should I market him as a 4H project steer?

[Nesikep]

Well, The steer just turned a year old, I took a shear to him and his 4 yearling sisters to help them shed and I'm studying how it helps them to get rid of lice as well.. Here he as king of the mountain

If I said he should weigh around 1100 lbs, would anyone disagree? (my weigh tape puts him at 1060)

He was a bit scared of the rattley shear at first, but once he felt it he found that really took care of all the itches he had and he loved it, as did the 4 heifers. I didn't do their faces as I thought they'd look completely stupid, and they weren't very cooperative about it.

What do you think the guy will weigh by fall time?

 

[chippie]

He looks good. How heavy are the steers at your fair?

 

[spinandslide]

agree..he is a good lookin' fella!

 

[Nesikep]

I've never been to a fair... I'd like to, but it's a big step for me, and I don't have that much time. Once I sheared all the heifers, I noticed how fat they are, you can't see a rib on any of them. by breeding time they should be really close to 1000 lb each.

 

[chippie]

If you can go to your fair and watch the steer and heifer classes. It might be helpful should you want to market your stock as 4-H projects. Your animals are very nice and I bet that someone would like to show one.

 

[Nesikep]

Thanks, I'm liking what this GV bull is doing for the herd...

 

[Nesikep]

Well, that steer hasn't made it into a freezer yet... I got to see him last weekend, he was pretty impressive... his back is at my shoulder level, and he's going to have some big steaks in him for sure.. .He remembered me alright it seemed, came up for a neck rub.. I wanted to see if I could still ride him, but the ground there was hazardous if I'd fall off (thistles, burdock, and dead branches all over the place)
I figure he's around 1600 lbs or so

 

[chippie]

He is a really attractive steer. Beside being pretty and well built, he looks delicious!

He would have made an excellent youth market animal.

 

[Nesikep]

I have a hard time waiting for him to land in the freezer :> I want to get a steak of his back..

I think he'd have made a good ox too.. doesn't get worked up about anything, and I'm sure given the right incentives, would be able to pull pretty well

 

[RbarJ]

Here in Florida you can buy a steer from someone that breeds exclusively show stock for $1,000+, or most commercial breeders will sell you the cream of the crop for market price. Sale prices at the local fair last year were $7.40 per/lb for the grand champion, and $2.00 per/lb for the cheapest calf in the barn. Either way, above market price. I wouldn't sell him as a show calf until he gets a little older and you can tell for sure how he will turn out.

 

[Nesikep]

He's 2 1/2 years old and 1600ish lbs... how much older do you want him?

 

[glacierridge]

He is a really attractive steer. Beside being pretty and well built, he looks delicious!

He would have made an excellent youth market animal.

Right on.
Its nice when you can kinda see their potential right early on.
Nice Stock!!

 

[Nesikep]

well, I knew his mother ... his sister is raised a 670 lb steer for her first one, and has a heck of a heifer beside her now that will be a keeper... Not too tall, decent length, and thick throughout... I think I ought to start my usual thread on which heifers i'm keeping...

 

[glacierridge]

Would love to see them!!!
I'm a fan of the lady cattle because they have a longer life expectancy on the average versus the boys. ;-)

 

[Nesikep]

I went and saw Joules again this weekend, and he's grown in the last 4 weeks... There was a full grown holstein cow that was able to hide behind him... the two of them seemed to be good friends. Apparently he's going to get frozen in 2 weeks, and my friends is going to get a live weight, hung weight, and final weights, which will be really helpful for me

 

[Nesikep]

Well, it's the last night he gets to munch... He's getting hung tomorrow (for being good )

This is him along with that holstein cow I mentioned earlier

 

[Nesikep]

Just got a text from the guy.. his hanging weight is 931lbs

 

[Nesikep]

Final weight, in the freezer is 645 lbs... I think that's a good ratio (69%)... Butcher said it's some of the nicest meat he's seen in a long time... taste test is this weekend, I'll have to see how that goes, but it's unlikely there'll be any complaints

 

[glacierridge]

Isn't it nice to get feedback from the butcher like that?
We had a cow go in for burger that we got a really good report on.

Hope he's tasty!

 

[Nesikep]

I'm keeping a cousin/brother of his for ourselves this year, he looks really fancy too, just not quite as big... super muscled too