- Decide What Your Goals Are
The first thing you need to do before you go out looking for a steer or heifer that is right for you is decide what goal you are chasing. Obviously, everyone will say they want to win. Well what do you want to win? Is your goal to win the National Western Stock Show or your local county fair? Even beyond that, is your goal to win a fat steer show or to win as many jackpots as you possibly can? This will be the starting point for your project. This will also allow you to narrow your search down to separate breeds or types of cattle.
- Identify your Budget
This one is important. You need to establish what you are comfortable spending on a calf. This will help you narrow down your search even more. There is no point driving 500 miles to look at a specific steer that you know is really good if your budget is only $2500. With that being said there are quite a few creative ways to get around a budget. Talk with your parents or other people you trust. Breeders are always looking to buy new exciting prospects and often times having a partner is a great way to minimize risk while maximizing potential. Find adults that you trust and don’t be afraid to ask them to be your partner on an exciting show heifer.
- Do your Homework
Before you go out on the trail looking for your perfect calf be sure to do your homework. We used to spend a lot of time looking through ads and, on the internet, to identify prospects you’re are interested in and that in your price range. With that being said just because a calf isn’t on a website or a print ad somewhere, it doesn’t mean they don’t have potential. If you find someone whose cattle you admire, call them and visit about their prospects. Believe me they will love to talk to you about their cattle. Breeders are often times looking for someone who is really committed to buy one of their project calves. These are calves that were sometimes on a bad recip or their mother didn’t milk quite as good, but breeders know their potential and it is your job to find these calves.
- Don’t Limit Yourself by Location
This one has got easier and easier over time. Many people will tell you never buy a calf that you can’t go look at in person. Well, I would tell you I’ve made some of the best purchases as a breeder with only the word of someone I trusted and a grainy cell phone picture. We live in an isolated area when it comes to show cattle. If your going to spend a lot of money on a calf, buy a plane ticket and go out there and see them. When I was looking for show cattle to buy every year I would find one I just had to go look at. Then I would talk my dad and brother into coming with me. Even when we didn’t end up buying the calf I never regretted taking one of those trips. Those are the memories that will stay withyou even if you don’t keep going in the cattle industry.
- Pay attention to Pedigree
This is something I feel that some people overlook. Pay attention to the stock that your calf comes from. This doesn’t mean you need to buy a calf only out of a specific bull, but what it does mean is ask questions about how calves out of a specific sire or combination turn out. Breeders that have been around a while can tell you that steers out of certain bulls will usually fit certain goals. Some bulls sire calves that feed into great fat steers, while others sire calves that are killer prospect steers. Who those bulls are, well that’s up to you to find out.
- Look at Mom if Possible
Now this might not be possible in all situations, however, if it is possible I always like to get a good look at the calf’s mother. It has been proven that most of the time good cows have good calves. With that being said, I’ve seen plenty of really good cows that never had a good calf. But I think the old saying rigs true here, “You can’t breed buzzards and get peacocks.”
- Observe Conditions
I like to observe the environment that the calf has been conditioned in for the last little while. If the cattle have been rinsed every day and fed all the feed they can eat they are going to look better than if they are still on their mother just in the pasture. This is an opportunity for you to find a diamond in the rough.
- Communicate with the breeder/seller
Chances are breeders/sellers will know their cattle better than you do. They have spent a lot of time with them in the last little bit and they know which ones are improving with time and which ones might be past their peak. Think of specific questions you can ask them and more than likely they will have an answer for you.
- Don’t be afraid to walk away
I used to get upset when cattle I wanted brought too much at auction or they were priced too high for me to afford in the pasture. My dad would always share with me wise words that his father used to tell him. He would say, “Son, there will be cattle to buy when you have no money to buy them with.” I used to roll my eyes and think to myself that there would never be another one quite like that one, but as I got older I realized that he was exactly right. There will always be good cattle to buy so don’t be afraid to let one walk.
- Enjoy the Process
The most important thing to remember is to slow down and enjoy the process. More than likely this is the only time in your life that you will be actively looking for show cattle to buy every year. Be sure to savor the moment of adrenaline you get from bidding on that dream steer online, only to refresh the page 2 minutes later and feel your stomach drop when you see you have been outbid. Also, take time to thank your family for allowing you to have this experience. They sacrifice a lot so that you can do something you love.