Show steer and freezer calf - is it possible?

[MDres]

Yesterday we purchased an almost 6-mth old bucket-raised black baldie (3/4 Angus 1/4 Hereford). Our daughter is hoping to show him in 4-H during the summer of 2014, and then he'll be in our freezer that fall. While I do just fine fattening a calf for butcher, I know ZERO about fitting one for show, or how to show. I'm hoping we can find a local mentor, but judging by our county-wide 4-H orientation meeting 2 months ago, there is VERY few 4-Hers showing beef cattle here, most are into sheep and goats.

This may be an interesting journey! Another issue regarding showing him is if he HAS to be sold at the end of the show. If so, we won't be showing him, because we want him in our freezer, not someone else's...

The kids have named him Oreo, and they know he's destined to be dinner. Right now he's on a locally milled Amish feed - 13% protein - corn, oats, barley and molasses. Comes in 100lb bags for $13.50 - those are fun to handle!

He loaded up into our Sundowner slant horse trailer and rode in the stud stall without a problem on the way to our house. So far, he has been extremely calm here at home, especially since we have no other cattle, and the horses and neighbor's sheep have gone to the other end of the pasture from him to graze. He's all alone...

 

[MDres]

I just noticed in all the pics he is "pointing" his right hind. Odd... He has no lameness, and stands squarely on all 4. Maybe he's posing!

 

[Southern by choice]

You have to put that 3rd pic up under the contest! I is too cute!
I know nothing about cattle so I will say ... I LOVE his pose!

 

[WildRoseBeef]

At that age he needs more protein--i.e., 14 percent protein, not 13 percent. The feed you're feeding him just seems to me more in energy than protein, as all the grains are to fatten a finishing steer, not grow up a weaned calf. I'd up the protein content, but wouldn't give up on the feed because he does need the energy. (What is the energy content, in terms of TDN (total digestible nutrients) of the feed, btw?)

Also, what else are you feeding him, as in hay and such? He's in not too bad condition, but he needs to gain a bit of weight to be a worth-while 4H calf.

Oh yes, and start halter-training him now, because if you leave it for later he's going to be more difficult to handle.

 

[BrownSheep]

It seems that's all people show around here! Admittedly, I've never raised show steers but there are a lot of 4-H programs that post information online.


Also, are you certain you will want to bring him home for butcher. Our fair ends with a livestock sale where it is actually more worth while to sell then to take them for home consumption. This is just because our community does an excellent job jacking up the price for 4-H and FFA kids. No lambs sold for less than $6/lb, steers for $3/lb and pigs for $4/lb. this last year.

Often times show stock ( of every species) cost a lot more to feed than typical butcher animals just because the require higher quality feed and often times more of it.

I would add to start working with his feet with a show stick. That is how your kids will set him up in the ring so it's best to get them used to that.

I've shown steers a couple of times and really did love it. Hope your kids have a great go of it.

 

[MDres]

I got a hold of our county 4-H coordinator and learned a lot about the local show scene.

I think we are all set. I know we won't be bringing home the Grand Championship, because we will be doing things *our* way and not in a maximum gain type scenario, but that is absolutely fine. The lesson we want our daughter to learn is not one about winning, but about the commitment to an animal and raising it properly to feed your family. And the responsibility and extra work required to show the animal, that even if you don't win, you need to be proud about giving it 110%.

She will be attending workshops to learn how to show, but we just aren't going to rush the gain on the calf. He'll get to gain at the pace Mother Nature intended, and we'll slaughter him when he's ready. All the other competitors will be competing with high-dollar superior genetic purchased steers that are a good 6 months older than our guy. Hopefully she'll have a chance to earn a ribbon in showmanship, but there's not a chance for market steer, if Oreo were even to qualify, gain wise. The steers get weighed and their gain gets computed.... less than 2lb/day and you can't compete.

 

[Mike CHS]

Your plan is commendable but is your daughter aware that she has zero chance of being competitive?

 

[Southern by choice]

Sometimes it isn't about being competitive, it can be simply what MDers said. Kids today are constantly in a state of competitiveness in just about everything yet many things are missed in the process. Nothing wrong with it of course but sometimes just the learning about the animal, the care,the responsibility, and growing in the understanding of diligence and commitment is a far greater reward than a ribbon can give.

 

[MDres]

Southern by choice nailed it. That is what we are after...

Yes, she is aware she will likely not be winning or possibly even showing in every class. She might have a chance to get a ribbon in showmanship, and that is her goal.

There are very few local 4-Hers who compete in dairy or beef cattle. But the ones that do, like I said, go about it in a manner to maximize their chances to win. That is not the 4-H I grew up with 30 years ago. It has changed drastically, like everything else in society. Of course, I was also in an extremely rural area, and not a "metro" area like I am now. Washington DC - need I say more?

Our #1 goal is to raise a calf to put in the freezer when he is ready. Showing is just a side item that we are going to do because our daughter wants to, and we already have most of the equipment, so why the heck not. We aren't doing this with the goal of her bringing home a big paycheck.

If Oreo works out and my daughter has fun, then the next calf might be purchased and raised slightly differently. Slightly. But our end goal is still the same - that she learns how to raise and slaughter her own food.

 

[Mike CHS]

It sounds like you prepped her well. I apologize if I came across as critical since it wasn't meant that way. I had a cousin who did something similar without the choice being his sons. Kids can be cruel and the son was the butt of a lot of ridicule do to the low quality of the cow they entered. That was several years ago and he hasn't wanted any part of 4H since then.