A Look at General Cattle and What Makes Them Stand Out

[katari3738]

Hey everyone,

I wanted to start a discussion about “The Big Show” and what makes general cattle stand out in the world of livestock exhibitions. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just getting into the cattle show scene, it’s always exciting to see the dedication and hard work that goes into preparing animals for competition.

In many shows, general cattle are judged based on their conformation, muscle, size, and overall health. But there's so much more that goes into it than just physical attributes. The preparation, training, and handling of cattle are huge factors that contribute to a successful showing. From feeding and grooming to training for the ring, each detail counts.

I’d love to hear everyone’s experiences and tips for showing general cattle. What do you focus on when preparing for the big day? How do you manage the stress of competition, both for the animals and yourself?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and sharing some insights on how to make the most of “The Big Show!”

 

[vc]

Daily routine, working the hair, practicing setting up and the stick.

Daily routine: Get the calf and yourself into a routine, feeding at the same time, tying the animal up so they get accustomed to standing up for a period of time, handling them every day. A steer or cattle project is for a long period, and it is a long haul to get them where you want them to be as far as their behavior. Getting them to do want you want comes in little wins, expecting them to get it in a day a week or even a month, is expecting too much. As long as you make progress no matter how small each day you are winning.

Working the hair: It is more than just getting the hair to grow and pop, it is getting your hands on them daily getting them used to human contact. They get used to being handled and you learn their quirks and hang ups, what to avoid when working with them or what parts you need to work on. All of this helps getting them ready for a show. As far as working the hair for appearance, calves with hair that has been worked well and often have a younger fresher look, they just look more eye appealing.

Practicing setting them up and walking into setting up is key to a successful show, if you work with them at home so they walk into setting up, and you have little or no need to adjust their stance, it makes it easier on both you and the animal. Not needing to pull on them as the walk around the arena is also beneficial, the pull up and release method to get them to walk is always easier in the ring if the halter is pulled tight that means stop or slow down while they are walking the halter should be loose on their chin. We had a big pen they got kicked out in every night, before they would get turned loose they had to set up and stand, it seems like they figured out the faster they cooperated the faster they got kicked out. Each calf seems to have a spot that makes them relax when using the stick on them, finding that spot on your animal early is key, once you have them set up you hit that spot and they will be easier to handle in the ring.

Going to as many shows as you can, both you and the animal will improve after each show, you will find areas you need to work on, tricks to get your animal to look its best. It might be the pace they walk in, what angle the head should be held at, a host of things. Listening to what the judge says and fixing the things you can and maybe figuring out how to hide or mask the things you cant.

Stress starts with you if your stressed the animal is stressed, make sure you are ready when it is time to go in. There are plenty of products that are out there and will take the edge off the animal, but try it at home first and make sure you follow the instructions, so it is working when you need it. If you have done your best to get the animal and yourself ready, there should be no stress on your part, have fun.

Practice, patience and persistence

Feeding is a whole separate subject.