What should we show her as?

[shortyjock89]

We have a March Double Vision x Trump heifer that we're showing this year.  We think she's VERY good, and we're having fun with her.  She is very moderately framed, very thick, lots of hair, super deep, and has a beautiful front end and a cocky look.  We have a neighbor (LSF here on SP actually), that has a very nice Bloodstone heifer that is always in our class.  Rather than show against her all summer, we thought about showing our heifer as a Market heifer and see what happens.  She's one of the best "clubby" cow prospects I've seen this spring and I think she could put the smack down on all the Market heifers on here and even contend for Grand Market Beef.  What would some of you do?  We'd still show her at Jr. Nationals and State Fairs as a Shorthorn, but I think the gal should bring home some purple.

 

[Steered]

You could show her as a market heifer or how tough is the commercial division where you show?  Just because you have papers doesn't mean you have to use them. 

 

[shortyjock89]

You could show her as a market heifer or how tough is the commercial division where you show?  Just because you have papers doesn't mean you have to use them. 

That's what I was thinking.  Don't get me wrong, we've done it before, but some people like to give us crap when we flip flop around with the heifers.  Sometimes we don't have both a Commercial and Market heifer class, usually one or the other.  At county fairs around here, if you have a decent heifer, you can win the Market/Commercial division, but it's hard to get looked at in Grand Drive.  We've only had one heifer that's been able to do it. 

 

[mark tenenbaum]

I BRED ONE LIKE THAT BEING SHOWN IN OHIO, SHE OUTWIEGHS ALOT OF THEM,BUT IS FREAKY THICK, AND ABOUT A 4,5 FRAME SCORE,( IM THE GUY WITH THE EMBRYOS), WE HAVE A MARCH 09  FULL SIB TO THE OHIO DEAL THATS MUCH BETTER, AND A LITTLE TALLER, BOTH ARE SIRED BY LUCKY RALPH.YOU SHOULD SHOW YOURS  AS A MARKET, BECAUSE SHORTS ALLWAYS CROSS BETTER THAN THEY BREED STRAIGHT, LOOK AT ALL THE BREEDS THAT GO BACK TO THEM, ( INCLUDING ANGUS, GENETIC FACT) I PERSONALLY AM THROUGH WITH THE HIGH BIRTH  WEIGHT ( MISREPRESENTED ALOT), HAY BURNING MONO GENETICS THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED BY 3-4 POLITICALLY CORRECT BREEDERS. SHORTHORNS AND ALOT OF OTHER CATTLE NEED TO BE CROSSED TO REALLY PROVE THIER GENETIC WORTH. COMMERCIAL BREEDERS RAISE CATTLE BY THE POUND-LIVE CALVES YATTA YATTA, THEY ALSO RAISE STEERS.

 

[shortyjock89]

I agree for the most part.  We've had great luck with crossing our Shorthorns with some Maine's.  I think we're gonna go ahead and show her as a Market for most of the summer, and show her as a 'horn at only Jr. Nats and State Fairs.  We're breeding her to a Lowline for her first calf because she's so lazy, and we already have people interested in that mating.  After that, we're probably going to breed her to our bull.  We don't tolerate high birthweights, and we only had to pull three calves this year...and probably only needed to pull one of those. I think we have a nice variety of genetics in our little herd, but we also believe in the power of good cow families, and we've built our herd around the same cow family that Smokey Mountain's Carly female is out of. 

 

[Jill]

We show our more clubby looking heifers as Market Heifers and have had a blast in that class, there isn't as much "opinion" in a market class, and if she is clubby you will probably do better in that class anyway.  Our market heifers pay out as division and come back and compete against the steers and we have pulled off champion overall a couple of times, so it is possible.  I guess my advise would be let them get mad, if she is a papered animal you can flip flop as often as you would like, you aren't doing anything wrong.

 

[TJ]

Just my 2 cents after seeing her in class at the KY Beef Expo... I'd show her as a market heifer.  She's a good sized heifer with lots of femininity, depth & thickness, but she looked like she was going up against a herd of giraffe's in that Shorthorn class. 

BTW, I think that you are breeding her the right way.       

           

 

[TJ]

  .

 

[BCCC]

If this is Shelb's heifer I think she would do just dandy as a market heifer.

 

[shortyjock89]

If this is Shelb's heifer I think she would do just dandy as a market heifer.

Yep, that's the one I'm talking about..I think she'll be pretty darn good as a Market heifer too.

 

[Jacob B]

I have shown some o our shorthorn heifers in the commercial class before because we had two that were the same age our had flushmates in the purebred classes and don't want them competeing against each other all the time.  Up here is seems like we can do pretty well with our shorthorn heifers that are a little stouter made in the commercial deal because they seem to be able to get out and move better.  They just out perform the crosses on the go.  That and, our shorthorn show has become real tuff in the past few years.  Why put all your eggs into one basket.

 

[justme]

Come on Justin...throw us a bone here where is a picture of her???

 

[shortyjock89]

Come on Justin...throw us a bone here where is a picture of her???

All I have is this really old pic from November, so you will have to bear with me until this Sunday, when we will show her and WILL get a picture of her.  She has done nothing but get better every day.  Her front end has even gotten longer and more sharp if that's even possible. And she has a bunch more flank now....you'll hafta see in a few days..but here's what I got...

 

[herefordfootball]

That calf will have ABSOLUTELY NO problem in the market or commercial division!! Wow she'll put a whoppin' on all the good black calves I've seen this year. Dont know if she'd beat my herfs  (lol), just kiddin'!!! Have you guys shown her at all in the market class yet? I think she'd excel no matter what class you put her in!!! Nice lookin' heifer Justin!!!  (thumbsup)

 

[shortyjock89]

Well thanks Chris, we've not had her in a Market class yet, but she's hung in there pretty good with the Shorthorns so far.  A judge last week said she wasn't sound, and she covers her track and doesn't go side to side at all.  To be real honest, and I hate to say this, but I think the judge had to really stretch for a reason not to use a clubby heifer to win at a breed show.  We'll get a pic this weekend and see what you all think, and I'll definitely let you know if she beats up on some steers for all the marbles.

 

[justme]

looks great!  I think she can compete either way!