Steer Planet - Show Steers and Club Calves Forum

It's not something that you do at home on a regular basis it is something to add fill on show day.  I would say to do it if the animal needs more fill, looking a little gant etc..  Sullivan's sells a pump that works pretty well.  You just put the open end in their mouth and don't try and force it, just kind of make them swallow it. Kind of like tubing a baby calf. Then stick the pump end in a bucket of water and then pump to desired fullness.  If you do it a few times the calf will sometimes just get used to it and not even really fight it anymore.
Pumping is usually not outlawed at the jackpots, but pumping is prohibited at most county and state fairs.  So if you are going to do it make sure you go to the trailer or somewhere where no one can see.  Some people will throw a fit if they see you doing it.

maybe he meant adding more fill w/ feed? I'd find out first?

Red

Wow, I can't believe he would make that kind of blanket statement!  I guess there are 2 ways of pumping 1. is to fill with water show day-unlike some of the folks on this board, I see nothing wrong with that as long as the rules don't state no pumping.  I'm guessing he was talking about 2. pumping with air and this I have a big problem with.  You might ask him to clarify what he actually means by pumping.

He was talking about stomach pumping.  I know about doing it on show day, but have never gone to anything but a 4H show, so never gave it a second thought.  I guess what I am questioning is doing this early - we won't be showing until the middle of May.  I didn't have the time to ask him to clarify, I just thought I could get some guidence here.

Maybe I see that if you pump them and stretch the stomach, that they then could hold more forage and in turn show more shape through the rib...but how often would it be safe to do this?

If your heifers are gaining good enough for you, look into feeding some beet pulp to fill them out some.  I would also take the suggestion with a grain of salt. You more than likely know your calves better than anyone else does, if you are very new to the game, find a mentor that you fully trust and see if you can get them to come and evaluate your calves as to where they're @ as far as their condition goes.

We have never pumped one of our animals. The risk you take is to great, you can actually drown your animal if the water goes down into the lungs. We train our animals to drink when water is put in front of them. If the show time is in the morning then we dont water the night before, if showtime is late in the day then we begin holding water in the morning. To make sure your animal will drink in this scenario you need to practice at home doing this. We feed extra beet pulp before letting them drink so that the fill out after drinking. A little work at home will help you when at the show.

We have never pumped one of our animals. The risk you take is to great, you can actually drown your animal if the water goes down into the lungs. We train our animals to drink when water is put in front of them. If the show time is in the morning then we dont water the night before, if showtime is late in the day then we begin holding water in the morning. To make sure your animal will drink in this scenario you need to practice at home doing this. We feed extra beet pulp before letting them drink so that the fill out after drinking. A little work at home will help you when at the show.

I totally agree with you also.  That how we did the watering too.  We also used kool-aid or food coloring to help them learn to drink.  We had a couple of open shows that had funky tasting water and by starting the coloring at home for a couple of weeks they learned it was still ok to drink.  My younger sisters and I  watched our " cattle mentor" kill a calf by pumping it.   I was 12 and my younger sisters were 10 and 8 at the time.   We, not our parents,  decided right then and there that pumping was not right or fair and refused to have any contact with the mentor again.  BTW, the parents agreed with us on the issue.

I second the kool-aid that is what we have always done...the water at home and on the road will always taste that same that way.