NWSS GRAND and RESERVE Pics You Judge

mooch said:

HOW MANY FAT CATTLE BUYERS HAVE YOU SEEN HANDLE THE CATTLE THEY BUY?
The only reason most judges handle the classes they are judging is to keep from getting a butt chewing from little Billy's grand pa after the show.

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Actually, I go back to the pens and check a random sampling. That's so I don't get my butt chewed by my boss. But he's right, it's only a guess otherwise. JMHO

Torch said:

Most judges don't feel for cover anymore! :'(

And would they know what they are feeling?

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I agree. Most do put their hands on fat cattle, but don't really know why. Gives them an out when they don't know what to do with one - just say he doesn't handle good. It is a shame that actually knowing finish is a lost art I'm afraid. Many a major steer show was won with the feed bucket years ago. Now it is with clippers and glue, and maybe a little magical thin air, I'm afriad.

To another post further down, no, cattle buyers don't normally handle em in the feedyard or at the salebarn, but they are not splitting hairs there either. The guy that bought our cattle here from like 1946 until 2003 (the most knowledgeable feeder/cattleman that I ever met by far) would handle at least a few in each group that he looked at at our place, and we sold him multiple thousands over the years. When we had the yard full, there were 6 pens that would each have around 40 head in it. We'd try to have them grouped so that we could just run the whole pen out at once on a pot and not take a hit on too many odd knuckle heads. We'd always feed a little when he came to look em over, so that the calves would be there at the bunk for him easy to see, and he'd walk in the bunk, reaching over and getting his hands on the loin and over the rib, on at least a few from each group.

afhm said:

CAB said:

  I thought this was interesting. Today a friend called and said that the judge was thumping the steers while having his ear close by, like thumping a watermelon to decide if it were ripe yet. I think that if the judge questioned natural thickness, that he was trying to decide if the steer was honest , if you will. Did anyone personally witness this? Just curious.

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Never saw that happen.  he did "tap" on a few but was not putting his ear down to listen real closely.  Since it is a felony in Colorado to tamper with livestock in that manner or by not following drug labels, I don't think anyone would take the chance.

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Isn't it a felony everywhere in the U.S.? I know it is in Ohio.

What was the two steers weighing  ???