Can I brag?

[dori36]

The get of my Lowline bull, ABF Fitz S219, have started the Lowline show season with a bang.  At the Boulder County Fair, where many of the "big guys" show up, his get won Grand Champion Percentage Female and Grand Champion Fullblood bull.  At the Iowa State Fair last week, Fitz get won Grand Champion Percentage Bull, Grand  Champiion Percentage Female, and Grand Champion Fullblood Bull.  I'm pretty much pulling back from cattle, in general.  But I still have Fitz and am so proud of his "kids"!  Thanks for letting me blow his horn --- oh, he doesn't have a horn, he's polled like all good Lowlines!  (clapping)

 

[Show Heifer]

To you and TJ, I was at the ISF and looked at the lowlines. And I met the most terrific people!! They were friendly, education (I even tried to throw them a curve or two!!) and seemed to be enjoying the whole thing!!! What a refreshing attitude!!!  ;D
Congratulations to all the lowline breeders!!! (clapping) (clapping)

 

[TJ]

The get of my Lowline bull, ABF Fitz S219, have started the Lowline show season with a bang.  At the Boulder County Fair, where many of the "big guys" show up, his get won Grand Champion Percentage Female and Grand Champion Fullblood bull.  At the Iowa State Fair last week, Fitz get won Grand Champion Percentage Bull, Grand  Champiion Percentage Female, and Grand Champion Fullblood Bull.  I'm pretty much pulling back from cattle, in general.  But I still have Fitz and am so proud of his "kids"!  Thanks for letting me blow his horn --- oh, he doesn't have a horn, he's polled like all good Lowlines!  (clapping)

Congrats!  (clapping)  Sounds like he's still siring "good ones."  I am hopeful that when Doc's babies start hitting the ground across the U.S. next year that I'll be able to toot his horn, even though he's polled too. 

Got my 3 fullblood calves weaned today... planning to show all 3.  No creep & we've been short on pasture, but my 5 month old bull weighed 350 lbs., which I don't think is too bad for a young fullblood Lowline under this years conditions.  For the most part they were standing still in their stall & I was able to scratch them without very much opposition at all.  Tomorrow, I may try to halter them, that is, if I have some spare time... I'm still amazed at how easy Lowlines are to work with!!  I'm pretty excited about them & excited to see how they will do at a show/s.  One thing that impressed me today about Doc's heifer calf... like her sire, she's going to be big, deep, thick & hairy.  Despite 21 straight days of a heatwave here & her running out in the pasture until today... she's probably got 4 inches of hair in her lower quarter area!!






   

 

[TJ]

To you and TJ, I was at the ISF and looked at the lowlines. And I met the most terrific people!! They were friendly, education (I even tried to throw them a curve or two!!) and seemed to be enjoying the whole thing!!! What a refreshing attitude!!!   ;D
Congratulations to all the lowline breeders!!! (clapping) (clapping)

Thanks!  The breeders are certainly one thing that I like about this breed... I've made many friends & value them.

Are you going to the Royal in KC?  I'm taking 3 fullblood calves & a 1/2 blood bull.  A good friend of mine in Missouri is taking a purebred bull too.  If you do, look us up on Tuesday/Wednesday. 

 

[ELBEE]

I have a Question for you guys. We just saw our first low-line show last weekend. And the judge was definitely picking the champions by size, (largest frame first, smaller frame placed down). Isn't the point of Low-line (low) frame? I believe if I was to judge a Low-line show, I would place them just the opposite as this judge did!

 

[justme]

I'll be at the Royal!  I'll try to look you up.  I'll be in the prospect steer isle under Funk Club Calves

 

[dori36]

I have a Question for you guys. We just saw our first low-line show last weekend. And the judge was definitely picking the champions by size, (largest frame first, smaller frame placed down). Isn't the point of Low-line (low) frame? I believe if I was to judge a Low-line show, I would place them just the opposite as this judge did!

Each judge should evaluate Lowlines just the same as they evaluate any beef cattle.  Size, small or large, is not a requirement, nor consideration, in the Lowline breed unless it affects functionality.  Individuals extremely on either end of the size spectrum would probably be a negative for most judges.  I've seen judging that knocks out very small or very large Lowlines.  A judge should evaluate them just as he/she would any other beef breed looking for the same long sided, thick topped, clean fronted, correct moving, fancy, muscular individuals along with masculinity or femininity depending on gender being evaluated.  I suspect there are always folks who don't agree with the class being judged.  It's what makes the showring go around!

 

[dori36]

To you and TJ, I was at the ISF and looked at the lowlines. And I met the most terrific people!! They were friendly, education (I even tried to throw them a curve or two!!) and seemed to be enjoying the whole thing!!! What a refreshing attitude!!!   ;D
Congratulations to all the lowline breeders!!! (clapping) (clapping)

The woman who fits and shows my cattle comes from the Angus show world.  Your observation is what she loves about the Lowline people and cattle.  btw, the Gr. Champion % Female I mentioned in my original post is owned by her.  We did some "swapping" to get her started in the breed.  We started by co-owning her (when she won the NILE in Billings last Fall) and moved to transferring complete ownership of the heifer just in time for the Boulder County Fair a couple of weeks ago where she was also Gr. Ch. % Female!

 

[dori36]

The get of my Lowline bull, ABF Fitz S219, have started the Lowline show season with a bang.  At the Boulder County Fair, where many of the "big guys" show up, his get won Grand Champion Percentage Female and Grand Champion Fullblood bull.  At the Iowa State Fair last week, Fitz get won Grand Champion Percentage Bull, Grand  Champiion Percentage Female, and Grand Champion Fullblood Bull.  I'm pretty much pulling back from cattle, in general.  But I still have Fitz and am so proud of his "kids"!  Thanks for letting me blow his horn --- oh, he doesn't have a horn, he's polled like all good Lowlines!  (clapping)

Congrats!   (clapping)   Sounds like he's still siring "good ones."  I am hopeful that when Doc's babies start hitting the ground across the U.S. next year that I'll be able to toot his horn, even though he's polled too.   

Got my 3 fullblood calves weaned today... planning to show all 3.  No creep & we've been short on pasture, but my 5 month old bull weighed 350 lbs., which I don't think is too bad for a young fullblood Lowline under this years conditions.  For the most part they were standing still in their stall & I was able to scratch them without very much opposition at all.  Tomorrow, I may try to halter them, that is, if I have some spare time... I'm still amazed at how easy Lowlines are to work with!!  I'm pretty excited about them & excited to see how they will do at a show/s.  One thing that impressed me today about Doc's heifer calf... like her sire, she's going to be big, deep, thick & hairy.  Despite 21 straight days of a heatwave here & her running out in the pasture until today... she's probably got 4 inches of hair in her lower quarter area!!

I'm sure Doc won't disappoint you, TJ.  Just a quick followup to your reference to creep feed:  fwiw, I have never creep fed my Lowline calves even in sparse pasture - not even the percentage calves.  I have found that, just like we tout about the breed, providing grain in any form to them when they're very young promotes even earlier maturity and too much fat.  I keep them on pasture only 'til weaning and still only wean them on grass hay.  They don't see any kind of finisher/grower ration 'til about a month before their first show and then it's only to get the hay belly off 'em.  Steers I've kept for my freezer only see corn for the last 30 days they're alive.  Other than that, it's strictly pasture and hay in the winter.  No grain.  I've had NO problem with marbling.  Too much fat is easy to lay on these guys just like it was with those old fashioned Angus from the 1950's!






   

 

[TJ]

I have a Question for you guys. We just saw our first low-line show last weekend. And the judge was definitely picking the champions by size, (largest frame first, smaller frame placed down). Isn't the point of Low-line (low) frame? I believe if I was to judge a Low-line show, I would place them just the opposite as this judge did!

Each judge should evaluate Lowlines just the same as they evaluate any beef cattle.  Size, small or large, is not a requirement, nor consideration, in the Lowline breed unless it affects functionality.  Individuals extremely on either end of the size spectrum would probably be a negative for most judges.  I've seen judging that knocks out very small or very large Lowlines.  A judge should evaluate them just as he/she would any other beef breed looking for the same long sided, thick topped, clean fronted, correct moving, fancy, muscular individuals along with masculinity or femininity depending on gender being evaluated.  I suspect there are always folks who don't agree with the class being judged.  It's what makes the showring go around!

Dori, I feel the same way.  Quality is the name of the game & that's what a judge should be looking for.  A judge that starts picking big ones or small ones, just because they are big or small, isn't a very good judge, IMHO.  It's just too bad that many judges think that bigger is better & that's the way they like to place them OR they think that just because Lowlines are a smaller breed, that smaller is better. 

With all that said, I am not opposed to bigger Lowlines as long as they don't become too extreme or the birth weights start getting above 60 lbs..  I highly doubt that any fullblood bull at that show was taller or heavier than my bull, Doc Holliday (48.5 inches tall), but IMHO, he's a really nice size for a fullblood Lowline & he's a 48 lb. birth weight bull.  I also have a fullblood Quartermaster (40 inches) daughter & a fullblood Caesar (40 inches) daughter that I really, really like.  Although both are taller than their sires, they would still be considered small to mid sized for a fullblood Lowline.  So, I am not opposed to some of the smaller genetics as long as they aren't too small.  But, if I had my choice, I'd prefer to stay on the bigger end of the Lowline scale...  but I want them to be good more than anything. 
 
TJ

 

[TJ]

The get of my Lowline bull, ABF Fitz S219, have started the Lowline show season with a bang.  At the Boulder County Fair, where many of the "big guys" show up, his get won Grand Champion Percentage Female and Grand Champion Fullblood bull.  At the Iowa State Fair last week, Fitz get won Grand Champion Percentage Bull, Grand  Champiion Percentage Female, and Grand Champion Fullblood Bull.  I'm pretty much pulling back from cattle, in general.  But I still have Fitz and am so proud of his "kids"!  Thanks for letting me blow his horn --- oh, he doesn't have a horn, he's polled like all good Lowlines!  (clapping)

Congrats!   (clapping)   Sounds like he's still siring "good ones."  I am hopeful that when Doc's babies start hitting the ground across the U.S. next year that I'll be able to toot his horn, even though he's polled too.   

Got my 3 fullblood calves weaned today... planning to show all 3.  No creep & we've been short on pasture, but my 5 month old bull weighed 350 lbs., which I don't think is too bad for a young fullblood Lowline under this years conditions.  For the most part they were standing still in their stall & I was able to scratch them without very much opposition at all.  Tomorrow, I may try to halter them, that is, if I have some spare time... I'm still amazed at how easy Lowlines are to work with!!  I'm pretty excited about them & excited to see how they will do at a show/s.  One thing that impressed me today about Doc's heifer calf... like her sire, she's going to be big, deep, thick & hairy.  Despite 21 straight days of a heatwave here & her running out in the pasture until today... she's probably got 4 inches of hair in her lower quarter area!!

I'm sure Doc won't disappoint you, TJ.  Just a quick followup to your reference to creep feed:  fwiw, I have never creep fed my Lowline calves even in sparse pasture - not even the percentage calves.  I have found that, just like we tout about the breed, providing grain in any form to them when they're very young promotes even earlier maturity and too much fat.  I keep them on pasture only 'til weaning and still only wean them on grass hay.  They don't see any kind of finisher/grower ration 'til about a month before their first show and then it's only to get the hay belly off 'em.  Steers I've kept for my freezer only see corn for the last 30 days they're alive.  Other than that, it's strictly pasture and hay in the winter.  No grain.  I've had NO problem with marbling.  Too much fat is easy to lay on these guys just like it was with those old fashioned Angus from the 1950's!
 

Dori, it's ironic, but I got a phone call today & found out that a friend of mine hear in western KY, had his 1st AI calf.  It's a Doc Holliday baby & he said it's a good one!  It's a purebred, not a fullblood, but he said it's really straight topped, deep sided & thick.  It's only a few weeks old, but he's already decided to keep it & use it.  I am going to try to see it soon & I can't wait!!   Hope it's as good as he made it sound!!

RE feed... I let my dad & my sisters split one of my 3/4 Lowline X 1/4 Angus steers.  My dad wanted it grain fed for 90 days, which I thought was waaaaay too long, but he did it anyway.  Since the meat wasn't going to be sold, it wasn't USDA inspected, so I have no idea what it would grade, but I'd call it high choice or prime if I were guessing, but it's got more exterior fat than it needs.  I agree with you, 30 - 45 days is about right... that way it will marble, but not get too much exterior fat.       

 

[TJ]

I'll be at the Royal!  I'll try to look you up.  I'll be in the prospect steer isle under Funk Club Calves

Sounds good!!  I should be around Tuesday afternoon & all day Wednesday.  I think the Lowline sale is @ 11 AM on Wednesday & the show is @ 3 PM on Wednesday.  The worst part is that the NILE Lowline Show is the same week & seveal Lowline breeders will be at the NILE, so I'm afraid that it is going to hurt the numbers a little bit.  If you are "in place" on those days, I'd like to swing by & see your display!! 

 

[dori36]

Sounds good!!  I should be around Tuesday afternoon & all day Wednesday.  I think the Lowline sale is @ 11 AM on Wednesday & the show is @ 3 PM on Wednesday.  The worst part is that the NILE Lowline Show is the same week & seveal Lowline breeders will be at the NILE, so I'm afraid that it is going to hurt the numbers a little bit.  If you are "in place" on those days, I'd like to swing by & see your display!!   
[/quote]

...and for anyone interested in RED Lowline genetics, I am offering embryos at the Royal Sale that are guraranteed red carriers with a 50% chance of producing (on successful implantation) a red lowline.  Details of sire and dam with pictures and links to the pedigrees are on the For Sale page of my website:  www.lowlinecattle.com.