Junior Beef Projects

1. Junior Beef Projects By: Lauren Marcussen June 24, 2014 Lonestar College-Tomball

2. Raising a beef project teaches many life skills to the junior exhibitor • Responsibility • Record keeping • Communication • Development of social skills and lifelong friendships • Higher grades • No time to get into trouble

3. Twice a day feeding Making sure there is fresh clean water available at all times Vaccinations Addressing any health issues Stall Time Halter breaking Lead training Daily grooming Show ring set up Responsibility - Students with a beef project care for, feed, water and show their animal, which is totally reliant on them for their needs. Listed below is just some of the things that are the responsibility of the junior exhibitor

4. Feeding • Show calves should begin a grain diet somewhere between 140 and 200 days before the major livestock show date. • A good quality feed developed specifically for show cattle should be fed for optimal growth and weight gain. • Generally, a calf should be fed around 15 lbs. of grain a day, 7.5 in the morning and 7.5 in the evening. • They should have access to all of the high quality grass hay they want.

5. Clean Water • Clean fresh water should always be available. • Although cattle will drink water from a pond or a tank, he will eat more if given access to clean fresh water.

6. Vaccinations and health issues • The vaccination needs can vary depending on where in the United States you live, it is recommended to consult your FFA advisor, Ag extension agent or your veterinarian to ensure that your project is protected throughout the year. • Regularly apply treatment for worms • Check your project for scours, fungus and inspect the hoof condition • Administer any medication that is needed for illness

7. Time in the stall • The time the calf spends in the stall plays a big role in show preparation. • In order to develop a healthy coat with long hair, during daylight hours, a steer/heifer should be kept in a clean, dry stall out of direct sunlight with a fan blowing on them. • One could even add a misting system to really keep him cool. • The manure should be cleaned out at the very least twice a day, with the water kept fresh and clean. • In the evening after eating their grain; they should be turned out of the barn to exercise and forage on hay.

8. Halter Breaking • While in the stall and can’t go anywhere, you can begin putting the halter on. Let him get used to having the halter on for a few days. • After a few days of haltering, you can begin tying their heads up. • Start by putting an eyebolt in the wall about five feet up, loop the end of the halter through the eyebolt and pull his head up. • Secure the rope with a loop knot. • After they have been tied up for a while, you will want to tie them down, with the same process as above, only a foot or so off the floor.

9. Halter Breaking Cont’d • Leave enough slack in the rope for them to comfortably lie down. • Depending on your schedule, leave him tied anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours. • Never leave them unattended! • The entire purpose in tying up your calf is to teach them to give in to the pressure of the rope. • While you have them tied with the halter is also a good time for you to put your hands on them and rub the neck, back, and sides, to get them used to being touched. Take care not to pet your projects head, this could cause him to throw his at you wanting more. This could be detrimental in the show ring.

10. Lead Training • When teaching your calf to lead, start out in a contained area in case they get away from you. • It’s not natural for cattle to be “walked” on a leash, so most will try to fight you at first. • Pull on the halter with steady pressure, pulling toward you. • Give the calf some slack and see if they respond to the release of pressure and walks with you. • If he/she doesn’t, tug firmly on the lead while keeping the lead tight. This will move his/her head a little. Many times this makes them take that 1st step.

11. Lead Training Cont’d • Keep repeating this process until he/she learns to lead well. • This will take anywhere from 1-2 weeks. • Once, he has mastered the confined area, you may want to try taking leading him/her in the pasture or with another heifer or steer on halter. • By changing the environments, it will make it easier to handle them at the show.

12. Daily Grooming • Grooming your calf is an extremely important factor in how well your animal will compete at shows. • The hair and coat are both important aspects of success with show cattle. • It takes working for 6 months or more to ensure that the hair grows and stays healthy. • In order for this to happen, everyday the dirt, sand, and any debris needs to be blown out from his hair using a livestock blower, similar to the ones that we use for ourselves, only on steroids.

13. Daily Grooming Cont’d • After the calf is blown out, on alternating days it needs to be either rinsed or rinsed and washed. • After rinsing or washing, you will want to drench your calf with a diluted conditioner mixed with a half cup of household vinegar. • The addition of the vinegar is to reduce any build up on the skin and hair shaft. • Next you will need to comb the hair with a scotch comb. The calf’s hair needs to be combed forward and upwards and blow the hair in that same direction until the hair is dry, giving it that velvet look. http://youtu.be/SCyJ0mKCiUU

14. Show Ring Set Up • When the grooming is complete, is a good time to work on walking with a show halter and setting his/her feet in position with your show stick. • The more you work on setting them up, the more it will become second nature for them to set up automatically in a show ring. • This practice lets you build your confidence in yourself and your calf. • Practice makes PERFECT!

15. Record Keeping - The junior exhibitor will learn how to keep accurate records. • Record the projects weight gain - Proper weight gain is something that should be monitored closely in order to ensure that the show day goal weight is met. As the show day approaches, you may want to increase or cut back on grain intake to reach that weight. • Record and keep an accurate health record

16. Communication • Showing cattle builds the skills to communicate effectively with others including adults and officials. • Instills confidence in oneself.

17. Development of social skills and lifelong friendships • Students who have been involved in junior beef projects tend to show more maturity in thus are able to conduct themselves in social situations.

18. Higher Grades As with any other UIL event, a junior exhibitor must be academically eligible to participate. In most county, state and major shows “Exhibitors suspended under Texas Education Code 33.081 NO PASS, NO PLAY are ineligible to participate in Junior Livestock Shows. And any animal owned by an ineligible exhibitor is ineligible for competition.” This could be an expensive lesson to learn when you miss your opportunity to show and sell your project at auction. It could mean the difference in taking it to the butcher and putting it in the freezer or banking several thousand dollars. The issue of keeping up the grades isn’t so hard to understand when it hits you in the wallet!

19. EXHIBITOR ELIGIBILITY • Texas resident • Must be between the ages of 8 and 19 years old, from third grade to high school senior • Be registered members of a 4-H club or FFA chapter

20. And last but certainly not least… There is VERY little time to get into trouble!! If the exhibitor is serious and dedicated to succeeding with his/her project, he could spend two to three hours a day at the barn, per animal. In addition, there are entire weekends spent at “jackpot” shows. That, along with homework, food and sleep doesn’t leave a lot of time for trouble.

21. Which of the following is a responsibility for a junior beef exhibitor? A) Halter Breaking B) Vaccinations C) Both A & B D) None of the above

22. Which of following is a benefit of a beef project animal? • Skipping School • No time to get into trouble • Record Keeping • Both B & C **

23. Which of the following is the most common beef project animals? • Angus • Market Steer & Breeding Heifer • Longhorns • Cow & Bull