SHOW CATTLE ETHICS

[chippie]

I have to ask - what is airing cattle?

Airing is injecting air under the skin to fill out shallow or sunken areas. Some people will inject oil.

Several years ago at the HLSR, one of the winners was disqualified and banned because a CAT scan showed that the animal had bee injected to improve it's overall appearance.

Some show rules say "that evidence of sharp practices are grounds for disqualification".

 

[TxSimbrahShower]

This is just my opinion.

I think that all steer shows should be slick sheared, because you don't eat the hair.

I have seen too many shows full of black fluffy steers and it's like the judge forgets the ones that he felt that were finished, I don't know if it's because they all look alike or what. The best steers end up down in the class and the ok ones end up at the top.

Do you really think that would help. 99% of the stuff you can do to a calf is not visible so how is slicking them going to help??? Also, how do the best steer end up at the bottom and the bad ones up top? Makes no sense.

Yes, because those nice perfectly straight backed, squared animals, look that way because of the hair. The judge could actually see the animal. Houston, San Antonio and State Fair are all slick shows. They have plenty of steers at them.

The best steer ends up at the bottom, because the judge forgets which one is finished, they all look alike, black.

The people here in Texas put these cattle in coolers to grow hair, last I heard alot of folks up north with these high dollar cattle have heated barns. The biggest shows here in Texas are slick sheared.

As far as showing steers, yeah, I showed some, however, I didn't spend big money for any of them. I was never that interested in steers. Most of them came from right here out of the pasture. I can still remember the people at the state fair that my home grown steer, who all the money we had in him was feed, asking how much we had paid for him because he was higher in the class then their $5000.00 steer. Funny thing, they both went on the truck and brought the same amount per lb. I made money, they lost money. The 2 that I showed this year, just for fun because I was a senior, the one that went to Houston went on the truck, made money, the one that I showed at our county fair, is currently cut, wrapped and ice cold in the freezer. Both born right here on the place. They were true market steers, both could go straight from the show ring to the freezer, no having to feed them another 30 to 60 days to put fat on them to make them where they were fit to eat.

Now heifer's that's a different story, I can make money back from them.

 

[Anonymous]

99% of the stuff you can do to a calf is not visible .

Isn't everything you do visible, ie meant to make the calf look better whether it be hair, air or whatever?!

 

[Cowboy 2.0]

99% of the stuff you can do to a calf is not visible .

Isn't everything you do visible, ie meant to make the calf look better whether it be hair, air or whatever?!

I meant not visibile as in under the skin. That means you can do it hair or not.

 

[FarmGirl10]

Just a question, who would all these people be that would be excluded?

One thing to consider is the amount of steers in northern U.S. state (Ohio, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, etc...). With number of prospect shows throughout the year, those steers probably can't handle the cold being slick all the time.

Ryan

In regards to Ohio, most of the show calves in my area do not come from Ohio. Instead they buy $25,000 steers out of Texas. :shock: Even though they raise their own cattle. It amazes me how the parents of this one guy take out loans to buy him a finished show steer.

 

[splinter ridge farm]

I must agree. As a parent myself, sure I would like for my children to end on top, but I am convinced that there will be a whole lot more shows lost , than won. If by chance and a stroke of luck they end on top, then they will have the understanding of hard work, commitment and perseverance. Hard work pays off always; lying and cheating does not. Good day! :tiphat:

 

[SWSFHerefords]

Kids also need to learn that the cattle industry is not skin deep. Literally. And they need to learn that black is not the only way!!!!

I agree completely aussie_cowgirl. At our fair almost every year the black steers will be grand and reserve. In the breeding cattle the black angus usually get supreme champion. They just see the black and thats what wins. I mean if the black calf is the best by all means it should win. But it shouldnt just win because its black. I will admit im a little biased with my herefords but they arent the only breed getting the short end of the stick when a black angus wins over a better calf. Whether that better calf is red, white, pink, blue, or any other color you can think of.


I agree that showing has gotten to be a little crazy. I dont see how it is so important to some people to win that they would do those things to an animal. Not only is it cheating some of it is just plain cruel! I feel bad if I leave my calf tied with their heads up so they dont lay down before a show lol. Our show down here is fairly small. We dont see the big prices and numbers like most fairs. Most of our stock at our fair is halter broke, slick sheared (pretty much) or shed off, and pulled out of the field. One thing I hate to see in the breeding stock is overfeeding. You take a heifer keep her fatter than she should be for show and maybe show her as a young cow. Well when she hits five or six her feet start breaking down from being overfed all her life. I just show mine in "working" condition. Some dont like it but its not really that important to me to win. I do it to have fun and help the FFA/4-H kids.

 

[VCC]

Well you can win with hard work and you do mot need hair, this past week we had our county fair, my son won the 4-H division with a steer that was not in a cooler. He was rinsed twice a day and kept in a shaded area behind fans during the day, we would do this wether the calf could grow hair or not, tends to make them pretty gentle by fair time. He beat out 2 very hairy, high dollar calves in the 4-H final drive, neither were very sound, cool looking but on the move they fell apart. He did not beat the FFA champion, this came from the same family that had the 2 hairy calves in the 4-H. The calf that won it all was something else, was destined for our state fair but they did not get the DNA turned in on time so they brought all the calves to the county fair.
does not make a lot of sense to bring 10 to 20 thousand dollar steers to a county fair that usually nets the champion $10 a pound but it is their money.

side not: son won senior beef showmanship, gentle calf that has been worked with helps

 

[show steer up]

VCC, what fair did he go to and congrats to your son....great job :clap: .

 

[VCC]

San Deigo County Fair, This year we had fewer steers, I think the count was about 90 head.