Genetics, diet play a part in showing top cattle

Mar. 9—Porter 4-H Club member Kenli Cole stroked to keep her heifer calm in the ring while cattle Judge Jake Scott commented on the positives and negatives.

"A lot more shape in the second-place heifer than in the third-place heifer," Scott said. "When you get behind her, coming out on the top of her ribs, she's got a lot more meat and muscle down that rib and loin, a lot more curvature in the top part of her rib. She's deep and full in the lower part of her body, stouter hipped and got more bulk from the side, width from the rear."

Kenli, who placed second in her class at the Muskogee Regional Junior Livestock Show, said she did all she could to keep the heifer fed and watered. But some things are beyond her control, she said.

"It's kind of how they're made," she said.

Rancher Jim Dismukes, who raises Angus and Charolais cattle near Checotah, said the cattle themselves play a big role in what the judges look for.

"It's just genetically the make-up of how they are" Dismukes said. "Some are deeper, some are thicker, some are longer, some are prettier. It's just genetically no different than people. All we're trying to do is accentuate the qualities the animal already has."

Dismukes helped accentuate qualities of the heifer shown by his daughter, Carly Dismukes of Checotah 4. He clipped extra hair from the cow's legs. He combed back hairs until they stuck up like a Mohawk haircut. He said the exhibitors must maintain their cattle to look good.

"The kids are trying to hide the flaws and accentuate the qualities, feeding them, daily hair care that sort of thing." he said.

Jade McPeak of Checotah FFA said she works hard to raise a quality heifer.

"You pretty much have all the control depending on how much you feed them," Jade said. "They're going to get thick occasionally. Most of the time it depends on how you're feeding them and what you're feeding them and how you're maintaining them."

Jade said she leaves her heifer on full feed — free choice of feed and hay all the time — for about five months.

"Then I pull them off and put them on a diet so the calf doesn't get too big," she said.

Cade Fowler of Warner 4-H said good hair care, good feed and good showmanship helped his heifer win the Commercial Heifer competition.

Scott praised the heifer's structure.

"That silhouette she's able to put from that side view is pretty good, a heifer good in her structure at this stage of the game," the judge said. "Other heifers are stouter boned and bigger legged than she is, she still balances and blends together with a good head kind eye."