Showing a Steer with Frozen Ears

[Tallcool1]

We had a breeder call us to come and look at a steer he had raised, that had not been sold yet.  We drove up, and figured out why he was still there.

The steer had gotten his ears and tail frozen when he was a baby.  Ordinarily I would just pass, but this is a really good steer and he is bred the way we like them.  As far as confirmation and hair...this is probably the best one we would EVER afford because of his run-in with Mother Nature.

The tail I am not worried about.  We can put a fake tail on him and he will look fine.  The tail he has is long enough that the fake will hang below his twist and look natural.

The ears......he just looks funny. 

Has anyone ever showed one with frozen ears? 

Did it hurt him in the ring?

Did you try to fit his ears to minimize the issue?

Give me some input.  We are at a loss. 

 

[Pleasant Grove Farms]

show us a picture of how bad it is

 

[Tallcool1]

I don't have a picture.

His ears are about 1/3 gone, or 2/3 of his ears are still there.

He is a Heatwave, and by looking at him I would say that he would have NOT been one with great big ears anyway.

On one hand, I feel like a steer shouldn't be judged by his ears......but they are show steers, and it is the overall look.

 

[DL]

We had a breeder call us to come and look at a steer he had raised, that had not been sold yet.  We drove up, and figured out why he was still there.

The steer had gotten his ears and tail frozen when he was a baby.  Ordinarily I would just pass, but this is a really good steer and he is bred the way we like them.  As far as confirmation and hair...this is probably the best one we would EVER afford because of his run-in with Mother Nature.

The tail I am not worried about.  We can put a fake tail on him and he will look fine.  The tail he has is long enough that the fake will hang below his twist and look natural.

The ears......he just looks funny. 

Has anyone ever showed one with frozen ears? 

Did it hurt him in the ring?

Did you try to fit his ears to minimize the issue?

Give me some input.  We are at a loss.

I don't know where you are, where the steer is or how old the steer is but when a steer loses both his ears and tail to frostbite one other consideration is his feet/legs - it is my understanding that at many sale barns calves with frozen ears and tails are seriously docked bc of potential other problems related to the original issue - just something to think about and maybe some of those from the frozen north can shed additional light on the issue

Re the cosmetic issue of the ears as they get hairier they look more normal and less spock like but they never will look totally normal

 

[vc]

I think they get docked hard for the frozen ears and tails just because they can. You see allot of pictures of momma cows in the cold country with tiny ears, the rest of the cow looks just fine.

 

[Tallcool1]

We had a breeder call us to come and look at a steer he had raised, that had not been sold yet.  We drove up, and figured out why he was still there.

The steer had gotten his ears and tail frozen when he was a baby.  Ordinarily I would just pass, but this is a really good steer and he is bred the way we like them.  As far as confirmation and hair...this is probably the best one we would EVER afford because of his run-in with Mother Nature.

The tail I am not worried about.  We can put a fake tail on him and he will look fine.  The tail he has is long enough that the fake will hang below his twist and look natural.

The ears......he just looks funny. 

Has anyone ever showed one with frozen ears? 

Did it hurt him in the ring?

Did you try to fit his ears to minimize the issue?

Give me some input.  We are at a loss.

I don't know where you are, where the steer is or how old the steer is but when a steer loses both his ears and tail to frostbite one other consideration is his feet/legs - it is my understanding that at many sale barns calves with frozen ears and tails are seriously docked bc of potential other problems related to the original issue - just something to think about and maybe some of those from the frozen north can shed additional light on the issue

Re the cosmetic issue of the ears as they get hairier they look more normal and less spock like but they never will look totally normal

He is an April steer.  There is absolutely no evidence of any mobility issues as far as the frostbite being in his feet/legs.  I appreciate that input mostly because I didn't know that.

At first I was really worried that the steer wouldn't listen, then I remembered that my kids never got their ears frostbitten and they don't listen.  (argue)

I asked a good friend that buys and sells a lot of steers.  He told me that as a rule, NO.  He said that he has seen way too many superior steers stand 3rd in class because of it.  But then he said "of course if he is THAT GOOD, and dirt cheap you want to buy him!"

 

[rackranch]

A friend of mine bought one cheap like that 2 years ago.  We named him Shrek and he won second in class at our county fair.  (lol)

 

[RyanChandler]

I'd notch/clip em both to look the same.

 

[Tallcool1]

I'd notch/clip em both to look the same.

Good Idea...at least he will look equally screwed up!!! 

I don't know, my son just went to look at him again.  He said "Great Steer!  $15K with ears...just plain goofy without.  I will put hair on him but you're gonna have to get one of my little brothers to lead him in the ring!" 

Sounds like a THREAT to me!

 

[Steve123]

Call Kansas State Vet School and see if they can graft some ears on him. Its amazing what they can do now a days.
I think Cody Burke is down there and he can baby sit him for you.

 

[vc]

My boy had a Suffolk's ewe, she got out with the dogs, ended up looking like a Lamancha goat. My brothers, Mother in law, with her warped sense of hummer Knitted her a new set of ears. You could try that option

 

[Tallcool1]

Call Kansas State Vet School and see if they can graft some ears on him. Its amazing what they can do now a days.
I think Cody Burke is down there and he can baby sit him for you.

Cody will NEVER take my twin boys to another jackpot show if I call him and ask him to get my steer a new set of ears!  He will swear up and down that I have lost my mind!!!  hahahahahaha

Although..........maybe I have lost my mind??? 

I am not going to lie, I have honestly thought about this.  It is raining pretty hard here today.  I don't usually have this much time to think about things like this. 

 

[CAB]

Is the steer that you are talking about have less, more, or the same ears & tail left on as the steer in this video?

http://www.youtube.com/embed/-ArkrM5eJrQ

 

[Tallcool1]

Is the steer that you are talking about have less, more, or the same ears & tail left on as the steer in this video?

http://www.youtube.com/embed/-ArkrM5eJrQ

About the same from what I can see.  Probably lost 'em in the same storm. I am from NE and have actually seen that steer.