should I show cows?

Abbie Sapp

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I’ve been in 4H for 5 years now and I’m considering getting market cattle. I’m brand new to cows- so does anyone have any suggestions on what breed I should get and how if I should get one or two?
 

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Greetings and welcome to BYH Abbie, from NE TX! So glad you joined us. @Wehner Homestead has and sells show cows, so she might have some great stuff to share with you. Also, @GLENMAR I believe also shows cattle but I haven't seen her on much of late. There's a wealth of info, knowledge and experience shared in the multitude of threads. Browse around and see what interesting stuff you can find. By all means post away when the desire strikes you, especially if you have questions (provide as much detail/info as possible and pictures truly help)... With all the great folks here, generally someone will respond in no time at all. Please make yourself at home!

PLEASE put at least your general location in your profile. It could be very important if/when you ask for or offer help or advice. You know, climate issues and such. I recommend at least your state as most folks won't be able to figure out where if you put anything more specific (county, town, street, etc) by itself. Old folks like me will never remember & look there first. To add it, mouse hover over Account top right and a drop down will appear. Click on Personal Details and scan down. You'll see the spot for Location. Then go to the bottom and save changes. Thanks! Hope you enjoy the site!
 

greybeard

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I’ve been in 4H for 5 years now and I’m considering getting market cattle. I’m brand new to cows- so does anyone have any suggestions on what breed I should get and how if I should get one or two?
Need more information........Your age group.
Do you have room for 2 & if so, how much?
Can you afford to both purchase and maintain 2 versus just 1?
Do you have someone to help you..a mentor, or parents that are experienced with cattle?
Your big decision is whether to choose between Dairy and Beef, tho you can go the dual purpose route.

LS, in 4h, you can show just about any breed or type of "cow".
They don't "have" to be high dollar/high pedigree calves, and in fact, by a far sight, most are not.
 

OneFineAcre

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Grand Champion Steer at this years NC State Fair sold at the "Sale of Champions" for $30,000. He was owned and shown by a local family but he came from a farm in Texas called Hurst Cattle Company that breeds animals for show. Big money in champion cattle.
FB_IMG_1540010309884.jpg


The Grand Champion Prospect Steer was also bred by Hurst Cattle Company. I'm not sure what a "prospect" steer is.

FB_IMG_1540010609007.jpg
 
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Abbie Sapp

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Grand Champion Steer at this years NC State Fair sold at the "Sale of Champions" for $30,000. He was owned and shown by a local family but he came from a farm in Texas called Hurst Cattle Company that breeds animals for show. Big money in champion cattle.
View attachment 53486

The Grand Champion Prospect Steer was also bred by Hurst Cattle Company. I'm not sure what a "prospect" steer is.

View attachment 53487
thank you so much!
 

Wehner Homestead

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Still haven’t had a chance to weigh in fully...:hide

Prospect steer is one that will show finished next year.

The $30K ones are very few and far between.
 

greybeard

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Our 2017 :
"Bret Carter (second from left) of Coldspring FFA sold his Grand Champion Market Steer to Rebel Contractors for $12,250 during the San Jacinto County Fair on Sept. 30, 2017"

Champ replacement heifer brought around $5,500 and the champ market swine around $5,000.
Champion lamb aeround $1150.
Champion goat
About average for the sparsely populated counties in my area.

This is Trinity County, 2015 results which is about 65 miles North of me..all livestock auction results
http://www.grovetonnews.com/host/trinity_county_fair_2015_web.pdf
 
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Wehner Homestead

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I’ve been in 4H for 5 years now and I’m considering getting market cattle. I’m brand new to cows- so does anyone have any suggestions on what breed I should get and how if I should get one or two?

@Abbie Sapp hasn't been on since 10/22 but I’m going to go ahead and answer the questions for anyone that’s interested. (Please also refer to greybeard’s response as more information would allow me to include more detail too.)

Breeds: Some breeds are definitely more high strung than others. Think of the differences in dog breeds. That’s not to say that they won’t come around but it may take them longer and may not be the best choice for a beginner. That being said, everyone has an opinion too. Our go-to is cross or Simmental for beginners, sometimes a Shorthorn cross. Simmentals are pretty tall but are typically quite laid back. Chianina’s or Chi (pronounced key) are typically quite high strung.

Watching for personality is most important for each individual animal. Watch the ears! You want them to be relaxed and not flighty/jumpy.

As far as one or two, they do better in pairs or more like most animals. I’m not saying that a single hasn’t been kept successfully but it’s not ideal and won’t work in just any situation.
 
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