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4-H Calves (Need Help Deciding Whether or Not?)

Ranchy

Well-known member
Here's a few pics I snapped this morning while we were doing chores. Al is considering taking these two in 4-H this year.......one heifer and one steer. They are the calves we got from Arizona, to put on the milk cow, when her calf died last summer, so he couldn't enter Wheezy in the County Bred Steer Show. But, I think these are some pretty good prospects, and if Al wins Grand Champion with the heifer this year, he can sell both the steer and one of his pigs......since we found out last year that the two critters the Grand Champ winner gets to auction off, can't be the same species...... :roll:

Bandita headed for breakfast (she was movin' right along...... :lol: )

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Wheezy and Bandita at the breakfast table

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Bandita ran Wheezy off the first pan, so he moved to the other one

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One of Bandita when she was being more calm

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Al and Wheezy, just inside the corral gate

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My dad said that last one looked like a (can I say this here, without gettin in trouble?) Mexican Stand-off.........I told him no, that Al was just talkin to Wheezy and Wheezy was payin attention.......
Wheezy came right up to me, and was sniffing me all over, mostly the camera (he seemed to be fascinated by that). Bandita isn't quite as outgoing and friendly as Wheezy (in fact, Al says he thinks she's got more of a "Blondie" personality, than a "Tillie" personality, and Wheezy is more like Tillie has always been.....)

Guess we'll see what kinda progress he can make with her between now and the fair.......

So, any comments or criticisms about these two calves, to help him decide whether or not to take the plunge again? Thanks!
 

Angus Cattle Shower

Well-known member
The steer looks liek he has a bunch of potential if fed right, and Al, a steer is one of the best projects there is, especially the chill going up and down the spine when you think you done good!
 

Ranchy

Well-known member
Thanks, guys. I knew ya'll would come through for us, ya always do!

Lilly, Wheezy came by his name mostly because that's how he breathed until just recently. I'm not sure why, but everytime he sucked, afterward, he wheezed terrible. I told the guys that maybe he's allergic to milk. Funny thing is that after we hauled the milk cow to the other place and weaned these two, he got over the wheezes. So, maybe he did have an allergy? Who can say?

Actually, they're both going to be projects.......Wheezy for Beef and Bandita in his Beef Breeding projects. I'm just trying to talk him into taking them both to the fair........ :lol:
 

Jason

Well-known member
I can see some potential in Wheezy too.

I have 1 question though.

so he couldn't enter Wheezy in the County Bred Steer Show.

What kind of things are you trying to do to them animals in New Mexico? :wink:
 

Ranchy

Well-known member
Jason, I'm not sure what you're asking, but he couldn't enter Wheezy in the County Bred show, cause Wheezy's an import from Arizona........lol

And you can't imagine the amount of fluffing and froofing these kids do with their show steers! They are working on them from before daylight till show time, the day of the show! It's rediculous, in my opinion! :roll:
 

IL Rancher

Well-known member
Some places bred show would imply they were a bred animal, ie a preg cow or heifer as oppossed to an animal produced in that state/county.

At least that is what I'm thinking as it would be awfully hard to have a bred steer although I have had a vet tell me he accidently tried to preg check a bull once... Guess it had to be the end of a long day, at least he realized something was wrong when he started palpating.. Would have to be real worried if I was told my Bull was bred.
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
"County bred" I read over that and didn't notice anything wrong with it, until someone said somethin. LOL Our kids are encouraged to get their animals from local breeders. It's not required, but highly encouraged. Not alot of them go that route tho. Most will go to a pure bred breeder and spend $4000 or $5000 for a show steer. That to me isn't what it's all about. Same with the Commercial bred Heifer Show. Most have gone to another area County fair and bought their show heifers then bring them here and tag em in as Commercial heifers. Spending no tellin what one em. We pull ours out of our own pasture.
 

Ranchy

Well-known member
That jist ain't right, Lilly.............all that's teaching the kids is that those folks with the most money are the best. :x

My dad said that when he was living down at Animas, NM, there were a couple of kids whose parents flew all over the country, and bought several steers each for them to raise and show. Then, they'd find out who was going to be judging the shows these kids were entered in, and start flying to other shows the judge was working, and see what kinda stock he/she preferred. Then, they'd take that type to the show and walk off with everything. A dadgum shame, if ya ask me.
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
I agree Ranchy it's not right. But.....I can only teach mine what I think is right. And thank goodness she understands the whole aspect of raisin and feedin our own critters. Even tho she hasn't placed first..she's still competin right up there with the one's that are winning. So that's sayin somethin for her ability to pick out which one's she wants to raise right here from our home pasture. To me it is...and to her. She's proud of what she shows. And I'm proud of the hard work she puts into it. She's learnin what it's really about, and doin all the work herself. Those other kids that their folks buy the previously shown stuff..and take it somewhere to get it A-I'd aren't teaching their kids a thing, other than, like you said...more money wins. Most of the one's showin the commercial heifers haven't ever set foot in the pen with their animals, and come show time, they don't wanna go in the small pens to feed and water em. Lil Lilly goes in and pretty much can pet all of hers, water and feed them with no worries. We've seen some of them that have been fed in the pasture and are wild wild cattle. Chargin and hittin the panels they are in. No way the kids can even think about gettin in the pen with em. They aren't halter broke...don't hafta be...but hers are gentled enuff from just feedin them that they are calm.

When you break it all down. As to how much those animals cost those people.......and how much theyve spent on A-I'n em...and how much they've fed em(show feed $$$)...then at the show sale turn around and sell the grand champion pen of heifers for $1750.00 or $2000 a piece......they didnt make a dime...they lost money.
But hers are valued at market value when she picks em outta our herd (no we don't make her pay us for them, but they hafta have a value for her record book) Then take 6 months to breed and feed them with a cost of about $200 each. Then turn around and sell them for the amount above.....she's made a huge profit. That's what it's about. Learnin how to economically get these animals raised and bred and make a profit.
 

Ranchy

Well-known member
Yep, it's pretty easy to tell who's messed with their critters, and who hasn't........too bad they don't take that into consideration, as well.

Oh, well.....at least we know that kids like Li'l Lilly, Al, ACS and MCG all do their own, and do good jobs with them........these are the kinda kids I don't mind thinking about being "in charge" someday. Some of those others, though...... :roll:
 

IL Rancher

Well-known member
I wouldn't blame the kids so much as the parents who choose to go out and buy these 3000-10000 dollar animals.. Silly. Just plain old silly. I have talked to a few people about it, including folks who raise commercia cattle, and they all do it because everyone else is doing it and they want their kids to have a chance... I have come to the conclusion that even if the kids don't win that we can find something that will work just fine in the herd. Probably set the kids up with their own "herds" once they get to a certain age and than they can make their decisions, pay their bills on the animals, and wither win with them or not... But it will teach them more than what the kid who wins every year has learned by buying two or three great animals and than picking the best... Hard to learn anything about breeding animals or evauating breeding stock when all you do is terminal classes like barrows and steers that you don't breed yourself.
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
IL Rancher. The commercial pen that Lil Lilly shows in is a pen of three.......at the fair. But you start out with 5. Feed em Breed em....then pick your best three and show them. The other two......we let her keep em. The money from the sale of the others goes into her savings account. She then uses that money to buy feed for the next year. The remaining stays in her account for her college fund. The ones she keeps are hers to do with as she wishes. When we work cows....she has the say so as to cull or keep for whatever reason she see's fit. So far. She's kept all of her heifers plus the one's she had before she started showing. I take that back. Her brother had one that got culled because she came up open. So she gave him one of hers to replace his. Wasn't somethin we asked her to do, she just thought it was fair and did it on her own.
The way I see it...the worlds not fair.....but...there is a way to teach right from wrong in everything we do. Following the rules even tho alot of people don't is just one of them. And in the end....she'll have way more rewards for it than those that don't follow the rules.
I wish it counted for somethin that you can tell which one's messed with their critters too. But it doesn't. The only thing that does come into play in that area, is the record book and record book interview. A well put together record book, and an interview that you can definately tell the kid knows their stuff can move you up in the standings even if your animals aren't the top of the class.
 

Angus Cattle Shower

Well-known member
Ty ranchy, although I do buy my show stock, it usually isnt any more than 1100 for a purebred heifer. lol.

If Al would like any help with getiting anything ready, let me know, I have some appers I can retye or scan for him.
 

cowwrangler

Well-known member
Sounds like lil lilly has a good start in the cattle buisness,when you was talking record books what they do here in FFA is the winner of the best kept record book wins a bred heifer of their choice,they get to pick the breed and get it from local reg breeders that are invloved in the program,has helped some kids get a start,my cousin won one when he was a freshman,youngest winner they had,his folks lived in town so i made a deal with him that he helps me in his spare time and i will feed them,well anyhow he has 10 cows now from the start of that one
 
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