Steer Confusion...

[mlazyj]

Well if you could get new legs from the stifle down you'd be in good shape . I've seen the type in the feedlot when I was riding pens . When they would start to get finished they couldn't hardly move . One of the big cow buyers in Montana runs about 1100 of red angus cows . He normaly runs char bulls on them . Last year he didn't get enough white bulls bought so he bought some brahviegh bulls . I might have to mke a trip back over there this summer and take a look at those calves.

 

[ruhtram]

looks like this steer is done...appears to be getting worse. I would get rid of the steer, i've seen this happen too many times

 

[Darkside]

Don't get down on your steer. Just a little bad luck. Braunvieh cattle are some of the finest cattle I have ever been associated with. I will call myself a breeder others in this breed will probably disagree with me. I love to mix the clubby with my brown cows. I truly be leave there is no better cow than half Braunvieh. We just got back from Denver, and I be leave that I had a few clubby boys talking about a % heifer we won Grand Champion with and with the help of Cowboy and our donor cow they will be looking for us in Denver for year to come.

 

[DL]

kobo - do you think the calf is spastic (ie has spastic paresis?) I ask because you say he is stiffer in the rear and to me he not only looks straighter in the recent picture but he is holding the leg toward the picture up/off the ground a little and his tail is up more - now granted this could be just the single minute in time but it seems a likely possibility. Is he lying down more than before? Do you see him shifting his weight from one back leg to another? Has his gait changed? Does he drag his toes or kind of circle his rear leg around when he walks - does it seem like his legs are too long for the ground (or the ground is too short - if he is spastic it won't really change much except it would explain why you think he is now worse and why he appeared sound in the beginning FWIW

 

[nosejob8807]

as far as classifying.. probably end up in the AOB's if you take him.. maybe try Chi since he's a little leggy

abc. no way any exotic breeds.

ehh i beg to differ.. little to no sheath, no americanish ears.. but if you say so

 

[SFASUshowman]

I would agree, I do think he looked pretty straight in the older pic as well, but I definately can tell he is worse now.  I am the type that never tells someone to haul their project to the salebarn prior to the show unless they just absolutely are not gonna make it to show weight, so I would say show him, but dont expect him to do much at the show.  I think he is way to straight, way to leggy, and way to tight in his middle to make it. 
I would however disagree with whoever says the Braunveighs wont do good in the steer show because Judges dont know what their looking at, I think its quiet the contrary, most good judges know the breed, the problem is they just dont fit with the other steers we are showing, so a judge has to decide what to do with them, and I think they a lot of times naturally fall to the bottome for several reasons.  While Braunveigh are pretty stout, have pretty good IM fat, and they ussually taste good, I have always viewed them as more of a maternal breed, my favorite cross for recips is a Braunviegh cross as a matter of fact.  I also dont think they offer enough of what we look for in both the show steer world and the feedlot world.  They are way to big framed to meet the market ideal and they dont finish as easily, so generally on show day they handle a little hard which definately hurts them, and in the feedyard they are typically older before they finish, which means more days on feed and more feed consumed to get them finished right. Plus they are generally around 1500 lbs from my experience when they finally do finish, and a lot of that is frame so its thrown away and they dont get very high yield grades.  So I dont think its judgest not knowing their cattle, its simply where do you put them when they are in the show ring against other breeds, especially when it a market show and we dont take breed characteristic into account much when judging.

As far as classing goes I think they and he definately go AOB.  I guess if you are going to try somewhere else you could try the Chi's but I think their best shot at doing something is in the AOBs.  I definately couldnt see em classifying American because they just dont put enough American Characteristics together.

 

[Bradenh]

im just saying to try it, hes got an american hip set and neck. you have to try your cards in it because he is going to get raped in the chi division or aob, no harm intended but i just think you have to at least try it because he is going to do his best in there

 

[chambero]

I dont think they will even slow him down in the ABC line.  That is the only place to put him

 

[kobo_ranch]

kobo - do you think the calf is spastic (ie has spastic paresis?) I ask because you say he is stiffer in the rear and to me he not only looks straighter in the recent picture but he is holding the leg toward the picture up/off the ground a little and his tail is up more - now granted this could be just the single minute in time but it seems a likely possibility. Is he lying down more than before? Do you see him shifting his weight from one back leg to another? Has his gait changed? Does he drag his toes or kind of circle his rear leg around when he walks - does it seem like his legs are too long for the ground (or the ground is too short - if he is spastic it won't really change much except it would explain why you think he is now worse and why he appeared sound in the beginning FWIW

Well IDK... he has seemed worse in just a week... I thought he might be getting arthritis or something... seems fine on front end but rear legs seem stiffer and does shift his weight more on those hind legs.  No the pic he was just kinda cold and standing in mud, he raises his tail cause I was scratching him just prior to the shot...  he has been laying down more. 
IDK guess we'll just haul him to the locker... (
Chambero that was my plan to have Blake run him ABC at Houston... IF he'd only got there... don't even want to go without looking his best and having a hope for a slot.  Too far to go just to get the gate.  (tho know it can happen) 
I swear he shot up and got stiff on us overnight... At county the Judge (who knew his cattle Chris Scaggs) said he's straight, correct, heavily muscled... but just don't know how to evaluate him 'today'... only 3 in the class.  One heavy exotic cross type, and a brangus... didn't know what he meant....    thanks all again... DL would like to know what that is you were talking about...

 

[DL]

     thanks all again... DL would like to know what that is you were talking about...

kobo - spastic paresis is a disorder of cattle first described in Holsteins (the bull was Elso so it is sometimes called "Elso heel") that has been seen in just about every breed and every cross - it is genetic but the exact genetics have not been worked out and it likely involves an environmental component as well. You can see it at almost any age - from a month to finishing or a couple of years - it involves the nerves and muscles of the back legs and can be worse in one leg that the other - basically the gastrocs tendon gets real tight causing the animal to lose flex and the leg gets straighter and straighter - in young calves they lie down more than their pen mates. Because the leg is so straight the calf walks funny - may drag their toes or swing their leg out when they step - because their balance is altered they stand wide in the front - and they raise their tail up and use it more when they move - they never get better and only get worse - there is no cure but people have done surgery for a temporary fix - I suspect that it causes the calf some discomfort because they chose to lie down more than usual and they shift the weight on their back legs a lot - once you see a calf with spastic paresis you never mistake it for anything else - sorry about your calf he appears to be a nice boy and I know you are fond of him