By: Lacey Noterman, Livestock Extension Agent
You’ve decided you want to show a steer or heifer, and it is prime time to start the selection and purchase process for your new project. There are so many resources out there about sales. There are magazines nearly two inches thick promoting every show steer open house, you start looking at online sales, and then you start hearing about the sales that are taking place in your area. It is easy to become overwhelmed with so many options. Before you become overwhelmed go back and think about the basics and following these three main factors when it comes to selection.
- Know your endpoint and end goal. If you are showing a steer, it might be county or state fair you are targeting for. If it is a heifer, it might be a similar show scenario, or you might have different goals for her, different places to show like a breed junior national and breeding goals. Know why you are ultimately purchasing your animal and you will have a better direction on size, age, breed and other specifics to look for.
- Know your budget. Some people simply have more money than others. An established, realistic budget will help you decide where you can go and determine what type of animal you can buy.
- Know the breeder/seller. Who have you formed a good relationship with? Who will help with feeding/prep advice after the sale. Be sure you have a solid relationship built on trust with the person you would like to do business with. Be sure to ask them questions about your project. They are the best resource when learning how to feed out your project.
Once you have established the above criteria, you can start thinking about selection criteria for your animal. Regardless if you are looking to buy a steer or a heifer, the primary evaluation tool should be skeletal correctness or structure.
Structural soundness should be evaluated from the ground up. First look at the animal’s foot size. Does the animal have a little tiny foot on a small amount of bone? Or does it set down on a big, square foot and adequate bone? You want an animal that stands on a nice square foot, with a good set to its pastern and plenty of flexibility, which is why it is always important to watch them walk. Moving up the skeleton, you want to make sure that the animal has a good set to its shoulder angle and knee; there should be a 45-degree angle to its shoulder and the knee should have the proper curvature of a crescent shape. Make sure the steer or heifer can get out and move with plenty of flexibility to its hip and hind leg. Finally, make sure the animal has natural, smooth joints as big joints indicate potential structural concerns which can lessen the long-term future and value of the animal.
Once you have established a budget; an endpoint and you’ve created relationships with breeders. Now it is time to go select your next show heifer or steer project. With simple selection criteria, you can evaluate the groups of calves available for sale this fall and find your next champion.
