Happy Hoofs is our mini ranch, located just outside Eagle Point , Oregon, in the beautiful Rogue River valley, just forty miles north of the California border.
Part of our herd
We usually have 8 to 14 Dexters. Some are the original animals purchased from Roy Atherton in 1995. Most are pets. We have not butchered any of our Dexters, and try not to talk about BEEF in front of them! Hoping they don't recognize the aroma of larger cousins being BBQ'ed, we say "Yum... chicken" while cooking outside.
Tina is the tall white-faced cow in the center
We found Dexters when we started looking for a suitable small bull to breed our little adopted heifer, Tina. She was a preemie, cesarean calf that came to live with us when she was three days old. She never grew to full size, and we were very protective. Any bull for Tina would have to be "just right". Our neighbor suggested a Dexter. We sent for information, made the decision and drove to Portland to buy our first four animals.
Tina had two beautiful Dexter cross calves for us, but in time she grew to more than twice the size of our little Dexter bull. So she and her calf "Spot" were sold to a nice couple who promised to take very good care of them.
The menagerie: Maggie Mae and Pupette, Mouse, Agnes
The Dexters and the Schnauzers pretty much rule the place, but the cats are constantly competing for first place!