Hello,
This year, during the nwss, I participated in the catch a calf competition and managed to catch one (on the third try :-\). Nonetheless, I am going to be getting a new steer in May, and honestly have no clue what to do to prepare, train, and show my cow. This includes things like grooming, as well as general halter breaking and showing tips. I currently have cows, and had one that was particularly friendly (he'd come barrelling across the pasture to the backyard fence when he heard the lawnmower), but I've never properly trained one to show unless you count skiing behind them after making the mistake of deciding to try to rope a 600lb heifer to try and halter. Anyways, I was wondering about 3 main categories of cow showing (if that's what you would call it):
1) Training
2) Grooming and Preparation
3) Showing
I currently live on 32 acres and plan to house the calf at first in a 40-50 ft diameter round pen, then moving it to the grass pasture of about 20 acres with our other cows. We grow alfalfa hay and feed 2x a day during the winter, and usually don't grain cows unless we plan to eat them soon. Is this a proper diet and/or housing situation for a cow that needs to be shown at the nwss next year? Thanks for any help, as I have only shown and judged horses before, so I have no idea what to do with cows.
This year, during the nwss, I participated in the catch a calf competition and managed to catch one (on the third try :-\). Nonetheless, I am going to be getting a new steer in May, and honestly have no clue what to do to prepare, train, and show my cow. This includes things like grooming, as well as general halter breaking and showing tips. I currently have cows, and had one that was particularly friendly (he'd come barrelling across the pasture to the backyard fence when he heard the lawnmower), but I've never properly trained one to show unless you count skiing behind them after making the mistake of deciding to try to rope a 600lb heifer to try and halter. Anyways, I was wondering about 3 main categories of cow showing (if that's what you would call it):
1) Training
2) Grooming and Preparation
3) Showing
I currently live on 32 acres and plan to house the calf at first in a 40-50 ft diameter round pen, then moving it to the grass pasture of about 20 acres with our other cows. We grow alfalfa hay and feed 2x a day during the winter, and usually don't grain cows unless we plan to eat them soon. Is this a proper diet and/or housing situation for a cow that needs to be shown at the nwss next year? Thanks for any help, as I have only shown and judged horses before, so I have no idea what to do with cows.
