Showing cattle

[WildRoseBeef]

Are you considering buying a beef steer or an actual cow like not the general term-cow but the mature-female-bovine cow? I'd be even more leery of buying a cow from an auction than what I mentioned above, even if it does seem to be adopting an animal from a shelter. But this is a show animal, not a family pet. You need to look for QUALITY, not something to adopt and care for. If you want to win, you need to be really careful in finding the animal that's best for the show ring. If not, and are simply trying to find something that gives you the experience of showing, caring for and owning an animal, well then that's a little different.

With steers, you will be hard-pressed to find a single steer that will be purchased for show. Most steers at the age/weight you need to start at to begin showing are sold in groups. That's why I say you're better off going to a farm or ranch (doesn't have to be a farm/ranch with a registered herd either) to look for a good animal to show than going through the auction.

Just remember that, if you buy a heifer instead of a steer, show heifers are the worse breeders. They often have way too much fat on them to be good enough to be used as a brood cow. Too much fat deposits in the udder and in and around the reproductive organs (vulva, vagina, ovaries, etc.) can make her have low fertility or a very poor milk producer. If you want to buy a heifer, get one for raising as a replacement ONLY for a starting cow-calf herd, not for show.

I would get a beef steer not a mature female. I would rather get the cheaper animal and gain experience than spend the money on the quality animal just in case I don't like showing cows. I am notorious for trying something once and eagerly moving on to the next thing. If I decided not to continue showing after the first season then I would have a lovely animal but lots of wasted money (In my parent's eyes anyways).
It just seems more practical to get the best one I can at the auction for like 80 bucks and then have the rest of my funds to spend on the weigh ins, transportation, blood work, etc. As opposed to spending...a lot on a show animal and then not having enough left over to pay for all of the stuff I need to have done. I'm not really sure how much they are. I know a friend of mine has one thats worth 6000. I definitely can't afford that.
I know for sure that if I like it, I will definitely be making the investment in a show quality animal. I just want to be sure before I take the risk.

Very good choices, and some wise decisions! You never know, you may not like the showing part, but you may get hooked on the raising-cattle-part. You probably have GAS (Goat Addiction Syndrome) already, but then you may have CRAP too (Cattle Raising Addiction Problem).

Do the steers have to be dehorned if they are going to be shown? What do you mean by "...get one for raising as a replacement ONLY for a starting cow-calf herd, not for show"?

As far as I'm aware yes, but of course only if the one you bought is horned. If any, try to get a steer that is polled (has no horns) to avoid the painful process of dehorning. There are a lot of steers around that are polled, much more than in the past, but you still need to be careful and keep on the lookout.

I was talking about if you decided to purchase a heifer instead of a steer to not use her as a breeder if she's being used/raised for show purposes. That's what replacement heifers are: they are raised for the purpose of replacing brood cows in a cow-calf herd.

 

[SheepGirl]

I don't think you can get cattle at auction for $80 unless it's a dairy bull calf. At our local auction, a 400# steer is selling for $1/lb. That's $400.

 

[jhm47]

A sale report for some feeder calves in this area. Top line is description of animals, middle is weight, and bottom is $ per hundred pounds. As you can see, the market is quite high right now. Some 400 lb. steers are bringing up to $800.00 per head.

Market Report for


Thursday, February 16, 2012


Heifers:

Lbs.
Per CWT

Oriska
Bwf hfrs
358
$187.00

Britton
Blk hfrs
385
185.00

Milnor
Char hfrs
390
184.00

Milnor
Char hfrs
334
180.25

Lake City
Blk hfrs
494
173.00

Hecla
Blk hfrs
475
172.00

Cogswell
Blk hfrs
435
171.00

Milnor
Char hfrs
488
170.00

Milnor
Char hfrs
558
165.50

Oriska
Bwf hfrs
553
165.00

Cogswell
Red hfrs
585
163.00

Havana
Char hfrs
568
161.00

Cogswell
Blk hfrs
558
158.00

Britton
Blk hfrs
609
157.50

Hecla
Red hfrs
594
157.00

Lake City
Blk hfrs
666
155.50

Britton
Blk hfrs
612
155.50

Havana
Char hfrs
700
147.00

Hecla
Blk hfrs
701
145.75

Cogswell
Red hfrs
702
144.00

Hecla
Blk hfrs
806
141.00

Hecla
Blk hfrs
820
138.20



Steers:

Lbs.
Per CWT

Milnor
Char strs
387
$201.00

Cogswell
Blk strs
390
201.00

Oriska
Blk strs
418
199.00

Lake City
Blk strs
463
197.00

Britton
Red strs
503
195.00

Havana
Char strs
523
186.50

Milnor
Char strs
515
182.00

Forman
Blk strs
595
175.00

Britton
Blk strs
620
173.00

Langford
Blk strs
650
173.00

Aberdeen
Mix strs
630
171.00

Britton
Blk strs
658
167.00

Lake City
Blk strs
674
166.75

Milnor
Char strs
651
166.50

Rutland
Blk strs
675
166.00

Cogswell
Red strs
665
162.00

Havana
Char strs
837
162.00

Forman
Blk strs
748
153.50

Havana
Herf strs
730
152.50

Hecla
Blk strs
724
151.00

Langford
Char strs
793
150.00

Cogswell
Red strs
809
146.00

Rutland
Blk strs
802
146.00

Milnor
Blk strs
814
145.75

Milnor
Blk strs
957
142.00

Milnor
Blk strs
927
141.00

Hecla
Blk strs
889
140.00

Hecla
Blk strs
828
140.00

Britton
Red strs
1025
139.40

Milnor
Blk strs
1054
138.25

 

[Cricket]

I don't know anything about the beef auction, but if you get a dairy bull at the farm, you will not only be saving him his after-auction fate, you will be saving him from being trucked all over in who knows what kind of weather with all kinds of other animals, exposed to how many different kinds of diseases. Most of the calves I get, I wait until spring when they calve outdoors and they just don't get sick. It is super gratifying to nurse a baby animal back to health, but having to shoot one that isn't going to pull through and just won't die can totally ruin it for you. Those auction calves all come from a farm somewhere, doesn't meant they're fancy, and most all of them are not going to be raised to 'have a job'! You may as well cut out the middleman! Good luck!

 

[Cricket]

you may have CRAP too (Cattle Raising Addiction Problem).

Good one, WRB!

 

[baileybear4]

A sale report for some feeder calves in this area. Top line is description of animals, middle is weight, and bottom is $ per hundred pounds. As you can see, the market is quite high right now. Some 400 lb. steers are bringing up to $800.00 per head.

Market Report for


Thursday, February 16, 2012


Heifers:

Lbs.
Per CWT

Oriska
Bwf hfrs
358
$187.00

Britton
Blk hfrs
385
185.00

Milnor
Char hfrs
390
184.00

Milnor
Char hfrs
334
180.25

Lake City
Blk hfrs
494
173.00

Hecla
Blk hfrs
475
172.00

Cogswell
Blk hfrs
435
171.00

Milnor
Char hfrs
488
170.00

Milnor
Char hfrs
558
165.50

Oriska
Bwf hfrs
553
165.00

Cogswell
Red hfrs
585
163.00

Havana
Char hfrs
568
161.00

Cogswell
Blk hfrs
558
158.00

Britton
Blk hfrs
609
157.50

Hecla
Red hfrs
594
157.00

Lake City
Blk hfrs
666
155.50

Britton
Blk hfrs
612
155.50

Havana
Char hfrs
700
147.00

Hecla
Blk hfrs
701
145.75

Cogswell
Red hfrs
702
144.00

Hecla
Blk hfrs
806
141.00

Hecla
Blk hfrs
820
138.20



Steers:

Lbs.
Per CWT

Milnor
Char strs
387
$201.00

Cogswell
Blk strs
390
201.00

Oriska
Blk strs
418
199.00

Lake City
Blk strs
463
197.00

Britton
Red strs
503
195.00

Havana
Char strs
523
186.50

Milnor
Char strs
515
182.00

Forman
Blk strs
595
175.00

Britton
Blk strs
620
173.00

Langford
Blk strs
650
173.00

Aberdeen
Mix strs
630
171.00

Britton
Blk strs
658
167.00

Lake City
Blk strs
674
166.75

Milnor
Char strs
651
166.50

Rutland
Blk strs
675
166.00

Cogswell
Red strs
665
162.00

Havana
Char strs
837
162.00

Forman
Blk strs
748
153.50

Havana
Herf strs
730
152.50

Hecla
Blk strs
724
151.00

Langford
Char strs
793
150.00

Cogswell
Red strs
809
146.00

Rutland
Blk strs
802
146.00

Milnor
Blk strs
814
145.75

Milnor
Blk strs
957
142.00

Milnor
Blk strs
927
141.00

Hecla
Blk strs
889
140.00

Hecla
Blk strs
828
140.00

Britton
Red strs
1025
139.40

Milnor
Blk strs
1054
138.25

I guess I can forget getting a cow. As a student, I have a very limited budget. This is definitely not going to work

 

[baileybear4]

I don't know anything about the beef auction, but if you get a dairy bull at the farm, you will not only be saving him his after-auction fate, you will be saving him from being trucked all over in who knows what kind of weather with all kinds of other animals, exposed to how many different kinds of diseases. Most of the calves I get, I wait until spring when they calve outdoors and they just don't get sick. It is super gratifying to nurse a baby animal back to health, but having to shoot one that isn't going to pull through and just won't die can totally ruin it for you. Those auction calves all come from a farm somewhere, doesn't meant they're fancy, and most all of them are not going to be raised to 'have a job'! You may as well cut out the middleman! Good luck!

Maybe I can find someone who will loan me a steer to show. I know several people who pay a yearly fee to show someone else's cow. My only concern with the auction is the diseases. I don't want to expose my animals to anything.

 

[goodhors]

Before giving up, where do you plan to show the cattle? If you said, I missed it.

Local Fairs, 4-H competitions, will let you raise a calf and compete it as a steer
in their various classes. Getting a Fair Book will let you see what classes are
available, to get a calf that will fit into those catagories.

Each County is different, so read YOUR Fair rules to know exactly what is expected
and required.

Our Fair has Calf classes, for small beef animals. They call it Prospect Beef, while
someone else might call it Feeder Calves. Our rules say the animals can NOT go
over 500# to sell at the Auction of animals. You can show one a bit over 500# in the
classes, just not sell at Fair.

Money is in the selling of these calves at the Fair Auction, with inspired buyers, generous
folks buying to "help the 4-H kids", so they often pay a LOT more than the regular
auction price for these animals. They do get the bonus of TAME calves, easy to handle,
manage as they increase in size. A number of 4-H kids do buy their future beef steer for next
season at the Fair Auction, show him as Big Beef next year.

We turned a fair profit buying bottle babies, showing in Prospect Beef and selling at Fair.
Ours were dairy calves, lower purchase cost, so less invested for more profit at sale time.
We have Dairy Beef classes, so those calves and big steers are not against the beef breed
calves or steers. Another local Fair has NO calf classes at all, just big Beef, dairy and meat
breed classes. This is where reading your LOCAL rules pays off. 4-H has GENERAL rules
of how to show, presenting the animal, but the local folks write specific things you have
to learn to be competitive.

Locally, the big beef animals have all been ear tagged for August 2012 Fairs already. Can't
still get in at this late date. Calves get tagged later, many not born yet, so they are not
too big for the weigh-in at Fair. You may want to check that tagging date out, could be
too late for you to do big beef this year. But you might be still able to do a calf! I called
a couple local Dairy farms to locate our calves, they were very helpful, big 4-H supporters!
The calf was WELL started, very bright and perky at 7 days, we never had any issues with him at all.


If you want to show at the State level, or in Breed shows, you will need the more expensive
beef animal to be able to compete. They are NOT cheap, and you won't find them in those
local livestock sales. The plan with them is to win GRAND CHAMPION and so you do still make
a profit after taking out your large calf cost, feed costs to get that weight on him.