Can steers get thick without hormones? - photo

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djinwa

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Haven't had a steer for a while - this guy is 1/4 Jersey and mostly Lowline angus - 10 months old. Seems he has some neck, and I was wondering if that can happen if lacking hormones after banding, or if I missed a nut. No sign of acting bullish.

I guess a steer should look thicker than a heifer even without testosterone? He's much thicker than his full sister I had last year. What determines how meaty they get?

IMG_0024-1.jpg
 
I'm with dun, he looks a little bullish, so he could have a nut up in his body cavity that you missed.


He looks nice, btw.
 
What is a one nut cow called?I heard them reffered to as stags but didn't know.
 
rusty":wrl68axq said:
What is a one nut cow called?I heard them reffered to as stags but didn't know.

That's what they are generally called around here. I just call them "one nutters" which is more complimentary then what I call owners that can;t count to two
 
What is a one nut cow called?I heard them reffered to as stags but didn't know.

I'd have said cryptorchid, but that's something different - I just looked it up and it refers to a deliberate form of 'castration' that leaves both nuts behind...
 
KMacGinley":1hsad8nk said:
rusty":1hsad8nk said:
What is a one nut cow called?I heard them reffered to as stags but didn't know.

If you had a one nut cow, you would really have something. :)
i had one nutty cow... and i thought i had something
;-) he looks awful bullish to me ,,, i think when one came down the other popped up
 
KMacGinley":3tvx9tms said:
rusty":3tvx9tms said:
What is a one nut cow called?I heard them reffered to as stags but didn't know.

If you had a one nut cow, you would really have something. :)

Was that nice? :D
I seen that myself and hoped it would float.Oh well just showing my smarterness.
 
We call them mickey bulls. I have seen plenty of steers that look like that without hormones. And actually they had jersey in them. They were mostly south devon but now that I think about it they had some Jersey in them. One was about 600kg the other was like 750kg. Big boys. And we always were complimented (by other cattle breeders) about how nice our 'bull' was. :lol2: But the thing that we found with those 2 though (and we guessed it came from the Jersey) is that they had terrible eye muscle.
 
aussie_cowgirl":2a95k92x said:
We call them mickey bulls. I have seen plenty of steers that look like that without hormones. And actually they had jersey in them. They were mostly south devon but now that I think about it they had some Jersey in them. One was about 600kg the other was like 750kg. Big boys. And we always were complimented (by other cattle breeders) about how nice our 'bull' was. :lol2: But the thing that we found with those 2 though (and we guessed it came from the Jersey) is that they had terrible eye muscle.

Thank goodness I don't eat the eyes! :)

Well, I suppose like Dun said - good nutrition and genetics, hopefully. He is still getting 2 to 3 quarts of milk daily, as I milk his mom once daily and need him for the other milking. Besides the milk, he just gets some weed/grass hay for which I paid $20 per ton. And being a slower growing breed, probably doesn't take alot of nutrition. He was my first banding job - haven't done alot of castrating, but always liked to cut and see evidence of success. But since everyone is banding now, thought I'd better follow the crowd.

Now that I think about it, hormones aren't everything with muscling, considering that some cows are thicker than others without testosterone.
 
djinwa":1t9570ci said:
aussie_cowgirl":1t9570ci said:
We call them mickey bulls. I have seen plenty of steers that look like that without hormones. And actually they had jersey in them. They were mostly south devon but now that I think about it they had some Jersey in them. One was about 600kg the other was like 750kg. Big boys. And we always were complimented (by other cattle breeders) about how nice our 'bull' was. :lol2: But the thing that we found with those 2 though (and we guessed it came from the Jersey) is that they had terrible eye muscle.

Thank goodness I don't eat the eyes! :)

Well, I suppose like Dun said - good nutrition and genetics, hopefully. He is still getting 2 to 3 quarts of milk daily, as I milk his mom once daily and need him for the other milking. Besides the milk, he just gets some weed/grass hay for which I paid $20 per ton. And being a slower growing breed, probably doesn't take alot of nutrition. He was my first banding job - haven't done alot of castrating, but always liked to cut and see evidence of success. But since everyone is banding now, thought I'd better follow the crowd.

Now that I think about it, hormones aren't everything with muscling, considering that some cows are thicker than others without testosterone.

I've herd of weaning them on the truck to the sale barn but you're going that, one better . If he's still gettin milk at 10 months it looks like you're gonna wean him on the way to the butcher.
 
I've herd of weaning them on the truck to the sale barn but you're going that, one better . If he's still gettin milk at 10 months it looks like you're gonna wean him on the way to the butcher.

Yeah, it's alittle embarrassing having him nursing that big, but I'm lazy, and want to keep her milking with his help. Was late getting her bred so need another month or so of milk - can't get food down without it.

Don't know how alittle milk with poor hay compares to the usual diet of grain and hay. Better or worse?

Might have to get mom up higher for him to nurse pretty soon.

IMG_0019.jpg
 

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