What do you think?

[showcattlegal]

I was just wondering what you guys think about this steer. He is a 4/4/07 kadabra out of a chi cross cow.


FYI - I removed the giant pictures - DL

 

[CAB]

Red, help please. We need a resize. Thanks, Cab

 

[knabe]

the ears are too fluffy, the pole is too pointy, there is an arrow on the tail and the tag is purple

 

[Ruchian]

When I'm looking at a steer I like to see it not all clipped and fitted so that i can see what I'm really looking at but it looks like a really nice steer.  He might be a little short bodied but different parts of the country like different things.  For a while our judges liked long bodied steers, then the shorter more clubbly  looking steers and last year a lot of people got bumped down because of the shorter bodied steers, so it depends on your judge.  It does help that he is set up almost perfectly.

 

[showcattlegal]

we just clipped him. He had a lot of hair to work with which is nice for the pictures we just rinsed him and blow with kleen sheen

 

[CPL]

I think he could be a tab bit thicker and drop his flank a bit. Those both might come with age. He's definitely wide and has good muscle pattern for the most part. Good amount of bone and a very fancy front end. He's nice. Is he out of Kadabra?- Looks like it (ear tag). Nice calf.

 

[Ruchian]

His flank does look a little high but I think that it will come with age.  Also it is nice that he has a lot of hair to work with, I was just saying that when I'm looking at a young steer I prefer a more natural look. 

CPL - it says he is a Kadabra in the original post.

 

[AAOK]

Very good looking Steer.  His ears are fine. The poll does need to come down just a bit.  His tail head is fine also, and Purple Tags in the left ear help win shows.  I think this steer is just about where he should be in his flank at this age.  I would like to see his shoulders clipped tighter, and I would like to see more pop in his stifle.  I would also like to see the muscle coming further down in his twist.  He looks like he should feed out well.  Keep a neck sweat on him most of the time, or he may be a little sloppy by the time he is finished.

 

[TJ]

His flank does look a little high but I think that it will come with age.  Also it is nice that he has a lot of hair to work with, I was just saying that when I'm looking at a young steer I prefer a more natural look.   

CPL - it says he is a Kadabra in the original post.

My cousin had a Kadabra steer that looked really similar to the pictured steer, except that her steer might've been just a little prettier fronted than the pictured steer, even though this calf has a pretty nice front end.  Every judge called my cousins steer "the fanciest steer in the class" & I also thought that he was the fanciest steer in the class every single time it showed (county shows, regional show, state fair).  So, eye appeal is going to be your calf's strong suit.  However, I see the same problems with this calf as I saw with her calf.  1st, let me be the first to tell you that the high flank probably isn't going to go away with age... at least my cousins Kadabra steer's high flank didn't change too much & we tried everything.  Also, my cousins calf wasn't very deep in the twist & it didn't have enough lower quarter.  The pictured calf also isn't very deep in the twist & doesn't have a lot of lower quarter either.  However, my cousins steer had unbelievable amount of hair & the pictured calf looks fairly hairy as well.  Hair will be your friend, leave as much as you can in the lower quarter area & leave as much as you can behind it's navel to make the rear flank appear to be deeper than it really is.  I'd make sure that you get this calf finished well before the final show, I'd feed it some barley & I'd actually try to "over-fatten" it a little bit.  Fat & hair will help make the steer appear thicker.  I'd also give it a  Revalor implant about 45-60 days before the final show.  Also, feeding beet pulp or a similar filler will help with the flank problem a little bit, but don't expect miracles... you will need plenty of hair too.  Hope that helps.  Best wishes with your calf!!          

 

[xkrushx]

Very good looking Steer.  His ears are fine. The poll does need to come down just a bit.  His tail head is fine also, and Purple Tags in the left ear help win shows.  I think this steer is just about where he should be in his flank at this age.  I would like to see his shoulders clipped tighter, and I would like to see more pop in his stifle.  I would also like to see the muscle coming further down in his twist.  He looks like he should feed out well.  Keep a neck sweat on him most of the time, or he may be a little sloppy by the time he is finished.

I agree with everything AAOK said 100% except for his poll will be just fine, and it will make him more youthful appearing next summer. Also, take his hocks down a little tighter and it will make them look less pointed, especially when he is on the move. Definately feed the beet pulp to this guy pretty heavy early to help body him down a little sooner and this will help his flank.

 

[afhm]

He looks like a typical Kadabra.  Cool to look at, but not enough quarter and a little twisted up front, but not bad.  He has enough hair to make up some thickness.  He looks like he will be easy to sell and a respectable fat as well.  I've found you need to breed Kadabra like HEat Seeker, to a power cow that need to be prettier.

 

[knabe]

in order to drive karma quickly and to clarify this part was a joke (the ears are too fluffy, the pole is too pointy, there is an arrow on the tail and the tag is purple) here are my real comments.

he's a little chest floor narrow.  to use a demonstration that i've heard before and may not be relevant, take your hands, hold them out front of you palms down.  pull your elbows in a little bit pretending your "chest floor" is narrow.  notice his shoulder point is a little open in front, his "elbows" tight and his toes out. he's ok on top for muslcing, would like to see a little more there, particularly forward.  he's high flanked like mentioned, which is accentuated by his twist area.  i do like his topline and that line through his shoulder through his neck.  has a nice profile.  seems good in his pasterns.  clean necked, but halter is holding a flap up that could probably be sweated off some.  i think i would tone down his hocks a little as they seem out of proportion to the rest of his mass.  hair looks good, and i actually like the trim on the tail.  at this point i don't know how i would trim on his rear by the tail, depends on how he filled out in the twist area.  i'd probably try a couple of different ways, take some pics and see if it deaccentuated his high flanks or not.  this steer is different than the kadabra heifer at the CA state fair earlier.

he helps demonstrate kadabra's strengths and weaknesses.

 

[CPL]

 

CPL - it says he is a Kadabra in the original post.

That would be me, jumping straight to the pictures and not reading what they've said.  (cow) ))  Thanks.  (lol)