Dairy Feeders

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tracyqh

New member
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
2
What are the basics of showing dairy feeders?  We have shown fats in the past, but are trying something new.  Do you still rinse and blow them out?  Do you show with a stick?  No hay?  Front feet set and 1 back leg forward? 
 

shortybreeder

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 23, 2015
Messages
476
tracyqh said:
What are the basics of showing dairy feeders?  We have shown fats in the past, but are trying something new.  Do you still rinse and blow them out?  Do you show with a stick?  No hay?  Front feet set and 1 back leg forward?
Are you asking about showing the dairy calves or the dairy fats? In my experience, winning the dairy feeder calf class is kind of like drawing straws. As long as your calf is sound and doesn't look too feminine you've got a good shot at winning. Put them on a high protein feed mix as soon as they'll eat it, and bottle feed them super consistently--either every 12 hours or every 8 hours depending on whichever is easier but DO NOT DEVIATE! Keep at this until they're at least 2 months old and eating feed real well then gradually wean them off milk (I like to drop to once a day feeding until I'm out of milk replacer if I don't expect any more babies--100lbs of replacer per calf rule of thumb). Avoid hay at all costs, and bed them with either sawdust or corn stalks. Then cross your fingers and hope for the best.

As for the presentation, just like you said like any other steer. Get them clean and dry but know you probably won't have hair. Sticks are optional because you could probably move their feet like goats/sheep if you wanted.
 
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