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| home | terms | facts | breeds | show cattle | my cattle | links |
Showing cattle is hard work, but it all pays off when you get that ribbon and
paycheck in the end. I showed cattle for nine years in 4-H and here is what it takes to show a champion.
So you want to show cattle? First you need a place to put the animal. A nice
lot with a good fence is a place to start. Cattle need room to roam and exercise. Keep heifers in the pasture so they can eat grass, but keep steers in a pen. Make sure there is a water supply and have a place to feed them, a tub or bunk. If you have a barn, that is great. You can put your show animals in there under a fan when it gets hot. Also have a water hydrant and hose, so you can easily give your animals a bath.
Now if you have the facilities, all you need now is the animal. Whether you
raise it or buy it, picking out the right calf can be hard to do. The ideal calf is deep bodied, has good legs, has potential, is tame, and many other things. It is difficult to find all of these things. Consider the parents, does the sire and dam have the traits you are looking for? Calves do change. A great looking calf may not grow up to be a great show animal. Likewise an average calf may turn out to be a great show steer/heifer. Luck is a major
factor. If you are buying a calf, don't go overboard on price. Sometimes you get what you pay for and sometimes you get more or less. Be reasonable. The best steers I had were the ones that were the cheapest.
You've got the perfect calf. Showing it won't be much fun unless it is properly broke and trained. First, get the animal halter broke as soon as possible. Put the halter on the animal in a chute, then tie them up. Most likely the calf will thrash and be all together unmanageable, but practice makes perfect. Day by day the calf will get used to you and become tame. You may get kicked or trampled or injured in some way, but sooner or later the calf will get used to you. Brushing it will help.
Once the calf is halter broke, then the next step is leading. The calf will either take off running or plant its feet and not move. The most important thing is not to let go. Once the calf gets away it will always know that it can. Start in a small area and lead the calf in circles. You will want help; someone to push the calf along while you pull. If that doesn't work, then try mechanical means. We have always tied them to a hayrack and with a tractor or
pickup led them around. Just tie them to the back of any vehicle and slowly lead them. It will teach them to follow anything.
Halter broke, broke to lead, not yet show broke. The last thing is to train them to set up with a showstick (long metal stick). For the first time do this while the animal is tied up. With the end of the showstick set up the calf's feet so his feet are square; not too stretched out and not too scrunched up. Poke the end of the stick right above where the hoof splits. The calf will most likely kick the first time. Once the feet are set up then stroke the animal's belly to calm them. That's all there is to it.
Feeding depends on the sex and size of the animal. Heifers mainly eat grass, but a small amount of corn everyday is good too. Steers need to be fat, so they get little grass and mostly corn. While corn is the main diet, you may also want to consider some specially mixed show cattle feed. We have always also fed barley, protein, oats, and beet pulp. We also feed a little hay or straw. In the summer my steer had about 15 pounds of corn a day along with about 10 other mixed grains. Depending on the animal's size and what he will eat the amount will vary.
Grooming is one of the most important aspects. You should brush you calf everyday. The most common brush is the scotch comb. With this brush the animal's hair forward toward the head. It will take time to get the hair trained to go in that direction. Also in the summer you should wet your animal. I always haltered my steer in the morning and wet him down with a hose, brushed him, and tied him in the barn with a fan blowing on him. Long hair makes a show calf look better. When show day approaches you want to clip the hair. Clip their head, tail, legs, belly, brisket, back, get someone who knows what they are doing like I don't. On show day give the animal a bath, brush them and apply the necessary agents: adhesives, and whatnot for shine, etc.
A lot of equipment is needed for show cattle. You want plenty of halters, brushes, and showsticks. Also get a fan. Your calf will thank you. A grooming chute is necessary for shows and preparations. A blower is basically a vacuum that blows out. It helps dry and grow hair. Stall dividers are a good thing to have at shows to keep cattle separated. Forks and shovels are indespensible. Pails and tubs for water and feed. Some type of bedding, straw or woodchips. There are many other things but these are the basics. Visit
Sullivan Supply for all of this facinating stuff.
The whole process of showing cattle takes a lot of time and work and it all
comes down to five minutes in a show ring. When you arrive at the show you will get a place to stall. Then you check in and your animal is weighed and ID'ed and you will probably be given a number on a card to wear in the show ring. All the animals are put in classes according to weight or breed. These will be posted before the show. On show day get your calf properly prepared. And yourself too. Wear boots, jeans, and an appropriate shirt. Clip or pin your number on and keep a scotch comb in your back pocket. There should be announcements as to when the show starts and what classes are beginning. Listen for your class and when it is called go to the show ring with your calf. Someone there will check you in. Then you go in the show ring and persons in there will direct you where to go. Keep your eye on the judge at all times. Get your calf set up. The judge will come talk to you, smile. You may walk the animals around some more. Then the judge will pick the best ones out first. He will motion for you to bring your calf out. That is why you want to always be looking at him. Once they are placed the judge will make his comments as you leave the ring. That's it. A few minutes that either make you break you.
