implant/suggestions

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Lomac

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Looking for suggestions on what Revalor implant, as there are several, I should use in this scenario. Revalor bc I have the gun.
Have a steer weighing 980lbs. He's really sound with 102 days to go for our terminal show. He's maxed out @ 24lbs feed (Show Rite Throttled Up) with 2 big scoops of cottonseed hulls and 16oz Power Fuel all split in a morning and evening feeding. Typically wouldn't implant at this stage but I think we're going to need a bump. Have 3 jackpot shows between now and our final show. Daughters last year in.. so trying to make it count. Our normal ADG with this much traveling is not going to happen. Looking to weigh in somewhere around 1350 June 2nd. Thanks for any suggestions
 
Adding stabilized rice bran will help add condition and put a nice bloom on him. Melatonin implants can be expensive, but give two benefits-increased hair growth and increased ADG. It will also mellow one out so long periods on the road cause less travel stress and weight loss. If the price of the melatonin implants worries you, some people just buy the human grade capsules and break them over the steer's feed. As for the growth implant, ralgo seems to get the job done. Just be aware of rules your target terminal show may have for residue and banned substances. Also, if you do implants, keep your daughter away from the steer during the process. They can get a bit head shy, and you don't want the steer to associate her with the pain caused to him. Its a small thing that can help a lot! We always make sure anything we have to do that causes pain to a show animal (implants, tattoos, nose rings, ect) is done by someone who won't be on the halter often.
 
Thank you. We've implanted before but have nvr liked doing it. We typically give our steers 30 pills or so a day (human 3mg) for about 6-7 days leading up to a show to take the edge off. Have nvr used it for ADG increaser. I'll look into the melatonin implants and that stabilized rice bran. I don't think we need a heavy implant. Just enough to bump him along for the days he drops off 1/2 his intake at a show and day or 2 after coming home (which typically happens to us). Need every day to count. His ADG is 3.8 right now. If we didn't show and could hold that it would put him at 1367 final show day. Our projected final weight from possession day was 1375....so we would be in the ball park. Contemplating maybe dropping 2 of the shows to keep him on track. Decisions Decisions
 
I think you are on the right track. I would work on tricks to lessen the impact of showing, so you don't loose out. Short rides in the trailer to get him used to it, keeping a radio on in the barn, feeding and watering in the same type of pans/buckets you use at shows, and getting him used to powerade or koolaid in the water now are all ideas to help. It sounds like his ADG is pretty good. How big do the terminal shows in your area like them for the champ drive? Up in the midwest, the weight seems to have crept up on 1450.....just a few years ago you could win with one at 1250, but today you wouldn't get past a weight break. If your wallet can handle it, putting them on melatonin for the last 90 to 120 days is a really good idea.
 
We've shown this one already a time or 2. We do the bucket/water/feed on the ground bout 6-7 days out from a show as well. He's 3/4 blind so that in itself adds stress but he's really found total confidence in my daughter. Believe he'd walk into h..l and back with her and have no issue. Shows here are 4 plus hours away.
Around here Grand C normally comes out of the heavy weight division. 1350-1400lb range. We've always tried to stay pretty consistent with the 1375-80lb. Have had some kids weigh in years past 1450 plus and were just way over finished. I agree with you on the 1250lb deal......there was a time but would be pretty hard goin to pull that off nowadays.
Your talking me out of that Revalor or Raglo haha. He's really sound....would hate for a implant to have adverse effect on that. You think the pills on the feed are just as effective as the melatonin implant itself?
 
I honestly don't know if the broken pills work as well as the implants. We have always just used the implants. If he is super sound, I have heard you can get away with some of the supplements like Optiflex. My concern is if you do compromise his soundness to up his gains, you may give up an advantage you may have over other steers that are just a tough heavier..if that makes sense. We never got into using the fancy stuff, the elbow grease, show chow and melatonin got the job done just as well, but for a ton less money!

Any chance you know who the judge is for the target show? Is he/she the type that wants them heavy and doesn't care how they move ("they only have to make it to the kill floor") or is he/she the type that will pick a little lighter one that moves great over a bad moving heavy ("this steer is the most perfectly finished one in the group, but his shoulder structure makes me worry about his heifer counterparts")????? We actually had a judge say that one about a county fair steer that was competitive at state, came from a highly respectable Char breeder, and was the only one in the show even close to finished! He we just to bold in the shoulder for that judge. Knowing which judge you have may make an impact on your gameplan....
 
Yeah we have no idea on that part (judge).. can be some weird circumstances round these parts if you know what I'm sayin. I guess it can be like that everywhere. Problem we tend to have (if you wanna call it that) is that we bring in the only "show steer" into our county fair because we are the only ones that go outside our target show to learn and compete. We will have shown 5-6 jackpots before hitting our final show. To do that you need/want something other than a feedlot steer. Judges in the past tend to stand on the commercial side of things when there's only one show steer (clubby) and the other 15 or so aren't. Regardless if their limping into the ring. It is what it is I reckon. If we're gonna feed one...he's gonna be shown more than the 5 mins in the ring at our 4-H show. I try and get the other kids to load their steers up on our trailer. Told 'em I'd pay the fuel and all cause we're going regardless but ...like talking to concrete. Most wanna wait till the month before to start breaking/washing ect. I'll try and get a pic up of ours and get your opinion
I looked up the Melatonin Implant site. I'll call on that tomm. As far as the stabilized rice bran. I see different colored bags of the Max-e-Glo, red/blue. has horses on the side of the bag....I've nvr fed it...is that the same stuff your referring too? Thanks
 
I feel your pain on having the only show type animals in the barn. We were from a small county and for a few years it was super competitive between about 5 families-one of them being the managers of the renown Triple C farm. By the time my youngest sister was coming through the ranks, there were only two families left that put any effort into it. It made for a ton of trophies on the wall from just one show, but the judge would always have a hard time where to line up the rest of the ring if he did put show types up top. I also understand about the judge thing.....same story, just different characters!

As for the rice bran, I'm familiar with the sunglo products. It should get the job done for you! Best of luck to you and your daughter!
 

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