Keeping the show animal sound. Can it be done?

[herfluvr]

I have learned a lot already on this forum.  I am a horse girl and can tell you lots of supplements to use to help an animal stay sound as well as drugs to use for joint help and muscle help.  Have used a lot of those same priciples on the show calves.  My questions here is: Growing colts up to about the age of 3-5 often suffer the affects of a mineral deficient diet and and over use of carbohydrates to create lesions in thier joints or what we call Osteochondritis Dissecans  or OCD for short.  Is there the chance we do the same in the young cattle we are pushing to get ready to show by overfeeding and putting them in confined quarters?  Colts with this are often put on grass hay, free mineral and turned out to run and are often kept a bit on the lean side.  And I do believe there are supplements that help but need to be fed 4-6 weeks at least to get thier full benefit.  Best one we found is GLC 5500  Glucosamine has been found to "pink" the cartilage and increase blood flow.  You just need to feed the right kind and the right dose.  Have used it across the board on calves, hogs and horses with good resultls.

I know and understand genetics play a huge part, but I can't help but wonder if the sticky joints and pop we see come show day aren't related to what we do to make them visually appealing.  So tell me what you think and why. 

 

[rackranch]

Definantly can ruin a calve by doing this.  I learned the hard way that you have to pick them sound from the ground up as a calf.  What you see is what you get IMO.  I also believe that most of the proplems do arise from breeding/pushing calves to add to much weight to their frame to early in life. I also think that lack of exercise or plenty of room to play can take a sound one and turn him in the wrong direction.  Suppliments are ok sometimes but nothing will ever take the place of pick'em good and raising them right...

I have learned a lot already on this forum.  I am a horse girl and can tell you lots of supplements to use to help an animal stay sound as well as drugs to use for joint help and muscle help.  Have used a lot of those same priciples on the show calves.  My questions here is: Growing colts up to about the age of 3-5 often suffer the affects of a mineral deficient diet and and over use of carbohydrates to create lesions in thier joints or what we call Osteochondritis Dissecans  or OCD for short.  Is there the chance we do the same in the young cattle we are pushing to get ready to show by overfeeding and putting them in confined quarters?   Colts with this are often put on grass hay, free mineral and turned out to run and are often kept a bit on the lean side.  And I do believe there are supplements that help but need to be fed 4-6 weeks at least to get thier full benefit.  Best one we found is GLC 5500  Glucosamine has been found to "pink" the cartilage and increase blood flow.  You just need to feed the right kind and the right dose.   Have used it across the board on calves, hogs and horses with good resultls.

I know and understand genetics play a huge part, but I can't help but wonder if the sticky joints and pop we see come show day aren't related to what we do to make them visually appealing.  So tell me what you think and why.