Fall 08 Calves - How They Turned Out

[chambero]

I wanted to post some "before and after" photos of our Fall 08 calf crop.  I've been meaning to get this up for a while but just have not had time. 

Tyson Steer

We put him up for sale, never got the $1500 offer I wanted so we kept him and showed him.  He wound up turning out very nice looking, but got mean on us at the end.  Showed him three times - a lightweight class winner at a nice sized prospect show in Decatur in November, Reserve Grand Steer at our County in January, and looked real good at Fort Worth.  I had posted on here about it, but he blew up on my son as he went in the ring in Class 5 and almost half killed him.  Needless to say he was escorted from the ring and put on the truck.

Yellowjacket Steer

We intended on showing him from the start.  Turned into a real good, but real heavy steer.  Never could get him quite fat enough for his size.  Showed him three times.  Won Reserve Grand Overall at a prospect show in Decatur in Nov (around 50-75 hd).  Class winner at our county (couldn't believe he wasn't Grand, even over our other steer above who was Reserve).  Showed him at San Antonio as a Heavy Charolais and Houston as a Heavy Maine.  Wasn't fat enough for the judge at San Antonio and didn't get pulled.  Judge pulled him immediately at Houston, but then asked my son how heavy he was (1415) and then he kicked him completely out the gate.  Never got a great photo of him that I thought did justice to how he really looked, but here's what he looked like with hair.

Golden Child Heifer

Had more success in the showring than any heifer we've ever shown.  Grand overall at one show, Reserve Grand at another, reserve breed champion at the other prospect show we took her to.  Stood 4th at Houston in the deepest ORB class that was won by the Elder girl.  She bred real easily back in November on first try and is just a moose now.  As a result, she doesn't take the longest stride in the world.  We'll keep showing her till around June and then kick her out to have her baby.

Heatwave Steer

Thought about showing this one, but didn't think he had enough leg hair for Fort Worth.  So we sold him down to the valley.  He got showed in either Webb County or Jim Hogg County (I forget which - whichever one has the largest show) and stood second in medium wt crossbreds.

Angus Type Steer

Had him up on here for sale and he wound up at the same place in the valley.  He stood second in their Angus class.  The guy bought three calves from us and must have been pretty happy.  Picked up two more last week.

How did everyone else's calves fare?  I know we've got a bunch of folks on here that did well at the Texas majors and some breeders that sold a bunch of calves on here a year ago.  I'd love to see other's before and after photos.

 

[plattevalleysimmentals]

Here is a Ebonys Trademark Heifer that we had priced all the way down to around 1500 if i remember right, she had alot of interest but nobody could or would seem to pull the trigger (Including her eventual buyer down the road lol) In the end though it worked out to our advantage and we she was Reserve Grand simmental female at the Nebraska cattlemans classic

 

[SKF]

I love this post!! I all ways wonder how some of the calves posted on here turn out. Thanks for posting!!

 

[chambero]

Too many people are too harsh on themselves and reluctant to put up "after" photos if they aren't a grand champion something or another.  We're being way too hard on ourselves with that kind of standard.  What we do (raising show cattle) is extremely competetive in many places.  Be proud of what your own did.  I hope some others put some up too.

 

[ZNT]

Happy customers=repeat customers. That's great to hear that the people from the valley came back out.

 

[JSchroeder]

These are the only 'before' pics I could find for our 08 crop.

The good...

...became...

The bad...

Both ET calves I turned down money for because they were 'worth more to me'.

...most recent pic I'm aware of...

Even after being slicked they fell apart in the Texas heat worse than anything I'd ever seen before.

 

[Chap]

Steer we sold in the fall of 08 - Sunseeker x Elsie (draftpick donor).  Sold to local kid.  Was Reserve Xbred at local open show, Grand Champion at county fair, reserve in IJBBA show and was a little stale by the time State Fair rolled around but stood 4th at ISF in tough heavy divsion class.  Repeat buyer

 

[Freddy]

vERY interesting post idea, enjoyed seeing how they turned out ....

 

[chambero]

Bump

 

[DFSC]

We are fairly new to the cattle business and this was our first show steer to sell. He was a ALM Surf X Double stuff. He went on to win numerous Breed and Reserve Champions in Texas.

 

[farmin female]

(clapping)
Love the post!  There really aren't that many major show grand/reserve champions out there so the majority of calves fall somewhere on down the line and that's ok.  It's just like you say, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and it happens to not only the producer, but the buyer too!