Looking for prospect steers

[leanbeef]

I'm trying to help a buddy find a couple of steers for 2013. His daughter will be a senior next year, and he wants to find a pretty decent steer for her last year. Looking for one, two, or three pretty decent calves that have definite potential. He'd probably spend in the neighborhood of $2k on one that we think has the potential to win the county show. It's the biggest county show in the state with about 30-35 calves, and the competition is pretty tough, but not impossible to compete with. There will likely be 3 or 4 pretty good steers that could be in the hunt...he wants to be one of them!

Please let me know if you have spring steer calves or know somebody who would have competitive steers he could buy in that price range. Thanks!

 

[shorthornmn]

Are you looking more in the crossbreed direction? Or could you do it with a good Shorthorn or Shorthorn Plus? I'll be picturing our calves tomorrow if interested let me know.

 

[leanbeef]

We're just looking for the best calves we can find for the money. I'm not convinced a kid has to spend $3-5K for a decent steer that could win a show at the level we're talking about. I know there are calves out there somewhere...you just have to know what ur looking for & where to go to find em. He doesn't know much about evaluating cattle, so he's counting on me to help him out. His daughter does a really nice job feeding & presenting the cattle, and if I had one, i'd gladly send him to him.

They showed one Angus steer this year & leased two heifers from me. The steer was finished perfectly at 1340 lbs...he just didn't have enough muscle to be competitive. He placed 2nd in class in the county which I thot was as well as he coulda done. He was toward the middle of the class at the state show, I think.

I'd be a little partial to a crossbred calf, but that's not to say we wouldn't consider a purebred, especially something like a Shorthorn. I think he'd like a colored calf, but I don't wanna let him get the priorities backwards... Composition & structural soundness are first...color & breed are down the list.

 

[mainegirl]

I would try the Marky Butler Invitational Private Treaty Sale the first weekend in October in Maryland. He consigns good ones from VA, WV, and MD and starting bid is $1200. We are putting our best two in it. A Gucci steer which can be registered Mainetainer and a Bodacious steer that is marked up like his daddy. I have some older pictures of them on my website, will get more once they're weaned at the end of the month.www.raeshowcattle.com

 

[shorthornmn]

Well I have 2 calves that you might be interested in. One Shorthorn and one Shorthorn Plus calf. The Shorthorn Plus is a Millpond Exile out of a Commercial Cow. He is very correct made, heavy muscled, deep bodied steer. He has the potential to have a load of hair (he lost most of it due to being out on the pasture with the cow in 95+ and humid weather). He has a huge appetite and we are pretty excited about him. He is a red roan with solid colored legs. The other calf is an end of April so probably better for later shows and is still a little green right now. He also will be really correct and is super big boned. He is going to have muscle and has a really long neck. We will be picturing calves tomorrow so I could have pictures up tomorrow night if your interested. In the mean time here are some reference pics of the sires-all white is Sin City and the red neck roan is Exile.

 

[Shadow Hill Farm]

PM sent to you.  <cowboy> <beer>

 

[leanbeef]

I really appreciate all the responses & the info sent by PM. I'll check out the sales & websites, and I'd like to see any pictures you guys come up with. We're gearing for a July 1 terminal state show, so that's when the calf needs to be done. And I'm thinking he needs to finish in that 1250-1300 lb range ideally.

Thanks, guys!

 

[irh]

Go to Hess Farm on Club Calves in Ohio we have some steers that will be in your money range.  Thanks,

 

[leanbeef]

Go to Hess Farm on Club Calves in Ohio we have some steers that will be in your money range.  Thanks,

Somebody else referred me to u. I'll definitely check em out. Thanks!

 

[Tallcool1]

I think that I am understanding this, but you are looking for 2 or 3 steers for this family.....$2,000 each.

Free advice, so you get what you have paid for.

Buy ONE, and get him a roommate out of a feedlot.  Spend $5,000 on the set.  $3,500 to $4,000 for the good one, and market price for the other.

Now you get 1/3 of the work, 1/2 the risk, and double the chance of success.

I just went through this, and next year we are getting 2 steers.....2 kids.  It is just too much work to do it right, and adding numbers makes it even harder.

Bonham, Guyer, Rogers, or any other trader the does a big volume can get you one good enough to handle a county fair. 

Just buy him as late as you can, so you can keep your feed cost down and not compete with everyone else trying to fill their show barn.

I know this is not what you were asking, and I am not trying to be evasive.  I just think that for the last year showing for a girl that does a good job, there are easier ways to reward her years of hard work.

Good Luck.

 

[irh]

Anyone can put the price up on a steer, just paying for the name behind it.  We've raised some winners on our farm also.  A steer that  went  to Indiana won grand champion out of 60 head,  One of our heifers just won grand champion summer yearling at the junior nationals.  There are alot of good cattle out there, on small operations  that can walk the walk with big boys.

 

[leanbeef]

Tall...I appreciate that advice. And I don't think it's bad advice. The truth is I'm not completely certain about the whole game plan at this point. The family had one Angus steer this year that he bought from a local guy he seems to know pretty well. He mentioned wanting to find a good steer for Hannah's last year, and I offered to keep my eyes open. I ran across a good black baldy SimAngus calf in a buddy's pasture a couple weeks ago, but his plan for that calf is to be a bull prospect. Which brought up the subject of what this guy is willing to pay for a good calf...

When I talked to him about that, he said he thought he could do up to $2,000 for the right kind of calf. Later he mentioned buying two or maybe three calves--he also has a younger son who started this year--but I'm thinking the $2K would be his idea of splurging on one, and that he'd hope to find the other one or two for closer to market. But I could be wrong.

This show is a strong show for this part of the country. Honestly, this year, there might have been 3 or 4 calves that had the potential to win if they had been fed just right or if a different judge had been lining em up. I don't know where all the calves came from or how much kids are paying for em, but I can't in good conscience recommend he pay $3-4,000 for a calf when there's no way he'll come out, even if he wins the show. The champion steer this year brought $3.00 a pound...

I'm confident we can find a calf that can be competitive at this level for the kind of money he's willing to spend. I appreciate all the help & the messages pointing me toward some potential sources. Thanks!

 

[chucksam]

So he's only spend 2k on one calf??? And he wants to make money or at least break even??

Shouldn't he win Denver than. lol