Check out some pretty boys
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DOC HARRIS
Well-known member
Oh Boy! Oh Boy! You don't want me to EVEN BEGIN to get STARTED on this Post! I think most of you have a pretty good idea of my feelings of RADICAL show preparations on cattle, involving trimming, hair "pointing", leg fluffing, hours and hours of actually LYING about what the individual animal really is NOT! A lot of the Show Preparation activities are being done by and for the 4H and FFA Young people, and the basic reasoning for that activity is jusified to help teach responsibility, technic, good sportsmanship, How to Win and HOW to lose (which is more important than How to Win!), and all of the camaraderie which is concomitant with learning how to grow up. I understand those behaviors, and in the interest of helping to form responsible citizens I concur with that protocol - TO A POINT! But when it becomes a mandated business of "Win - at all costs!" - then the activity exceeds it's purposes, and becomes a negative and a detriment, and is unjustified because it is actually teaching kids how to lie and cheat.
The disgusting conditions by which some of these animals are depicted is unforgiveable! I am sure that no one on this Forum would allow their cattle to get in the horrible state that a few of them are shown to be in this particular link!
As you can tell, I am pretty adament about proper animal care and conditioning!
DOC HARRIS
The disgusting conditions by which some of these animals are depicted is unforgiveable! I am sure that no one on this Forum would allow their cattle to get in the horrible state that a few of them are shown to be in this particular link!
As you can tell, I am pretty adament about proper animal care and conditioning!
DOC HARRIS
I has always been my opinion that "show" animals should be shown with no grooming. They should be in their natural state. Sure they should be washed and cleaned, but don't try to hide something, or make it appear as if something is there when it really isn't. There can be plenty of socializing between the kids around the wash pens. But, everyone grooms the way the do because everyone else does. They ought to make it a show rule, that no grooming is allowed. It will never happen, but that is my thought.
charangusman08
Well-known member
I totally agree with you! :nod:bandit80":s4fjmtju said:
Engler
Well-known member
How good do your old bulls look? There's a couple of these guys that are allmost old enough to vote so they probably need a little bit of a break.
There aren't any 4-H calves on that link. They all are AI bulls at stud. I admit that some of them are too straight and look like junk, but a lot of them were too straight at 10 months when they took the cool pictures in Denver. So I believe that the argument of this being all about the kids needs to be tossed out, this is business.
If you're going to try and sell your truck I'm guessing that you're going to wash and detail it, not bring it right in from bouncing pastures all covered with mud and cow stuff. How's that any different than the owners of these bulls bringing them in and getting them maxed out. Getting the hair trained and clipped is all part of presentation. I'm not talking about airing quarters or surgicly "fixing" briskets ect, I'm talking about basic grooming(yes it's taken to an extreme with these guys, but the principals are the same as any county fair)
If the buyer is willing to toss money at all the fluff in a picture without doing any research are we supposed to lay all the problems at the feet of the seller? If you are chasing weaning or yearling weight for 10 years and all of the sudden you look and your cows are 250# heavier is it the fault of the breeder that you bought the bulls from or is it yours because you were to focused on the trees that you couldn't see the forest.
There aren't any 4-H calves on that link. They all are AI bulls at stud. I admit that some of them are too straight and look like junk, but a lot of them were too straight at 10 months when they took the cool pictures in Denver. So I believe that the argument of this being all about the kids needs to be tossed out, this is business.
If you're going to try and sell your truck I'm guessing that you're going to wash and detail it, not bring it right in from bouncing pastures all covered with mud and cow stuff. How's that any different than the owners of these bulls bringing them in and getting them maxed out. Getting the hair trained and clipped is all part of presentation. I'm not talking about airing quarters or surgicly "fixing" briskets ect, I'm talking about basic grooming(yes it's taken to an extreme with these guys, but the principals are the same as any county fair)
If the buyer is willing to toss money at all the fluff in a picture without doing any research are we supposed to lay all the problems at the feet of the seller? If you are chasing weaning or yearling weight for 10 years and all of the sudden you look and your cows are 250# heavier is it the fault of the breeder that you bought the bulls from or is it yours because you were to focused on the trees that you couldn't see the forest.
S&S Farms
Well-known member
bandit80":3lbwufsx said:
You are right. I had not been to a 4H show in years. I went to one last year the top two steers were groomed beautiful. I found out one lived ina cooler for that great hair. Now that is really economical. The other one was lucky it was going to the rail it would of been a downer in 30 days it could hardly walk but setup nice. what a joke. I am pushing in my county to go to a nongroming show. I want my kids to show cattle not fufu casttle.
Jeff
Engler
Well-known member
They tried this at my county fair 8-10 years ago. All it did was widen the gap between the people that knew what was going on and those that don't. The feed bucket is a way more important tool than a set of clippers. At MOST county fairs a steer that's ready to grade, made right and still has some style but is bald can run right with the hairy ones. Besides what's the odds of the hairy one being 12 o'clock at county fair, most of them are shooting for something on down the road.
iowafarmer
Well-known member
Thats rediculouse. Their legs are so fluffy you cant tell whether they are post legged or sickle legged. Are you sure those are the same cattle in the before and after photos some of them dont look a thing alike.
S&S Farms
Well-known member
A non fitted show that was the term I was triing to say earlier.
Jeff
Jeff
SKF Show Cattle
Well-known member
The bulls in the pictures are older bulls that have been used alot. Not show calves. I can not stand it when people are so judgemental when they see a calf with hair. You are so quick to assume that those of us who show only care about hair. There are plenty of good quality cattle with hair. My daughter loves working with her calves hair and grooming them she spends hours with her calves. She does not do it to hide faults a good judge can see the difference between a good calf and a bad one regardless of the hair. Lastb year she won the carcass contest at the South Florida Fair with a calf that hair hair like a yak. Our number one concern when pick out a calf is structure, genetics and disposition. Grooming does not hide major faults. I get so tired of the hair vs no hair. I have seen plenty of commercial type with no hair come to the fair that have structure issues, lack muscling and then when they get beat by a calf with hair all they can say is that the calf only won because of its hair. They never say it was because their calf had some major structural issues and the calf with hair was a sound and complete steer. I have a pature full of ex show cattle that in their prime had lots of hair and guess what they are still sound, produce a good calf every year, and are great milkers. There have been some that did not turn out as expected but over the years we've had commercial cattle that did not turn out well either. My point is don't just assume that because we enjoy grooming and showing all year that we don't know good cattle. The hair is something that my daughter enjoys and works hard and it keeps her busy which keeps her out of trouble plus the extra time spent with her calves she developes a great bond with them. We show all year not just the county fair and we're not afraid to slick because we know what we have under the hair.
I guess the problem for me isn't just the hair. 1 it would have to be that MOST show calves to lead unrealistic lives. The second would be that these bulls are being used. Some of those bulls in those pictures are still being widely used even today. And don't say its just age because its not its bad genetics. The people that try to sell calves out of these bulls should be ashamed.
5minpins
Well-known member
wow..... never seen cattle with fuzzy straight legs before. and cant really say that I have ever seen such a tortured looking outline such as heatwaves... 
greenwillowhereford II
Well-known member
Say what you wish, it is ridiculous for an animal to live in a refrigerated room or trailer IMO. Try turning several generations of show bred genetics loose down south and see if they cope with the heat and slick off like they should as compared with the average commercial cow.
Quite a few of our local shows are non fitted, "blow and show."
Quite a few of our local shows are non fitted, "blow and show."
Brandonm22
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CPL":3m2zjidp said:
Supply follows demand. IF the semen purchasers are just worried about raising calves who win their class at the State Fair, the market will provide that. Likewise if semen purchasers are hyper sensitive about finding a bull that will cost them the least problems on first calf heifers, the bull studs will scour the countryside to find the lowest birth weight EPD heifer bulls that money can buy. IF yearling weight EPD is the only thing that floats your boat, the bull studs will go out and find those bulls in the top 3 % of their breed for the growth traits. Ditto with milk or carcass traits. Any time you focus too much on any one thing other traits tend to suffer. IF the buyers ever demand functional, long lasting, productive cattle from their bull studs, I am confident that the bull studs will provide that. Until then, every bull stud has too have the freaks with the longest hair, the lowest birth weight, the heaviest weaning weight, the highest Milk EPD, the highest IMF EPD, the highest $EN, or the highest $B (or $CHB or whatever) in order to satisfy the buyers whose focus is on that trait or two.
Brandonm22
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greenwillowhereford II":2f1eocam said:
I knew a guy once who had a whole transfer truck van sized refrigerated cargo container turned into a barn for his kid's show steers. It was freaky as all get out to walk from your typical 90 degree Alabama day, put on your jacket, and walk into a 40 degree stable. That was ~16 years ago. That may be considered "normal" in today's hyper competitive environment.
grannysoo
Well-known member
Fluffy bulls........ I've now seen it all.
DFF
Well-known member
EAT BEEF":1xlmb16w said:
We went through Hawkeye this morning. Very eye opening experience for myself as well as wife. Alot of bulls already out to pastures plenty left behind though.
