You've thought it over and decided to show beef cattle for the first time. Now you need to know where to start, right?

You must make three decisions immediately:

1. Should you show steers or heifers?
2. Which breed should you choose?
3. Which show or shows will you attend?

How can you make these decisions if you're inexperienced in this area? Here are a few helpful hints:

Steers or heifers
The competition in showing steers is very tough. But there is great prestige in these shows, and you're finished with your 4-H project in one year.

Heifers also offer tough competition. Choosing heifers is a good way to start building your own herd.

Breeds
Cattle breeds vary. Some are not as tough as others in the show ring. A good way to select a breed is to watch a show with a variety of breeds to become familiar with what is available.

Shows
Once you've decided what animal to show, you need to determine where to show. The main reason to determine this early is to decide the age of cattle you should buy. Buy from someone with a good reputation in the business. He or she will be able to help you with future decisions and any problems you may face.

What about feeding?
Now that you've chosen your type, breed, and show(s), let's look at a few feeding suggestions.

Starting steers need a basic feed ration of:
Enough liquid molasses to keep dust down, mixed with:

• 1/2 rolled corn and 1/2 rolled or crimped oats, or a quality complete show feed
• Mineral and showbloom!
• One block Prairie Hay or Coastal Hay per day


Finishing steers need:
Liquid molasses to keep dust down, mixed with:

• 2/3 rolled corn, 1/6 rolled barley, and 1/6 rolled or crimped oats
• Mineral and showbloom!
• One block Prairie Hay or Coastal Hay per day


Heifers need:
Molasses with:


• 2/3 rolled oats and 1/3 rolled corn
• Mineral and showbloom!
• Free choice Prairie Hay or Coastal Hay

I never feed alfalfa hay to show steers or heifers. In determining the total amount of feed, figure 2 percent of your animal's total body weight. Also, design a monthly chart to record weight and hip height. This will help you determine whether to increase or decrease feed.

Don't forget:
Always keep fresh water available. Also, consult your local veterinarian to set up a worming program and other programs for health problems you may encounter.

Next, let's talk about daily care.

Feed your cattle about 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. This can vary somewhat.

Rinse your cattle daily. Treat their hair like human hair. Keep conditioners and oils in their hair. Simply rinsing tends to dry out the hair and scalp. When this occurs, hair won't grow and have the "bloom" you desire.

After washing, brush the hair (don't comb) and use a blow dryer. You need to train the hair the way you want it to grow. Brushing and blowing hair will make it grow.

Bedding is important. Cattle need a clean place to stay. I use wood chips or shavings rather than sand. Cattle stay cleaner with this method. You also need an area to turn out your cattle at night for fresh air and exercise.

Practice showing your calf about once a week, as it needs to be trained before the show.

Trim hooves every 45 to 60 days. If you trim hooves too often, you won't have room to correct foot problems. Find an experienced hoof trimmer for this job.

As show time approaches, take care of some last minute details.

Before you leave for the show, review this list of show equipment:

1. Trim chute
2. Fan
3. Fork
4. Shovel
5. Broom
6. Extra hatter
7. Extra neck rope
8. Water bucket
9. Feed pan
10. Hose
11. Clippers
12. Combs
13. Brushes
14. Soap
15. Scissors
16. Extension cords
17. Show hatter
18. Show stick
19. Tail adhesive
20. Show foam or Colgate shaving cream
21. Show oil or show mist
22. Tail ties or shoe laces

It's show time.

The day you've been working toward has finally arrived. For example, we will say the show starts at 10:00 a.m. Here are some pointers for what to do on the day of the show:

6:00 a.m.:
Feed and water the normal amount
Rinse or wash steer or heifer
Blow and brush hair in desired direction until completely dry
These tasks should be completed by 7:15 a.m. Then you can lead your calf back into the clean stall to rest until it's time to get ready for the show.

9:00 a.m.:
Get your calf up and moving
Blow completely clean of shavings
Blow foam or shaving cream dry
Use adhesive to place leg hair just where you want it
Do the tail up with adhesive (I use plastic wire ties or shoe strings.)
Blow light coat of oil into hair to loosen foam so hair will stick straight out

9:50 a.m.:
Make your way to the show ring (Most of the time they won't wait for you if you're late.)

This information should give you a basic idea of what to expect and what is involved with showing beef cattle for 4-H. It might sound like a lot of work, but it can be very rewarding and educational.

Contact your local county extension office for more information on getting involved in 4-H.