Wisteria Farms":2gw9rkkd said:
OK folks...here's a new "pondering" of mine...
In Australia, Murray Grey's kick butt in carcass competitions (I think they have in Canada as well). How could this be done in the U.S....I mean... I'm totally unfamiliar with that aspect of owning cattle but can someone explain to me:
1. Who holds Carcass Competitions? State Fairs?
2. Do you enter as you would a show class?
3. Can you get carcass data from a butcher?
Any info is greatly appreciated...I'm admitting my ignorance on this subject so please only well-meaning advice...
Our local fair doesn't have a carcass competition. The kids usually take the calves on to the state fair.
But some counties do. The Pontotoc County Extension Office runs a carcass program for youngsters:
http://www.adaeveningnews.com/agnews/lo ... 20600.html
Talk to your extension agent and see if he/she knows of any place that does this type of thing.
Also here in OK, the Noble Foundation sponsors a program for kids. They take the calves in and weigh them at weaning (has to be halter broke), take him home and feed him, and on a certain date they bring him back for a last weight and he's shipped for processing. The packer sends the results back to the Noble Foundation who has some sort of awards program. We've never been involved, but one of our neighbors did it a couple of years with his Herefords.
Noble:
http://www.noble.org/Ag/JrBeef/index.html
But you should know that feeding and management are as important in carcass competitons as actual genetics.