Advise please?

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BuckJones

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Sep 2, 2010
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Hi,

Just found this place. Looks to be full of ppl with alot of knowledge.

I'm from the interior region of BC, Canada. I've been showing steers for a few years now, have done pretty well in our 4-H District in the market classes. We haven't been able to take the top spot yet.

We are on the look out for our next project. To help with picking out next steer, I wonder if you could analyze the last one we had and perhaps give pointers.

He is a straight Limo. We have been feeding 16lbs of a 16% protein Dairy Ration with 16lbs of Barley daily. This is usually about as much as they will eat before they stop eating the feed. We try to have them wet down two or three times a day and kept in the barn during the day. He was born April and then shown August of the next year at 1285 lbs.

Have a look and let me know what you think. :)
The pic labeled Sale1 is on show day. Def could use some more fat but he placed first in his weight class with the heaviest in the class being 1325.
Second is a month earlier.
 

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farmin female

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Sep 10, 2009
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I get to be the first!!!  Goody.  I really like the calf and boy is he a limi.  He is muscled and trim and will hang a carcass but doesn't grow hair that great.  I think you did a very good job.

Looking toward next year, my recomendation would be to look at crossbred calves that do not display their breed characteristics quite as strongly.  Short answer, he is limi, he looks limi and limi's don't generally win shows.  Look for calves that are straighter over the top without the rounded rump and heavier boned.  Some people will say look for black calves.  That may be personal preference, but it can still be a factor.  I think you are on the right track, and with the right calf you'll end up where you want to be.  Good Luck.
 

CAB

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I honestly think that the steers that Canadians show will be a little different than what we show down here. I think that some of our Canadian members may have a better idea of what to look for. Granted a good calf is a good calf where ever. ShortyQueen, are you watching? You have had good luck breeding X-bred calves in Canada, but I don't know if you are located close to the poster.

Welcome Buckjones, (thumbsup), <beer>.
 

BuckJones

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Sep 2, 2010
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61
Thanks. :D We went with a limo primarily because of the flat top and because I do like the trim appearance.

What do you think of the feed?

I'm looking at getting some white CharX steers...maybe even CharXLimo. Mainly because of the colour. But I hate the loose feeling and look that Chars skin gets to be as they get coverage.

I've never lived on a farm. My uncle sold out his hereford herd before prices went down but is going to be getting back in raising feeder cattle. He did keep <10 of his best heifers from the herefords and a bull. He got rid of the bull and now has a limXchar bull. They haven't bred yet, but I told him I will start helping with next years calves to begin learning the business. What might I expect from the calves?
 

BuckJones

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Sep 2, 2010
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Finally found the memory card and uploaded my pics of this steer. Pics were taken at the end of the day after the shows were over...he didn't want to stay still or properly.
 

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BuckJones

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Sorry if I am posting too many pics...I like pictures! lol.

Here is the steer in the show ring. On the very left, the yellow calf got Grand Champion, the other blue shirt won Runner-up champion, and the red steer in the back right corner got reserve champion.
The yellow one weighed 1475 lbs, the runner-up was 1390, and this orange one was 1285.
 

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BuckJones

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Well I always write these things down, but I do remember the individual steers most of the time.

A big difference I have noticed from being on this forum is that our shows up here more accurately refflect what is going on with our industry, whereas show steers down there are more show steers. Our steers are all picked on pastures of people who are going to send their animals away for beef production, or are breeding animals for beed production. We have one guy here who is now breeding cattle for show, but he charges a premium for his steers. So anyway, I try to keep track of what is winning at the shows, and what is going on with beef production as best I know how.
 

cornershack

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Sep 15, 2010
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i think you just answered your own question. you have to look at the show trends in your area. the winner looks like a char cross maybe. it doesn't look like you have the black blindness that we have down here. the limos are tipically hard to put finish on like an angus. a good friend won our county fair several(10) years ago. with a limo. he also feed barley on the reccomendation of the breeder.  good luck with your breeding endevors.
 

cornershack

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oh almost forgot.  good Steer! look like you have agood handle on judging them young.
 

BuckJones

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Thanks again. The lesson is don't go with purebred steers.

I have attached a pic of him that I used to pick him. It is the first one. I also attached the pic of the other steer we were considering.
I picked this one from those two pics because he was a little more smoother in the shoulder, a bit more spring in his ribs, longer back, and was more square in the back, and a bit more straight underneath, and he had more fur.
Downside, the other steer had more depth and muscle. Would you have picked the same based on these pics?

Another topic, we are thinking about changing our feed up. First thing, we will try and shift our target of feeding 32lbs by march to feeding 32 lbs/day by feb or even jan. Second, I will switch out the straight barley with a mixture of Corn Oats and Barley. This will keep, on average, the protein content the same, but will increase the energy content from the corn. I think the steers might eat this better and be less likely to go off the feed because there isn't so much barley. In the past, steers stop eating once we have increased the daily barley intake to 50% of feed.
What do you think of this change?
Thanks again for any input.
 

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cornershack

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just did some reading on barley as feed for cattle. there have been numerous studies, one suggests increase risk of acidosis when barley is increased. it has higher TDN and protien than corn also iwas told last week by my mill guy that corn in our area (not commenting on the county as a whole ) has not been able to test 10% protein in years. so if you can have your protien level tested so that you know exactly what your dealing with.  good luck
 

BuckJones

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Yep, i also read about the TDN. I didn't pay much attention to this because the Diary Ration was already complete for this. I will talk to our feed guys about the protein in their feeds.
I also was thinking to add a scoop of beet pulp. Don't remember exactly why though, haha. It was after a night of reading on this forum and scriblling things on the notepad now and then.
 

BuckJones

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COB mix here is at 9% protein. This rbings down average total protein level to 12%.
 

fordkindagirl

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BuckJones said:
Yep, i also read about the TDN. I didn't pay much attention to this because the Diary Ration was already complete for this. I will talk to our feed guys about the protein in their feeds.
I also was thinking to add a scoop of beet pulp. Don't remember exactly why though, haha. It was after a night of reading on this forum and scriblling things on the notepad now and then.
Beet pulp is a filler and gives them a full fresh appearance, it helps to add depth. And if you soak them first it helps keep them hydrated when it is hot, I highly recommend using it.
 
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