Could use some critiques on a show steer.

[newbeef]

Hi,

This is our daughters first year showing a market steer. We are as green as it gets. Would love to get everyone's opinion on this steer. Just to help, here is his info.
He will be one year old in three days. He is taping at 64 inches. I am guessing his weight at around 775 lbs. by the tape. He is a Black Angus. We go to show in early April.
Your comments or any tips would be greatly appreciated. I am amazed at how much the younger folks know. I don't know how to get the pics to post here but this is how they do it
on the cattle forum so I figure it will work on here.

http://s403.photobucket.com/albums/pp119/newbeef/

Thanks,
Terri

 

[Bawndoh]

IMO he is quite green and you have a long way to go til April.  He looks like he needs a good hoof trim and quite a bit of feed.  He seems to have great hair, and a quite attitude for your daughter.  I wish you the best of luck!

 

[chambero]

Height on cattle are measured from the ground to the top of their hips.  64" is really, really tall and the calf doesn't look nearly that big.  Most steers showing now finish out at around 52-54", maybe even a touch shorter than that.  Get him on a finishing feed (12% protein, around 5% fat) now and push him as hard as he'll go on it.  He's a little light for his age, but really you just need to get him as fat as you can from now til the end.

 

[Bawndoh]

I think she means his heartgirth is 64

 

[farmerboy317]

i agree i think he could use a hoof trim and a lot more feed, keep feedin him. good luck

 

[newbeef]

i agree i think he could use a hoof trim and a lot more feed, keep feedin him. good luck

Yes I did mean the heart girth. So here are the rules for the show. He weighs in the first week of December. That is when he is tagged. At this point he must be at least 700 lbs, which we know by the Heart Girth
He is over that. Then at final weigh in in April he must be at least 900 lbs. But, he must gain at least 2 lbs a day from first weigh in to final weigh in. My concern is that if I get him too big before the first weigh in it will be hard to get the 2 lbs a day. What are your thought on this?

 

[showsteerdlux]

I'd be hauling him to some scales. I wouldn't trust the heartgirth weights if my life depended on it.

 

[newbeef]

I'd be hauling him to some scales. I wouldn't trust the heartgirth weights if my life depended on it.

You know you have talked me into it. I think we can weight our truck and trailer at the dump and then come home and get the steer and take him across their scales. I heard they do that for the 4-H kids.
I will let you know what he comes in at. We plan on doing it Saturday morning. Thanks for the good advice.

 

[MYT Farms]

Same here. He looks like he is gonna ned to be pushed start to finish, and I think your tape might be a little off. Worried about gain? If it is allowed in your county, CHECK THE RULES, I'd recommend a little Ralgrow. Also, I be feeding him his allotted lbs. per day in three separate feedings. About 7, 12, and 7.

 

[newbeef]

Same here. He looks like he is gonna ned to be pushed start to finish, and I think your tape might be a little off. Worried about gain? If it is allowed in your county, CHECK THE RULES, I'd recommend a little Ralgrow. Also, I be feeding him his allotted lbs. per day in three separate feedings. About 7, 12, and 7.

We have only been feeding him 10 lbs a day. % in am and 5 in pm. If we start pushing him now and go to weigh in in December way over the 700 lb minimum won't it be hard for us to get the minimum 2 lbs a day between then and the final weigh in in April? April he has to be at least 900 lbs. Would love your advice on this. Just so you know, he is on Purina show chow and getting no hay. Only grazing. We are in North Forida so still have some green grass.

 

[MYT Farms]

Nope. Getting fatter, he'll taper off a little, but not below two pounds per day. At least I wouldn't think so. If I had a solid weight on him I could give some sounder advice. From the pics, he looks plenty green and I think he's gonna need all the feed you can get to him. If he starts to get a little slow on the grain, I'd recommend some hay. Like I said, I need a good, solid weight to work from.

 

[newbeef]

Nope. Getting fatter, he'll taper off a little, but not below two pounds per day. At least I wouldn't think so. If I had a solid weight on him I could give some sounder advice. From the pics, he looks plenty green and I think he's gonna need all the feed you can get to him. If he starts to get a little slow on the grain, I'd recommend some hay. Like I said, I need a good, solid weight to work from.

We are gonna haul him to the dum this weekend and have them weigh him on their scales. I will get back to you. We are just so worried about not meeting the right weights. This is our first time doing this and I know that we have a LOT to learn. It is nice to have people like you who are willing to share your knowledge. Thanks, Terri

 

[MYT Farms]

Well, I've been doing this only 6 or 7 years now. I've just been getting some stuff figured out these past 2 or 3 years. But good luck and I'd really like to see what he ways. Good Luck with him.

 

[MYT Farms]

I sent you a PM. Check the top of the page and click on  Messages.

 

[amss101]

Now, we'll all have a little different of opinion but you prob. should finish him about 1300lb. --give or take SP readers.  If that's the case, your looking at about 600lb--again give or take...To hit that weight you'll have to gain app. 4 lb a day...Give him the groceries girlfriend!  If he is 700-750lb then he should be eating @ least 14 lb a day, and I wouldn't up him rapidly but over the next few weeks, see if you could get him to about twice what your feeding-again do not do this overnight.  Gradually increase and make him clean it up.  He'll def. need a hoof trimming as you increase his feed too.

 

[showsteerdlux]

Same here. He looks like he is gonna ned to be pushed start to finish, and I think your tape might be a little off. Worried about gain? If it is allowed in your county, CHECK THE RULES, I'd recommend a little Ralgrow. Also, I be feeding him his allotted lbs. per day in three separate feedings. About 7, 12, and 7.

We have only been feeding him 10 lbs a day. % in am and 5 in pm. If we start pushing him now and go to weigh in in December way over the 700 lb minimum won't it be hard for us to get the minimum 2 lbs a day between then and the final weigh in in April? April he has to be at least 900 lbs. Would love your advice on this. Just so you know, he is on Purina show chow and getting no hay. Only grazing. We are in North Forida so still have some green grass.

Ok. I know you'll be weighing him this weekend but this is what I'd be doing immediately. Take him totally off pasture,  zilch, none. Right now if he is weighing 700#'s he should be getting 21#'s of grain a day (3% body weight). 2nd thing I'd be doing is finding another feed. I may be in the minority here but I have never had good luck feeding Show Chow to steers and I'm in the south also, with the reason being is they don't make the finisher down here. Next he needs to be getting about 2 flakes of hay/feeding and also needs a free choice high quality mineral and a salt block. IMHO he probably needs to go in a stall pretty quick and only get tied out in a dry lot for a couple hours per day. Start feeding the hound out of him now. These pb angus steers are sometimes hard to feed out and I'm speaking from experience, so you better start feeding him hard now. Try to find a feed that has about 12% protein, 10% fiber, and 4-5%fat. I'd be recommending Nutrena if you can get it, or even better Umbargers but idk what ya'll can get down there.

 

[amss101]

We've had good luck with show chow but we can finishing touch here.  Don't feed him the fitter's edge as that is a grower and you don't need anymore grow.

 

[showsteerdlux]

Here in the south, unless things have changed, which I dont think they have, the only thing we can get is fitters edge, because there is one plant that makes all the show chow for like NC, SC, Ga, and Fla.
Thats the reason I said they needed to be finding a different feed. I'm speaking from experience with a PB Angus steer on show chow, it flat didn't work for me.

 

[BCCC]

Okay I see a couple problems. Is he halter broke? If so the take him to the dumb and unload him and walk him on the scales, if you take your truck there and weigh and then go home and get it and weigh it again then your weights are still going to be off because you will have less fuel.

Is the show in April his final show? If so you really need to start pushing him, 900 lbs is no where near finished. He should be eating 3% of his body weight. Take him off pasture and only give him a flake or two of grass hay a day. Feed him multiple times a day(3 would be good) will encourage feed intake. You need to get him on a good finisher ration. You shouldn't have to worry about making 2lbs of gain a day just feed him good, and get him as big as possible, because this steer is going to need to be bigger in order to compeat. Make sure you make all of your changes in his ration gradually. Good Luck!!

 

[amss101]

I know how hard it is to find something when your looking for it, if you don't want it, its dirt cheap and in abundance.  I am surprised though that you can't get it...especially since they're hosting 2 jackpot shows in florida.  Go figure.  They days of people being dealers around here are about done, luckily our co-op carries it otherwise we'd be looking at quite the drive for any feed.