the humans who love her and her baby so very much. ❤️

Once everyone is safe and settled into the maternity ward, Mom gets the royal treatment. She happily gulps down five gallons of warm water mixed with sweet blackstrap molasses, followed by a bucket of sweet feed. It helps replenish the energy she’s spent bringing her baby into the world and gives her a much mneeded drink after the hard work of calving.

For the next few days, Mom and baby are spoiled and loved on several times a day. Mom gets fed, brushed and fussed over, while baby gets touched all over little ears, legs, belly, face and everywhere in between.

And then there’s our favorite little trick: we gently blow our breath into the calf’s nose so they become familiar with our scent. We learned this from a horseman who uses the same technique with newborn foals, and it works beautifully with calves too. Repeating it several times a day has become one of the keys to helping our babies imprint on us.

After 3–5 days, the calves have been disbudded, tagged, had tail hairs pulled for DNA testing, and, most importantly, received what may be their lifetime allotment of human snuggles even though the hay makes me itchy. 😂❤️

I treasure these moments more than I can put into words. I feel incredibly blessed to experience this several times a year and it never gets old.

There is just something so special about watching a newborn calf find its legs, discover its first little zoomies and begin exploring the world with that unmistakable curiosity.

It’s messy. It’s busy. It’s sometimes exhausting. But oh, is it ever JOYFUL. 🥰

I wouldn’t trade these moments for anything and as you can see neither would Gemma. She has been in the maternity ward for four days now and even though I tried calling her out she flat out refused to leave. 😊 This is her third time experiencing 👑postpartum pampering👑 and she is loving it.

10/04/2026

I love this cow’s disposition. Her heifer was less than 24 hours old and she is totally cool with me spending time with her most valued treasure. ❤️ A mama cow who trusts you with her baby is something truly special. 🥰

10/03/2026

While we were away at the Tulsa State Fair enjoying the Dexter show, SCL WRLD Jaycee, AI bred to SMD Ferl Certus, decided it was time to make us proud! Five days past her due date, she blessed us with a beautiful heifer calf today! 💕

Everyone, meet MooShine BeaBea! Welcome to the Ridge, little girl! 🥰

At a whopping 47 lb, this girl is quite large compared to the 30 lb heifer we welcomed just two days ago. 😂 I can’t wait to get a picture of these two little ladies standing side by side. The size difference is going to be remarkable!

Needless to say, we’re beyond excited to have another beautiful heifer join the MooShine family! 💜

09/30/2026

On November 23rd, 2025 MooShine Gemma gave birth to her 2nd calf. 33 days later she was bred by MooShine Buster. Today she blessed us with a healthy 30 lb heifer calf we named MooShine Izzie. Welcome to the world little one. 💜 We’re so happy you’re here.

09/10/2026

When a calf becomes too large, it releases stress hormones that trigger the dam's brain to release oxytocin, which helps initiate the delivery process. Ready or not here it comes! MooShine Dolly was AI bred to MM Traveler. Her due date isn’t for another 17 days. She gave birth to a healthy bull calf early this morning. He was up and nursing when we found them. He weighs 48 lbs 😳 Good thing he was evicted early. Goodness. Name TBD.

09/06/2026

Morning Star OK Liam would like to register an official complaint with Mother Nature. Yesterday was 104* with a heat index of 110* This is not typical September weather. Summer is supposed to be winding down, not still trying to kill us. 🥵

Liam is laying in front of his misting fan chewing his cud while his girls are gathered around the water sprinkler getting soaked. Clearly, they have figured out how to survive this nonsense. 😂

Thank goodness we had a well dug a few years ago so we can use that instead of putting a strain on the local water tower.

We are both ready for summer to be over. Fall is welcome to arrive anytime now. 🍁