SHOW CATTLE
If you are interested in showing cattle with Arlington Heights FFA you have two options.
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Registered cattle (heifer): Heifers must have a set of registration papers. Know that there are certain breeds even registered we cannot show.
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Steer: Steers do not have to be registered, however, they must meet the breed characteristics of that breed. For example, if you want to show an Angus steer he must not have any white on his body or head and have the body conformation of an Angus.
Show heifers and steers start at $1500 and go up from there. Then your feed and miscellaneous cost each month is approximately $150-$200 a month. Some supplies you will need are a show stick, rice comb brush, feed pans and water buckets, show halter and other miscellaneous supplies. Pen rent at the Ag farm is $45 a year. Heifers can be two year project with steers being a one year project.
We attend the following shows; Heart of Texas Fair, Tarrant County Junior Livestock Show, Fort Worth Stock Show and we are looking at traveling to other majors in the spring. We also will attend a few jackpot shows (one day shows) each year.
In my opinion, if you want to show a beef cattle project and you do not have a place to go with the heifer after her show career is over you are better off with a steer project because it is a terminal project. A return on your heifer project does not happen till she is a 3 year old, which is past show eligibility for that animal.
We also try to run in the Calf Scrambles at larger rodeos. If the student catches a calf they are given a certificate that goes towards the purchase of a calf. The amount of the certificate varies based on the different rodeos. The Scramble programs also have competitions for the student to earn scholarships. Our AHHS FFA students have earned a total of $10,000 in the past two years through these programs.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at william.mitchell@fwisd.org