Pics of Al's 4-H Steer, Wheezer MacGeezer

[Ranchy]

Here he is at 1038# week before last......not a bad looker, huh? I can't believe how he's grown. When the guys built that feeder for him, he had to stand on the uphill side, and then could just barely reach in to eat.......lol Lots can happen in 3 months, I guess........ :lol:

What would you do about clipping? Clip his sheath, or leave it hairy? Our video says to clip from the brisket to the sheath, but doesn't say whether or not, to clip that. I'm lost on the subject.........

I know we need to get him shed out the rest of the way (him and the heifer both have this really rusty looking reddish hair over the black, and will look much better once it's gone).

 

[PureCountry]

Trimming the sheath is something I always did when fitting. Just cleans up their appearance so much. As does trimming any real long hairs from the tail switch, and squaring off the tailhead. With that calf, he's a little sway-backed, so you'd want to leave hair in the dip, and trim over his shoulders, then flatten out the loin and tailhead. Would make him look stronger over the top.

 

[Ranchy]

Thanks a bunch, Pure! That makes so much sense, and I was completely lost on it. I even looked to see if I'd taken any pics of steers at our fair last year, to check and see what everyone else does. I didn't have even one photo.......

He's usually not sway backed at all, I think it's just the way he's standing there.......but will get a yardstick, and clip with that as a guide..... :wink:

 

[Jinglebob]

Better get him on some of that good Vigortone mineral, like FH always brags on. Probably get rid of them red hairs on his back.

He looks good to me, but what do I know? I just like eating beef off from fat cattle.

 

[Ranchy]

I'm afraid there isn't time to get it ordered and here in time to do any good........Fair starts 2 weeks from yesterday. The CA's wife suggested some Sullivan's Cattle Hair Dye........I'd kinda thought about that, and since the sack of Show Bloom will last through the fair, might invest in some of that if we can find it around here. She said that would make him look really good and dark black.
:lol: JB.........I like eating it, too...... :wink:

Here are a few new pics, we took Wheezer over to the CA's casa, and he trimmed his hooves for Al........

On the trimming table, gettin his pedicure. He definately was not thrilled with being on there, in a reclining position......sometimes I wonder if he's actually male or not........ :shock: :lol:

Al undoing the straps that held him on the table

Backing out after they got the gate put back on it

 

[PureCountry]

Sullivan's and so many others have products that will hide or accentuate anything. One trick we always used was mixing some bug-wash - the kind you put in your truck for the windshield - or a bit of windex with Show Bloom or some product like it, and spray it on 10 minutes before show time. Works great on animals that have decent hair to work with. It makes their hair "pop", stands straight out and shines like a new quarter. 'Course that was back in my fitter days, and I much prefer to judge cattle 'Au Naturale" these days. :wink:

 

[Ranchy]

We had quite a discussion on that matter the other day, Pure.

Hubby is thinking along the natural look, I'm thinking a little black hair dye would be a good thing (keep them from looking "rusty")......don't know if I'd go whole-hog and do the whole tail brush ball thing, but if you can take away the more distracting stuff (like the different colored hair) it would be better.

Not sure what Al's thoughts on it are right now, he doesn't have much to say.

It does seem that since a judge feels the calf anyway, it shouldn't make any difference in how "perdied-up" they are......less is more kinda deal, ya know? :wink:

Do need to get the heifer opened up again, that knot where the snake bit her, is getting huge again. Had everything ready to go yesterday, and got down to the corral, and someone had chained and padlocked the gate to it......... :roll: Hubby was going to get his dad to open it today, so we could work on her this evening, but.......he wasn't feeling well, so isn't coming up today. Maybe manana.........

 

[nr]

This thread just CRUSHED my idea of what cattle shows are!
Trimming the privates and hair dye! Sounds like someting the Miss America contestants would do :???: :lol: :roll: :disagree: :nod:

 

[Ranchy]

Sad, isn't it, nr?

You can't imagine the things I've seen the kids do to their steers, and this is just a small-beans county fair.........I can't begin to imagine what goes on at a state fair, or heaven forbid, a national one! :shock:

 

[PureCountry]

Have to admit I'm ashamed of some of the things I saw people do over the years nr. I never had anything to do with pumping steers full of 7UP or Sprite and such, but saw people do it behind the scenes and caused some fights trying to get them to stop. All in the name of "Showmanship", right? :roll: The fanciest we ever did I'd say was just gluing their hair into place to give a bull's legs better shape or making them look heavier-boned. But the best was watching someone spend hours gluing finely shredded black twine to a critter's legs and then having the judge grab a handful of it and ask them to leave the ring on the spot.HA!! :lol: :lol:

 

[Ranchy]

Pure, I hear what you're saying.

The "lady" I referred to in my earlier post, told me aht they often drench their show steers with 7Up, just a few minutes before taking them in to show....... :shock:

I guess there are all kinds of tricks, I'm just glad I don't know any of them......although she was a good source of info about how to get Wheezer to gain the 500# he needed to make min, in 5 months......everything she told me and we tried, worked.

Just hate to see folks resort to unethical practices, just to win. :evil: It's no wonder kids are going to you-know-where in a handbasket. :roll:

Would love to get that judge here to do our little show........ :wink:

 

[Northern Rancher]

Ty actually got dropped from grand champion to reserve with his cow/calf this year at the district show because his Dad refuses to trim feet on breeding animals-in my opinion for what it's worth-good footed cattle don't need a hoof trimmers services-hers weren't that bad but they weren't trimmed. 4H steers sometimes get a bit long because of the ration they eat and the fact they usually aren't out walking much but most are going to depart right after the show anyway so feet really shouldn't sway the judge that much. I've only been to one 4H show in the U.S-Plentywood, Montana's but my daughter and I had a great time. Well I guess I've been to Denver but we won't go there. Nice looking steer and a great name by the way.

 

[Ranchy]

Well that just stinks, Northern! :evil:
Al's heifer's feet are great, of course, she doesn't spend much time standing in the corral, either. When we took Whjeezer over, he'd actually walked most of the length off, and just needed minor trimming. I had no idea how they trimmed a hoof, but it was pretty educational for me, and probably for Al, too, to watch the process. Then, the CA spurted some KopperTox on him, and he had pretty green feet for a day or two..... :wink:

Didn't get him weighed this weekend, Al went with his cousin to haul some wood for Hubby's folks instead. At the last weighing, Wheezer tipped the scales at 1030#.........so, think he'll make weight on Thursday morning.

Wish we would have been able to come up with a better name for him, but he's got some pretty severe breathing problems. Started when he was just a baby, in fact, I'm not sure he didn't already have them when we got him at a week old last summer. I just don't remember. We took him to the vet, and he said Wheezer had had pneumonia at some time, because the bottom part of his lungs don't function........add that to the fact that he's got some pretty good allergies, and ya get the reason for the name. The MacGeezer part came when he was being so difficult to handle (too many shots, etc., I guess). :lol:

I just hope the heifer does well, so Al can sell Wheezer and a pig at the sale this year......... :wink: