Pones too big but middle not filled out

Help Support Steer Planet:

KCRR1981

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2019
Messages
8
Only in our second year of showing. We have a 17 month old beefmaster who is 60 days bred & eats about 12lbs of show feed a day mixed from a local dealer & hay.  We were told yesterday her far pones (hopefully I’m saying that right) are too big but her middle is too flat sided & needs to be popped out more. How do we achieve this without making her pongs bigger/fatter?!?! I was told by a friend to decrease her feed a bit & start adding Cotten seed hull along with depth charge. Just seeing what ideas others might have to achieve this.
 

CAB

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 5, 2007
Messages
5,607
Location
Corning,Iowa
I don't really have any advice for you feed wise but I think your friend was meaning the fat pones that appear around the tail head when a beef is possibly getting too fat. It is a good indication of when one is finished. Once a young beef puts on that kind of cover it is tricky to get it off without sacrificing body condition. Most show heifers get plenty of condition on them during their show career but will get the condition sucked back off of them after calving. Hopefully she hasn't put an excessive amount of fat down into to her developing mammary gland area.
 

RyanChandler

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 6, 2011
Messages
3,457
Location
Pottsboro, TX
Simple solution and common with Brahman influenced or harder-doing biotypes within any breed.

Increase the quantity of ration with goal being to expand her internal capacity but decrease quality in attempt to lower the overall energy level of ration. 

Concentrated textured feed is your enemy here.  It is too nutrient dense.

I’d take the feed completely away from her and put her on a high quality horse hay like coastal Bermuda.  She should maintain body weight while also taking on a fuller figure. 



CAB— maybe semantics but what are you referring to when you distinguish body condition and cover?
 

KCRR1981

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2019
Messages
8
Thank you for the replies! She is definitely not overweight/over conditioned but I guess genetic wise she just gains fat in the pone area and just doesn’t have that rib shape that some judges want. I already feed her  Bermuda hay & I will give what you suggested a try!
 
Top