Tips on Showing Beef Calves

Showmanship

• Showmanship is your ability to present your beef calf in a way that brings out its best characteristics. Your ability to do that begins before you ever reach the show ring. In order to be a good showman, you need to halter break your calf and train it to follow you. Practice walking, stopping and setting your calf's feet. Your calf should also be used to the show stick. The calf should respond to the stick when it is used to place the calf's feet and to keep the calf's top straight. The animal needs to also be used to being handled by different people because a beef cattle judge will feel the animal in the ring.

Hair

• Prepare the calf's hair for the show by ringing and brushing daily. Train new hair to go forward by brushing clean, damp hair with a rice root or rubber curry brush. Add supplements and use high protein and fatty feeds to promote hair growth. Use a mild soap as needed, but do not wash the calf too often as it will remove the natural oils in the hair coat.

Clipping

• Clip your beef calf one week prior to the stock show. There are traditional ways to clip your calf according to its breed. For example, red and white breeds should always be clipped going up and black breeds are clipped using a downward motion. You should never clip the head of a Hereford breed or a Horned Shorthorn. Always use two hands when clipping and clip in the direction of the hair. Be sure the end result makes the animal look attractive and that its hair is smooth.

Feeding

• In order to reduce shrinking, feed your steer only half of the amount it normally eats before the show and limit its water intake. Feed you animal a good alfalfa hay and allow the animal to get adequate rest once you arrive at the showgrounds. Before travel, feed oat hay to reduce shrinkage caused by the stress of traveling.