Dads and Junior Showmen

Choosing a project steer

A Dad's Guide to the First 4-H Steer ProjectYour kid wants a steer. Here is what the project costs in money and time, what you do, and what to leave to them.
From Prospect Calf to Market Steer: A Year-Long Timeline for DadsChoose, halter-break, grow, feed, clip, show and sell. A month-by-month plan so the work does not pile up the week before the fair.

Feeding a Market Steer for Finish Without Overdoing ItHay, grain, gain and fat cover. How a steer gets finished, how much is too much and how to keep his gut healthy along the way.
Market Steer Weights and Weigh-Ins: What the Fair Book Actually RequiresMinimum weights, weigh-in dates, tag rules and what happens if the steer misses. Read it now, not the week before the show.
Rate of Gain for a Market Steer: How to Track It and What Contests MeasureAverage daily gain is simple math with a few traps. How to weigh, record and read the number, and what rate-of-gain contests reward.
What to Do When Your Market Steer Doesn't Make WeightCheck the book, talk to the superintendent early, weigh your options and keep the project from turning into a lesson in panic feeding.

Market Beef Show Day Checklist: From Wash Rack to RingThe tools, the timing and the small things that go wrong. A dad-tested checklist for the morning of the show.
What Judges Wish Parents Knew About Coaching Beef Showmanship From the RailsSignals, shouting and last-minute fixes. How a parent can help a showman without hurting the class, the kid or the day.

Guides in this section are being added.