Dairy beef cross for showing?

[bdcattle]

Hi all! I'm new here
Can you do a dairy/beef cross for showing? My jersey was bred to a simmental, and it would be born right around the perfect time for 4H. (I have contacted the head person in 4h but I haven't gotten a response)
My jersey calves look like beef calves, they're really bulky, but once grown up they aren't so bulky.
I'm concerned that because it would be a diary cross I wouldnt be able to fluff the hair up, even if I kept the fans on it all the time.

If not, then I have another question:
Do you really have to spend 1-3k for a steer to show? Or can you get just a cheaper beef bull calf and castrate it and then work it up until I showed it?

 

[Warren Allison]

Hi all! I'm new here
Can you do a dairy/beef cross for showing? My jersey was bred to a simmental, and it would be born right around the perfect time for 4H. (I have contacted the head person in 4h but I haven't gotten a response)
My jersey calves look like beef calves, they're really bulky, but once grown up they aren't so bulky.
I'm concerned that because it would be a diary cross I wouldnt be able to fluff the hair up, even if I kept the fans on it all the time.

If not, then I have another question:
Do you really have to spend 1-3k for a steer to show? Or can you get just a cheaper beef bull calf and castrate it and then work it up until I showed it?

No

 

[Buck Randall]

Hi all! I'm new here
Can you do a dairy/beef cross for showing? My jersey was bred to a simmental, and it would be born right around the perfect time for 4H. (I have contacted the head person in 4h but I haven't gotten a response)
My jersey calves look like beef calves, they're really bulky, but once grown up they aren't so bulky.
I'm concerned that because it would be a diary cross I wouldnt be able to fluff the hair up, even if I kept the fans on it all the time.

If not, then I have another question:
Do you really have to spend 1-3k for a steer to show? Or can you get just a cheaper beef bull calf and castrate it and then work it up until I showed it?

I suppose it depends where you live, but some fairs have classes for dairy beef and cross steers. Your local 4H advisor or someone familiar with the fairs you'll be showing at can give you a better answer.

As for your second question, it depends on what your goals are. If you're set on winning in a competitive show, you're probably going to need to shell out some money for a nice calf. If you just want the experience and a fun project, any steer will do.

 

[Son of Butch]

My jersey was bred to a simmental, and it would be born right around the perfect time for 4H. Do you really have to spend 1-3k for a steer to show? Or can you get just a cheaper beef bull calf and castrate it and then work it up until I showed it?

IMO 4H is for learning and spending crazy dollars for a 4H steer teaches the wrong lessons. Even the most humble steer given proper care and nutrition can and should be a source of pride.

 

[Logan52]

Unfortunately, in the real world, there are few kids showing in 4-H that are able to keep the kind of attitude you describe going, with an animal that consistently places in the bottom of the class. They end up neglecting the animal to some degree since it does not seem to matter how hard they they work with it.

My kids started showing market lambs and we knew little about it when we started. After several years of coming in at the bottom we began to acquire lambs with at least some chance of being competitive. It was then it became fun and the girls learned more and took more pains in the care of the animal.

I agree the high cost of competitive stock is a problem. However, showing animals with no chance to compete is unfair to the kids and discouraging to them.

 

[bdcattle]

Unfortunately, in the real world, there are few kids showing in 4-H that are able to keep the kind of attitude you describe going, with an animal that consistently places in the bottom of the class. They end up neglecting the animal to some degree since it does not seem to matter how hard they they work with it.

My kids started showing market lambs and we knew little about it when we started. After several years of coming in at the bottom we began to acquire lambs with at least some chance of being competitive. It was then it became fun and the girls learned more and took more pains in the care of the animal.

I agree the high cost of competitive stock is a problem. However, showing animals with no chance to compete is unfair to the kids and discouraging to them.

True. But one thing is that it wouldn't be showed a lot, I'm probably going to abandon the dairy beef cross & get a nice steer. For me, It's about just the experience and having fun..it's not about winning because it would only be from September to April. thanks though.

 

[farmerjan]

Can you afford to feed and show both? Get a feel for the possibilities of the dairy beef cross if there is some sort of class for them. It will also make EXCELLENT BEEF in your parents or someone's freezer and will not cost what the straight beef animal will cost at the sale after the showing...
Jersey beef is very good and nice lean meat... I have been eating jerseys and crosses for over 30 years. My preferred beef to eat.

 

[Till-Hill]

IMO 4H is for learning and spending crazy dollars for a 4H steer teaches the wrong lessons. Even the most humble steer given proper care and nutrition can and should be a source of pride.

Butch, I ain't saying your wrong. But you don't have to spend alot .Top calf in NE Iowa 8 counties this year was a $2,000 steer. Good families can pick out a good one and make it great.

On the other hand the price of some of these steers.
Calves worth $1,000 the day they leave side of their momma.
Now these 4-H kids want me break it to lead, feed it for 60 days till my sale. Another round of shots. Expect me to answer all their questions on feeding, washing, etc. Then they want me to come to 5 shows use my fuel, my time, my clippers. Wreck 5 sets clipper blades. Spend $50-100/show on supplies?

That's why them spendy ones are spendy. You buy into a program and the incentives is what makes the calf bring more.

I need 3k to break even selling show steers. That's why we don't anymore.

 

[bdcattle]

Can you afford to feed and show both? Get a feel for the possibilities of the dairy beef cross if there is some sort of class for them. It will also make EXCELLENT BEEF in your parents or someone's freezer and will not cost what the straight beef animal will cost at the sale after the showing...
Jersey beef is very good and nice lean meat... I have been eating jerseys and crosses for over 30 years. My preferred beef to eat.

Yes, I can easily afford it. We have tons of cows so we know how it is, some of my friends show steers so they've showed me some stuff. I'm also in the horse world so I'm use to paying hundreds of thousands of dollars, lol!
Jersey beef is good!! We have one in the freezer.
I also have lots of people who want to sponsor me already

 

[Farmerjon]

Hi all! I'm new here
Can you do a dairy/beef cross for showing?

If not, then I have another question:
Do you really have to spend 1-3k for a steer to show? Or can you get just a cheaper beef bull calf and castrate it and then work it up until I showed it?

Yes you can here in Indiana. BUT, you have to show in the beef class. That will put you at the bottom of the class quickly. My daughters showed some shorthorn/jersey cross heifers. Did good in the bucket calf class. Got butts kicked in beef class second year. Kicked butt in cow/calf class. I always told my daughters if they wanted a trophy I would go to the trophy store and buy them one. We showed what we raised from goats, pigs, rabbits, calves and horses.

Second question, no you don't have to spend the big money on purchase of 4H steers. Our grandkids use our freezer beef steers for their 4H calves (holsteins). I prefer the dairy barn, good competition but more down to earth folks. The show steer people have a large investment and are out for blood. They need to be as they are playing in a completely different game.

 

[tex452]

My kids never showed steers, we showed broilers, goats and pigs.
Most cattle men have good stock, if you can make a deal with one of them without spending thousands, that's what I would do.
You can still be competitive and maybe put some money in the bank at the end.
I ran it as a learning experience and a business to make money for their education.
I have grandkids wanting to show heifers and steers now, so I'll have to come up with something myself.

 

[BC]

Bccattle, it would help if you would let us know where you are located. Somebody close to you may have something that would work for you.

 

[bdcattle]

Bccattle, it would help if you would let us know where you are located. Somebody close to you may have something that would work for you.

We're in the NC/VA area, but I know it's different all around. The head 4H person still hasn't gotten back to me.

 

[Dave]

It depends on what you think is big money for a steer. My neighbors sold 2 semi loads of steers. 45 days weaned with 2 rounds of shots for $2.31 a pound weighing 550 pounds. That is $1,270 a head. These are just steers headed to the feedlot. Could a person be competitive with some of those steers? You bet.
Another neighbor's wife is involved with 4H and kids showing steers. I helped him work 250-300 freshly weaned calves. His wife called and said she needed 6 show steers. These are range cattle fresh out of the hills. We sorted out what we thought were the best 6 steers. That was late October. The following July those steers all finished at the top or close to the top of their class of market steers. They won 3 of the top 4 in the carcass class.

 

[farmerjan]

We sold some 5 wt steers for 1.87, over 925 each and some 635 wt ones for 1.85... about 1175....

We're in the NC/VA area, but I know it's different all around. The head 4H person still hasn't gotten back to me

 

[Hpacres440p]

We sold some 5 wt steers for 1.87, over 925 each and some 635 wt ones for 1.85... about 1175....

We're they black steers or dairy cross @farmerjan? Good prices!

 

[farmerjan]

They were black steers... all beef except 2 that graded in with them that were 1/4 dairy but definitely took after the sires... their mothers are very "beefy" for being 1/2 dairy. Prepotent bull helped to stamp them with the beef genes.
But there were a group of 1/2 dairy/angus and they were in the upper 150's.... someone did good raising them, looked good, and a buyer obvious had a place for good crosses.