What do yall think???

[us4davis]

OK, so the weather was just so nice here today so I walked my cow around the yard and I got my little sister to take some photos of my 15 month old steer B.J.(Beef Jerky) And I was wondering what yall think. Some of you may know that this is my first cow ever, and he will be going to the spring show in April.(which by the way is terminal) We checked him with the weight tape today and it says 997lbs. Oh, this is the same steer who's horns I was looking to remove. They let me show last spring as a prospect with him, because his horns were blunted. And I have found a vet who will remove his horns for only $20. But I was wondering about his conformation, it is hard for me to really tel, I think that he looks good but after all he is my steer so I will always think that he looks decent. I will say that he is nice and long, but he is fairly short. ok, enough rambling and now for the pics.








Thanks,
Chris' wonderful daughter,

Abbi :banana02:

[ksfarmer]

It won't hurt his looks any, but, at this size , dehorning is not as easy as would have been at a younger age. It will take longer to heal and be a lot harder on him. Herefords should have been dehorned at weaning (6 or 7 mo old). As far as showing, I can't say, I never raised show cattle. Only beef. He does look to be in fine condition.

[us4davis]

Thanks!!!! Yeah about the dehorning,well as I said before this is my forst cow ever. A cattle farmer gave him to me for a 4-H project and I had know idea about him needing to be dehorned. So I am now stuck with getting him dehorned. I am very lucky though that I found a vet who would do that!!!!

But thanks for the comments!!!!

Abbi

[smpooh1]

I understand that you are young and also excited about showing your steer. BUT... you have posted about the dehorning issue before with NEGATIVE replies. He is simply at an age that will cause extremes pain, bleeding, and just maybe much worse.... just to be shown. Is it really worth it?!?
Honestly, he is nice and fat, but overall fair.
Why not sell him and buy a nice YOUNG polled/or dehorned calf of show quality.
You have said, that you are very lucky to find a Vet that will dehorn him SHOULD explain to you the fact that it is a very inhumane procedure at this point.

[Rockin'B]

Are you raising him for slaughter? If so, it won't be long until it's time to take him in. De-horning wouldn't be necessary if he's going in soon.

Nice looking calf.

[us4davis]

Ok,Ok. So yes I am young but actually I still haven't decided about showing him yet. I hope to!! But then again there is the horns issue, so I may just auction him off at the feed store around here, I live in a rural non- farming commercial fishing community, so tons of people have said that they would buy him for slaughter from me. I was just wondering what yalll thought of his conformation and everything.

But I will say though, I think I have talked mama into letting me show a steer again next year and when I do I will get a dehorned steer!!!! Or possiblly polled but I have been told that when you go with polled you lose quality??? Is that true?

I really want to say thanks for all of yalls advice, Yall have been a HUGE help to me so thanks!!!!!!

Chris' Wonderful Daughter,

Abbi :banana02:

[ksfarmer]

Actually I would encourage you to leave the horns, at this age you will lose some conditioning while he recovers. If you aren't dead-set on showing him, the horns are no problem. As far as polled vs horned, there was a difference years ago in herefords, but the polled herefords have been improved vastly over the years. Other breeds such as angus are mostly polled anyway, and I don't see any dropoff in quality. I raise mostly Gelbvieh, hereford, and angus crosses, and most of my calves are polled. The occasional horned one is more of a nuisance than anything. I try to select bulls which carry the genetics for polled.
I am also curious about the weight tape. I'm not familiar with that, how do you measure? Just guessing from the pictures I would guess your steer a little lighter than 900. But then I always underestimate my own too. LOL

[us4davis]

we got our weight tape from tractor supply and it is made for beef cattle you have to measure around his heart girth. You also could use a regular dressmakers tape and measure then look up a conversion for inches to pounds online. we also do this for our goats and it is very close I can't guarantee anything for cattle.

As far as showing, I am not completly dead set on showing, I guess if I was talked out of it then I would sell him and buy another steer, the only thing with not showing him is I do not know if I will get the same amount,At our spring show I am guaranteed $.90 per lb. What is a good price right now for a steer like him on the hoof. Just curious.

Thanks,

Abbi :banana02:

[HazyDay]

Nice rump! I see some nice meat their! Funny how I see a goat and say oh so cute I want it and a cow?? MEAT!!?!??!?!!?!!?!!?!!!!?!?!?!??

[JulieLou42]

Prices? As with real estate, it's "location, location, location." Depends on where you are.

[Karin L]

I don;t think conformation would matter much if he's gonna be turned into hamburger soon. But I'll say this: he's fleshy, and has a nice rump, and looks like he's around 1000 lbs.

As for the horns, IMHO, leave them, because if you or the vet remove them, he's gonna loose weight like the dickens from the stress, pain, and loss of blood, and it'll be some time of course before you can get him back into condition like you have him in those pics. Up here, you'd probably get around 100.00 c/wt for him. But it could be different in your area.

Just my two cents.

[ksfarmer]

Location is indeed important. I can't say for your area but here in Kansas a 800-900+ lb feeder steer will bring somewhere around $1.10 to $1.15 per lb. I'm not sure what fats ready for slaughter are priced at, maybe .94 or .95

[agmantoo]

Markets for finished cattle are sparse here in NC. Here is a list of auction facilities
http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsmnpubs/CSANC.htm

[JulieLou42]

Here's our local steers last Friday:

Steers:

200-400lbs 110.00 to 133.00

400-500lbs 110.00 to 121.00

500-600lbs 105.00 to 118.00

600-700lbs 103.00 to 113.50

700-800lbs 95.00 to 108.00

800-950lbs 92.00 to 104.50

950-up 80.00 to 87.50

[us4davis]

Thanks yall !!!! I need all of the info that I can get. The decision about getting him dehorned is getting tougher and tougher. So as it stands right now I have to talk with the vet and see what he says. But in the event that I can't get him dehorned, I will sell him locally because it seems that everyone I see wants to buy him!!! Could bring a good price. Anywhos, I will sell him and buy a heifer and show her at oour spring show and then our falls circuit shows. With a heifer there will be more opportunities to show her because it won't be terminal. So it is a tough decision. But I think that I will talk with our state vet first and then the vet who said that he would dehorn him. I will say in all of this I have learned that a free cow is not a good idea for your first cow when you have know idea what you are doing!!!!!


Thank yall so much,

Abbi :banana02:

[ksfarmer]

Looking at the pictures, I'd say you did a pretty good job with him, for having no previous experience with cattle.

[us4davis]

Thanks!!!!!


Abbi :banana02:

[Oxankle]

Abbi:

Those horns are hollow. They are easy to take off, and the vet would clamp the blood vessels so that there would not be excessive bleeding, but the hollow in the horns extends into the animals head. Until the hide heals over the horn there is a hole in the animal's skull. I'd not do it--I have done it, and I prefer not to do it again. I simply sawed them off with saw wire, but it is a bloody mess and the animal hurts for days.

Traders do it routinely; they buy a scrubby, horned animal, dehorn it and fatten it a bit and have a totally different, much more desirable animal. The dehorning costs them nothing--they do it themselves with a saw or guillotine loppers, and the animal's gain pays for the feed. Quite profitable.

Next time get yourself a pure angus--no horns. I know nothing about polled herefords, but if you can find good stock they make a prettier show animal.

Were I you I would consider selling your steer for beef. Right now the market prefers a heavyweight as feed prices are high and the feedlots would rather buy the growth than feed it.

If you sell to an individual you should get a little bit of a premium, more than auction barn price.
Ox

[Misty]

the horns may not be allowed by your fair. It shouldn't matter , but I am afraid it will. The holes after dehorning him run straight to the sinus cavity's. Yes, he will probably go off feed for a while if you do it, but you have time to bring him back if your show isn't until April. I don't have much experience with it, but hurry and get it done if you are going to. It will be worse the longer you wait.
The conformation on the steer looks fine. I would like his back legs a little straighter, but it may be something you can fix with setting him up different. His rump should continue to fill out. His top looks straight and the only thing we don't have a front view so it is hard to tell how is front legs are.
If you think there is a chance you are going to show him, start working that hair now and you will have trained hair.
Good luck with your decision. My son's steer just got 1.53/Pound from IGP hot weight. He was 1535 on the hoof, but the hot weight was 943. The floor plan steers sold for .91/pound. So I think .90/pound is very fair.
Good job! Some club calf sites that are full of information are
1. www.showsteers.com
2. www.clubcalves.com
3. www.cattletoday.com
4. www.breedersworld.com
There are more, I just can't think of them right now.

[us4davis]

Thanks, that is really great information. Thank yall so much!!!!!

Abbi