Choosing a Prospect Steer

[grandchamp58]

I just wanted to see what people thought about choosing prospects. Is there a method to pick one out that will be a good prospect and become a good fat? It may sound like a dumb question, but there are people in my county who usually buy two calves that will show well as prospects and two that show well as fats. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks.

 

[HeiferShower14]

Structure, look for soundness and flexbility. If there coming up short as a prospect at 600 lbs imagine how short they'll be as a 1300 lb fat steer.

 

[vc]

Some calves can do both, win as a prospect and as a fat, those are the calves that are usually out of most peoples price range. A prospect tends to look like fats steers at 500 pounds, fat steers are usually a little more framey, looser made and have potential that they will grow into. We bought the latter type steers, jackpots were for experience and fun, if you placed well it was a bonus.
I have seen some prospects peak out at less than 1000 pounds and their done.
As stated by HannaCattle, start with structure, then go to eye appeal, if the structure is incorrect, there is no need to go any further. Start at the ground and work your way up.

 

[grandchamp58]

First of all, thank you two for your advice. I do have one question. VC- What do you mean by "looser made"? Could you elaborate on this? I really liked the way you explained the differences between fats and prospects!

 

[vc]

Looser made, to me means they have the frame or skeleton to grow into, a frame that will carry their weight and muscle at 1350 pounds or more. They or not short compact calves, but have all the right parts just do not look like a finished product when their 600 pounds, they grow into it at 1300+

 

[frostback]

Keep in mind also that you cannot change one with feed. If they are tight gutted or high flanked or they don't have a lot of lower quarter, you cannot really feed it into them. Pick one that has the shape you want at 500 0r 600 and he will be that shape at 1300. I agree with vc in that the real chubby ones will not be there in the end, they usually finish out sooner, the ones with all the parts but just will take a bit longer to get there. Figure out your end date of show and then do a average weight gain and then you will know what the weight of steer you should be picking so you will be there in the end and not holding or pushing one.

 

[sizzler14]

Keep in mind also that you cannot change one with feed. If they are tight gutted or high flanked or they don't have a lot of lower quarter, you cannot really feed it into them. Pick one that has the shape you want at 500 0r 600 and he will be that shape at 1300. I agree with vc in that the real chubby ones will not be there in the end, they usually finish out sooner, the ones with all the parts but just will take a bit longer to get there. Figure out your end date of show and then do a average weight gain and then you will know what the weight of steer you should be picking so you will be there in the end and not holding or pushing one.

This is a good point. There are times when you can add some guts to them but #1 you must start when they're babies, #2 most of the time when they are rail/pipe gutted as babies they usually stay that way. When selecting a prospect for a fat steer SOUNDNESS is key. If they arent sound as babies, they are train wrecks as fats. Also Belly. Today we are wanting cattle softer made with a lot of middle. And the Main thing to remember is that a lot of people by-pass is, don't overlook the calves selling this time of year with no hair. I have the philosphy of they must be good without hair to be good with hair. A lot of people buy those hairy babies online bring them home wash them and then go "oh sh** where did my calf go?? Finding those calves that are not as hairy and are still good is a bonus because for the most part when they become fats they aren't as hairy as they were as babies and they can't make a run. Dont always worry about hair because if you want to jackpot, they will all be hairy in the winter. Just how I usually go about picking prospects. Not saying I am right. I will leave you with this, "in order to be a champion in the show ring, you don;t have to spend 5x more than your competition, but you must work 10x harder".