4-H club learns practical herdsman skills

By Mitch Haw
UBC

For members of The United Beef Club, the evening of May 18th featured a very practical meeting at the McQuaker residence. Before the club could begin an anticipated hands-on activity, there were a few other tasks that need to be completed.
First off, members and leaders recited the 4-H pledge and shared answers to last meeting’s roll call: “What questions would you ask if you were buying a heifer from a breeder?” Common questions produced by members asked the breeder for info such as the heifer’s EPDs, age, breed, and health condition. Leaders Bud and Murray confirmed that these points are important to know when buying a heifer.
Next, members presented an uncommon breed of cattle to the rest of the club, as part of their homework. Everyone thoroughly researched a breed for this assignment, and shared some very interesting information with the rest of the group.
At this point in the meeting, a booklet entitled “Practical Herdsman Skills” was circulated. The Beef Club took turns reading the content of this booklet, which explained Dehorning & Castration, Tattooing and Ear Tagging, Growth Implants, and Hoof Trimming. These topics were very informal and addressed several topics that are specifically relevant to raising a 4-H steer. One such topic was Hoof Trimming. Bud McQuaker reminded members to pay attention to the length of their 4-H steer’s hooves. If the hooves become too long, stress can be placed on bones and joints in the legs. For this reason, it is important to trim steers’ hooves slightly and prevent them from becoming lame. Members were then asked to check the hoof length on their project animal before the next meeting. In addition, members were required to complete the roll call for the next meeting, “Name one skill that you know how to do that requires tools of some kind.”
With this said, the club was ready to begin the hands on portion of the meeting. Members were divided into three groups for this activity. Each group’s mission was to rank 10 heifers and select the 5 most suitable heifers for use in a breeding program. For this activity, it was assumed that the heifers would be bred to an Angus bull beginning June 1st for a period of 45 days, and then bred to a Charolais bull the following year. Based on this information, each group determined the suitability of each heifer for this breeding program. Several minutes later, all groups had determined relatively the same rankings. A large framed Charolais cross was ranked 1st because of its estimated calving ease with both bulls, and because of its excellent body condition. The groups decided to rank some heifers lower due to their smaller frames and younger age. All members appreciated the experience gained through the hands on activity.
The United Beef Club was also able to view Jared McQuaker’s project steer before leaving the barnyard. At this time, the meeting was adjourned and members enjoyed ice cream provided by the hosts. The next meeting will be held at the Short Residence of Rainy River on June 3rd.