County fair's over and I miss my steer!

[poultryrancher]

My county fair was this past weeked.I had showmanship and confirmation classes on Friday morning.We bombed both, but we were safe.
The Jr. Livestock auction was Labor day.my steer was auctioned 15th out of 19 steer.Mine sold for $2.50 a pound.I've done all my calculating.I barely break even.But I do break even--I didn't lose money.Actually,I make about $100 profit.
then it hit me that I would never see T-Bone again.My dad was crying as he hugged him goodbye.I hugged T-Bone goodbye,too,and tried to find the right words to whisper in his ear as I scratched behind his ears and along his brisket, "Thank you.Goodbye.I'll miss you." Then,the truck carrying all the livestock to the processor came.When someone called"bring the steer",when they led my steer around the corner of the showbarn and on the truck.that's when I started to bawl.
I first saw T last november,when he was an 8 month old calf in a pasture of weaned calves.I picked him out the beginning of march,and he'd had a halter on for 2 weeks when we brought him home.He was WILD.The first thing he did was hurl himself at us through the horse panels. My parents said he would be going bck to the ranch.I begged them to give him a chance. They did. He did have some issues--someone screwed up while castrating him and basically there was 50/50 chance he was still a bull, making him more destructive and harder to handle. He was almost disq. upon arrival at the fair,but the vet okay'd him. T-Bone also decided that he didn't like some people.One of my closest friend's kept his steer tied next to mine at the fair, and the upon him meeting him T-Bone launched him through the air a few feet.Needless to say,those two never made amends.
I learned ALOT this year,about feeding, broken toes,halter breaking,training to lead,setting up,washing,clipping.I also learned alot about sportsmanship.When my own 4-H leader tried to screw up another girl and I's steer by giving us bad advice about feeding in order to help his daughter's steer.Winning isn't winning if you have to cheat to get there!
After they loaded my steer,as my friends loaded their steer on the truck (1 started crying right there, 2 others ran off and cried by themselves),I went and stood by the bulkhead,where the steer were.T-Bone looked out one of the slats at me.I know it was him because I put glitter on him before the auction, and he sparkled.And the tears just flowed.
That was monday,and I know that he must have been "processed" aka is DEAD by now,but I still miss him.Does it every get any easier to say goodbye?Do the following steer not hurt as bad to let go of as the first?
No one at our fair shows breeding cattle,and T-Bone has a six month old half sister(same mama)that is being weaned right now.I'm not sure if the ranch would sell her,but I think they might sell her to me.I think it would be like having a little piece of T-Bone,and that I could breed her and raise my own steer from start to finish in a couple years.How much are heifer calves going for now? She was calved the beginning of march, and is 1/2 Hereford, 1/4 shorthorn, 1/4 Angus.

 

[Chris H]

You got 2.50/lb and only made about $100 on him???????

Many of the older teens were wiping their eyes when they loaded their steers one last time. If you didn't care a bit I'd wonder about you. The sad feeling should go away in a week or two, just remember he has done his job--what he was raised for.

Can you afford to buy a heifer, feed her for the next 16-20 months before she calves, then the calf for another 16 months before you sell it? The heifer will likely have a very different personality and you'll never get your money back on the heifer if you only cleared $100 after receiving $2.50/lb for your steer.

 

[VCC]

Chris H, I know that as rancher you would love to get 2.50lb for a steer but we have to look at the basic differences in a feed lot steer and a project steer.

Project steer: Feed runs about 25-30 cents a pound, they have the calf for 180 days, @ 20 pounds a day average that is
3600 pounds of grain @ .28 pound is $1008 plus a square bail of hay a week at $10 a bail foe 25 weeks is $250
The steer cost more that market, lets say they get an 800 pound steer for 1.50 or $1200
Wormer every 6 weeks at $10 each dose = $40. Steer estimate 1200lbs * 2.50= 3000

1008+1200+250+40= 2498
$3000-$2498=$502 then subtract misc cost from that like fuel to pick up animal and trips to feed store, any product used on the animal plus feed additives you could be real close to $100 profit

Since these kids don't buy bulk their cost per pound of grain is higher and the steers are always more than market, it can be a tough game to make any real money at.

 

[t&d farms]

Fair week is coming to a close today. my son who is 8 has been handling it hard. he just lets goes and cries and cries. He knew the end was coming but its just hitting him now. i still havent figured out how to handle this situation. i think im gonna have him go down clean the area up and call his grandparents to come take him home. or is it better to have him there to the end? we already have next years steer and hiefer so i think he can focus his attention on those. i know its rough. just breaks my heart to see him cry like that. so i do know what your going thru. It didnt bother my older son as much when he was showing.

wow $2.50 a pound? that would be awesome. The grand Champion of our show only got $2.25, reserve got $1.75 and we got $1.80. (for a steer that came in 4th and sold last out of 18 steers). most of the other steers got an average of $1.35. we didnt have to buy our animal and i think we are just breaking even as well. Luckifully we had some people there that thought the animal should of placed alot higher then it did.

 

[KNERSIE]

On the cost issue...

Why not just buy enough of either barley or corn and good alfalfa hay, buy the protein concentrates and mix your own feed exactly like a feedlot would do for a fraction of the cost of commercial show feeds?

Learning how to feed out a steer like in real world conditions would be a valuable learning school for the kids instead of just testing whose parents' pockets are the deepest and the results would be very similar.

 

[Snider_Angus]

When you spend 3 hours or more a day for as long as it takes to get a steer to slaughter weight(12 months or so), it is like loosing a best friend. You become attached to them and you see them out in the pen everyday and they come up and eat out of your hand. Losing a steer is just about equivalant to losing your best cow-dog. You spend everyday with him and you cant help but get attached. You are being totally insensitive about this. To these kids(myself included), these animals are our best friends. They are always there and they always cheer me up after i have had a bad day at school or work.

You are correct about the situation but you were quite insensitive. I agree with you completely but you didnt really have to mention that when this kid is hurting.

 

[Bez+]

My county fair was this past weeked.I had showmanship and confirmation classes on Friday morning.We bombed both, but we were safe.
The Jr. Livestock auction was Labor day.my steer was auctioned 15th out of 19 steer.Mine sold for $2.50 a pound.I've done all my calculating.I barely break even.But I do break even--I didn't lose money.Actually,I make about $100 profit.
then it hit me that I would never see T-Bone again.My dad was crying as he hugged him goodbye.I hugged T-Bone goodbye,too,and tried to find the right words to whisper in his ear as I scratched behind his ears and along his brisket, "Thank you.Goodbye.I'll miss you." Then,the truck carrying all the livestock to the processor came.When someone called"bring the steer",when they led my steer around the corner of the showbarn and on the truck.that's when I started to bawl..

You are going through a very common reaction.

Relax - it will go away - just be sure to thank everyone - in writing - who helped you get that steer to the show and down the chute to the truck.

You raise them to kill them

Buy another and get on with it

Be happy - you can find good cattle everywhere

Cheers

Bez+

 

[hillsdown]

Congratulations on all your hard work and a job well done.
You cared for this animal and your compassion is a breath of fresh air. There is nothing wrong will feeling sad and that you will miss T-Bone as you have spent countless hours together to get where you are now.

I agree with some of the others get a heifer and you won't have to say goodbye.

Hang in there as it will get better as time goes on ,,,do not ever lose your empathy ,compassion and love for animals as it makes one do a better job as a care giver in the end. But, a steer is raised for an ultimate purpose; however it does not make it any easier.

 

[chippie]

It is tough not to make a pet or get attached to your first animal. If you continue to raise and show terminal market animals, you will learn how not to get attached and still do a good job raising and showing it.

I'm glad that you had a positive experience and you should be proud of what you did.

 

[chippie]

Fair week is coming to a close today. my son who is 8 has been handling it hard. he just lets goes and cries and cries. He knew the end was coming but its just hitting him now. i still havent figured out how to handle this situation. i think im gonna have him go down clean the area up and call his grandparents to come take him home. or is it better to have him there to the end? we already have next years steer and hiefer so i think he can focus his attention on those. i know its rough. just breaks my heart to see him cry like that. so i do know what your going thru. It didnt bother my older son as much when he was showing.

wow $2.50 a pound? that would be awesome. The grand Champion of our show only got $2.25, reserve got $1.75 and we got $1.80. (for a steer that came in 4th and sold last out of 18 steers). most of the other steers got an average of $1.35. we didnt have to buy our animal and i think we are just breaking even as well. Luckifully we had some people there that thought the animal should of placed alot higher then it did.

I feel sorry for your son. I really think that the terminal projects are best for the older kids (teens) who have a bit more life experiences, responsibilty and maturity under their belt than a little kid. They also have the size and strength to do the projects.
The little kids have a hard time understanding. It just breaks your heart.

Did your older son show when he was 8 years old too?

 

[t&d farms]

Did your older son show when he was 8 years old too?

yeah he did. but most of his steers we bought, so we didnt have them as long as this one. maybe that was the difference??
he actually did really well, he begged not to go to grannys but stay down at the fair, it was hard of course we were the second steer to leave, he shed a few tears, hes new buddies told him it was alright and that was it he was back playing. He doesnt like to see the pen empty though, (we have a seperate pen for 4h steers) we just got to move some around. He enjoys working with the animals alot. and already has his steer and hiefer picked out for next year . He's also thinking of doing a pig as well, maybe some chickens..(but thats at a different fair, at a differnt time, i dont know, i hate chickens and hes allergic to them feathers but he loves birds) we will seee.
just wish there were more jackpot shows closer around.

 

[DFF]

It is tough not to make a pet or get attached to your first animal. If you continue to raise and show terminal market animals, you will learn how not to get attached and still do a good job raising and showing it.

I'm glad that you had a positive experience and you should be proud of what you did.

As our local 4-H beef leader I deal with this every year, what I explain to members is, compare the life you gave to this animal compared to the ones who didn't make "the cut". drive by a feedlot in July/Aug. look at the dust and the flies, or laying in mud/poop, getting prodded around,roughed around by pen- mates etc. You fed him a lot better feed, he had clean fresh water, a nice shelter, fan and misters during heat, washed and kept clean, flies sprayed, brushed and scracthed daily and even hauled around occasionally, now granted his
end result remained the same, which is what he was intended for, YOU have made it ALOT better, so take some pictures, dont forget them, as this is always life learning experiences. So get that next one ASAP and start make his life better.
good luck. DFF

 

[poultryrancher]

Thank you everyone for the kind words.....I knew his end was coming,and that's why I named him T-Bone....And I used to tell him every night while he was eating that "beef--it's what's for dinner". But when the end came...WOW.I was a bit more attached then I thought I was.
He was my first large stock project. I've done poultry and rabbits (and lost and ate some...And never cried like this). Chickens die and you get used to it.No tears ever. But the steer was a bit different. It was like losing my buddy, who I worked with and roughed up every day and had to go catch wandering down the road. I guess he'll never really leave me--I still have photos, two scars on my legs and a broken toe to remember him by.
To whoever said their son wants to do chickens....LET HIM. They are easy, fun and entertaining. I've been raising chickens since I was 11 years old, and showing them in 4-H for the past three years. I finally wond grand champion SR. showman thins year. So much fun. I recommend he start out with Silkies....They are bantams, really personable and great mothers.Their feathers don't have barbs like other chickens, so they feel soft like fur.
By the way, I'm 17 and I don't typically cry over anything, so I'm sorry if I came across as a drama queen. I didn't mean it that way. Actually, I was kinda wondering if it was abnormal to cry over cow!

 

[L Weir]

We'll be dealing with this on Saturday with our 11 year old daughter. She'll be selling her steer and I'm prepared for the tears to come. This steer was out of one of her cows. She trained him and worked with him right from the beginning. i made the mistake of telling her she could show two heifers next year if she was going to have a hard time, even though there is a full brother to her steer that is better for next year waiting in the pasture. I may make her anyway, maybe. I don't want to sell this steer to anyone else if I don't have to. I had 4-H steers and cried afterwards. I still remember most of them. It's hard but, like tell my husband good or bad they all get turned into hamburg eventually.

 

[show steer up]

It is tough not to make a pet or get attached to your first animal. If you continue to raise and show terminal market animals, you will learn how not to get attached and still do a good job raising and showing it.

I'm glad that you had a positive experience and you should be proud of what you did.

As our local 4-H beef leader I deal with this every year, what I explain to members is, compare the life you gave to this animal compared to the ones who didn't make "the cut". drive by a feedlot in July/Aug. look at the dust and the flies, or laying in mud/poop, getting prodded around,roughed around by pen- mates etc. You fed him a lot better feed, he had clean fresh water, a nice shelter, fan and misters during heat, washed and kept clean, flies sprayed, brushed and scracthed daily and even hauled around occasionally, now granted his
end result remained the same, which is what he was intended for, YOU have made it ALOT better, so take some pictures, dont forget them, as this is always life learning experiences. So get that next one ASAP and start make his life better.
good luck. DFF

:clap: Well said :clap:

 

[milkmaid]

TN, quit digging that hole and go find something better to do than make a hard working FFA/4H kid feel bad. There's nothing you can say at this point that will fill that hole back up, so just stop posting and leave this thread alone.

poultryrancher -- check your inbox.

 

[fourstates]

Milkmaid, You are a good egg.

 

[Flacowboy]

I can honestly say that I have shed very few tears over steers but I get choked up nearly every time. My first was actually the easiest because I didn't really think about him being 12 hours from being on the rail. I agree that you are not right if you're not affected in some way though.

 

[grand chaser09]

really it does get easier and it really depends on how you and your calf connect. ive had some i cried about for almost 10 min and then i was like good i wont; have to drag him around anymore i don't have to wash out the feed pan before i feed him every day twice a day[he thought it was the bathroom].

but my freind once told me as i was bawling about my simmental steer i had raised since birth: "just remember ... eventho he is gone you get to make a new friend and partner next year." i think about that every year. and it does help.

last year was bad because i showed 2 steers and had to let them both go. but this yea will be even worse. i have literally spent sooo much time with this steer and my sisters steer i have raised since he was born[i carried him in out of the mud the day he was born] and im going to be a mess because this is my last youth fair and i can't show down here anymore. so if you need to cry just call. ;]