"Short Coupled Steer"

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harleyhog

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Mar 17, 2010
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Our steer we have seems to be what I call "short coupled" when he walks.  He has a "hump" on his back and does not walk "out."

Do you have any suggestions for me as our fair is one month away.  I didn't know of Natural Stride would work for this problem??? 

Thanks for your help...
 

husker1

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Nebraska
Some might say I'm crazy, but to soften that back a little (limit the roaching)...try feeding in a bunk rather than on the ground in a feedpan.  


Watch one eat from a higher bunk  as opposed to from a pan and how their back roaches....Just relaxes the back muscles some.

 

harleyhog

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Thanks for the replies;
We do feed in feed bunks..

I have never heard of roach backs.  I learn something new every day on Steerplanet.  That is why I enjoy it...Thanks again..
 

rackranch

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usaually they will raoch worse with a full belly...I know we want our calves to look full in the ring but if you notice its not as bad when he's empty then you can play with him in the next thirty days to see what works best for show day.. ie, hay no water, feed no water, or water no feed or hay... also, I would start tying his head up as high as you can stand it everyday between now and show time.  have your showman practice loining the steer when he sets as to sway the judgeinto thinking it may not be that bad...
 

harleyhog

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Thanks rackranch.  You deserved him perfectly.  he looks worse full and he bloats consistently even with a bloat block so we call him "puffer fish."  we will try your ideas for the next 30 days....He is a really good steer except for this problem which is a big distraction of course!!!!!  I will keep you posted if I have any more questions....
 

rackranch

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Try drenching him with 200-300cc of mineral oil next time he bloats at home..if it helps it might be something you can use later if need be.. may cause some loose stool but don't worry...
 

twistedhshowstock

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Though we cant completely do away with structural faults like this. With one that tends to roach, I generally tell the showman to hold their head as high as they can. You will notice that the higher a calf's head gets, the lower their back goes.  I tend to warn against getting the head to high as it can make the back look weak, but in this case it may help you some.
 

Warrior10

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If it happens while the calf is standing still if you have your showman "loin" then that should help straighten him out a little bit.
 

shortyjock89

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He's almost certainly too straight fronted and that's what causes the roach. He could bloat because his belly is in an uncomfortable position when he stands and has to lay down a lot, or could be completely unrelated.  I would give a probiotic and yeast in his feed for 2 weeks.
 

Go Green

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This post describes my daughters steer to a T. i have couple questions,
What is mineral oil?
Has anybody had success using a chiropractor?
What is "loining"
Fair is in 2 months, will he be crippled by then? should we start concentrating on our back up?
Seems to be getting worse as he gains weight. The pic is from last weekend.
 

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shortyjock89

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What's your steer weigh?

I'd get him to a chiropractor ASAP, but you may not get dramatic results if he weighs over about 1000 lbs.

I'd focus on your back up.

Did this calf exhibit this issue when you started feeding him?
 

Go Green

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i couldn't see it when we bought him (i think i started seeing it around weigh in but just thought he was a little bit compact looking), i have attached a pic from the day we brought him home and anther pic from fair weigh in day.
He is around 1050lbs
 

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shortyjock89

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He just looks a bit uncomfortable in all the pictures I've seen so far. A chiropractor may help, but his structure isn't doing him any favors. He's a thick and stylish calf other than that though.
 

SlickTxMaine

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We had a Mainetainer heifer just like this.  When she was younger we would notice it sometimes when she walked, but when setting her up she looked fine.  As she got older, it became worse.  Her last show at 22 mos, even loining her it was still noticeable.  Any suggestions on her next breeding to improve this structure?
 

GoWyo

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SlickTxMaine said:
We had a Mainetainer heifer just like this.  When she was younger we would notice it sometimes when she walked, but when setting her up she looked fine.  As she got older, it became worse.  Her last show at 22 mos, even loining her it was still noticeable.  Any suggestions on her next breeding to improve this structure?

This might be hard to hear, but in my opinion, roach backed females really should go the same place their steer colleagues ultimately go.  It is mostly a structure issue and should cause the animal to be culled the same as for bad udders, bad feet, bad attitude, etc.  Sell her by the pound and put the money into better breeding stock.
 

SlickTxMaine

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GoWyo said:
SlickTxMaine said:
We had a Mainetainer heifer just like this.  When she was younger we would notice it sometimes when she walked, but when setting her up she looked fine.  As she got older, it became worse.  Her last show at 22 mos, even loining her it was still noticeable.  Any suggestions on her next breeding to improve this structure?

This might be hard to hear, but in my opinion, roach backed females really should go the same place their steer colleagues ultimately go.  It is mostly a structure issue and should cause the animal to be culled the same as for bad udders, bad feet, bad attitude, etc.  Sell her by the pound and put the money into better breeding stock.

She's bred now, so we will see how her calf turns out before making that decision. 
 
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