BY SALLY BAIR
Staff Correspondent
LANCASTER Last year’s
Farm Show publicity included
several stories about 4-H steers
which were turned away froni the
show because they were over the
maximum weight limit of 1350
pounds.
While the stories got widespread
attention, York County Agent Tony
Dobrosky asserts that the fact that
some 4-H’ers couldn’t compete was
nothing new: over the years others
have been turned away for the
same reason. He adds that there
have been a few steers turned
away for being under the
minimum as well.
Nevertheless, it brings to the
forefront one of the problems with
preparing 4-H steers for showing in
January—that of keeping them
from reaching market weight too
early in the season.
The problem is aggravated for
some because most county round
ups are held-.in October and
November, so in' many cases it
means selecting a steer and
deciding specifically which show to
feed for. Furthermore, Dobrosky
says his local round-up sale
averages 10-13 cents per pound i
higher than Farm Show, a fact '
supported by Lancaster County
Agent Glenn Shirk.
Lancaster County 4-H’er Ernie
Frey has the distinction of having
had champion and reserve
champion steers for the past .two
years at Farm Show, but he ex
presses no worries about having an
overweight steer. He states, “I
think 4-H’ers may try to start with
a smaller steer. We feed basically
the same all year, trying to coast to
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Frey weathers weight
Round-up in November and then
push to put on marbling by Farm
Show.”
This eight-year veteran of 4-H
continues, “We’re keeping my
steer about where we want him
and 1 think we can keep him there
until Farm Show.”
Last year Ernie’s steer graded
out as choice, about which Ernie
says, “I was sure he would.” But
he admits that his grand champion
of the previous year was not quite
as good in grading because he
wasn’t as heavy.
The problem of how the carcass
grades is another issue of concern,
especially to buyers who don’t like
it when blue ribbon and champion
animals yield less than choice
carcasses.
Ernie says, "Some steers have a
big frame and the only way to get it
choice is to really feed it. If you
start out with a smaller frame', it
will make it okay by Farm Show. ’ ’
About his steer, Powerhouse,
Ernie says, “I think he has a good
chance this year. I like him but he
is a little stubborn. A Solcano High
School senior, and vice president of
his FFA chapter, Ernie now works
on leading his steer at least one
mile three times a week.'
Lancaster County 4-H leader
Jason Weaver, Quarryville, says
he definitely feels everyone is
conscious of weight this year
because of all the publicity last
year. “The 4-H’ers are watching
their feeding programs very
carefully,” he states.
Shirk agrees, “I think they are
aware of the weight limitation as
their approach market
weight well before Farm Show
time. They find they must change
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their feeding pattern and put their
steers on a holding pattern.” Of
course, he notes, “They have to be
congnizant that with a change of
feeding there is a change in the
quality of beef.” '
Shirk feels that these points go
into consideration when the 4-H’ers
make their initial selections. He
feels the youth must almost pick
the show they want to aim for.
“They can purchase a steer to
finish in prime shape for Farm
Show.”
Dobropky points out that York
County is taking only eight of the 16
steers they are allowed at Farm
Show. He attributes this to the fact
that prices are 10 cents-13 cents-a
pound higher at their local Round
up in October and says that many
4-H’ers feel they need their money
earlier to buy a new steer “in these
economic times.”
Some view the feeding thorugh
October, November, and
December as an unnecessary
expense, and a hindrance in
purchasing a new steer. Dobrosky
says’ some are apprehensive about
the weather and still others have
problems getting out of school.
About theii' steers he says, “I
don’t think we selected our steers
any different from in the past, and
hopefully we didn’t have steers
that wanted to go to Farm Show
that weighed 1350 in October.
“We selected the ones for Farm
Show in the 1050-1150 bracket so the
4-H’ers can keep feeding them
right ,up to the time of the show.”
He said they also take into account
the reduced weight of gam which
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Getting a Farm Show steer ready for the big day in the large
arena takes months of special feeding and grooming. Here
Ernie works on Powerhouses’s coat to “break” the hair for
the “hairup” look.
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 9,1982—E27
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