by Rachel Cutrer
Showing livestock has several purposes. For seedstock businesses like ours, the original purpose of livestock shows was to bring your cattle from the ranch to an organized competition, where you could compare your herd to others, and get a benchmark for improving the breed and your own herd. It was a way to stay aware of industry trends and form a plan for improvement.
Later, showing cattle became a great form of word-of-mouth advertising. Again, think back to the 1800s where there was no Internet, no facebook, no email. Breeders would bring their “best” from the farms and ranches to the shows, so that other breeders and potential customers could see the quality of cattle they raised, and hopefully remember that farm/ranch when they needed breeding stock.
And finally, when youth shows were created, showing livestock became an outlet for character building and work ethic, while also teaching competition. It also gave families (both rural and urban) and opportunity to experience a family project together that teaches responsibility and builds a connection with animals.
So when you combine these three items: breed improvement, advertising, and youth/family connections, it’s easy to see why showing cattle is so popular.
However, showing cattle is expensive. There’s no bones about it. Just like any extra-curricular activity like hunting, rodeo, cutting, etc., showing cattle requires a commitment to investing in a project and also requires continual ongoing investment. Here is a breakdown of what you can expect for what it costs to show cattle.
1. Your initial purchase of the animal.
One of your biggest up front expenses is going to be the initial investment in your animal. Depending on the breed you select, you are probably going to be looking at a minimum of $5000 for a calf that is of show quality. Obviously, there are cattle out there that sell a lot higher. Of all the calves on the Brahman show circuit right now, there are calves that have sold at every price point you can imagine – from market price to upwards of $80,000. Here at BRC, we sell cattle from $5000 to $15,000 in general through our private treaty pens. In our online sale, our last sale averaged $18,000 per head.
There is no magic number of what it costs to buy a winning show heifer. I know of a heifer that cost $4000 that won Houston. I know of a $7500 heifer that won San Antonio. I also know of a $80,000 heifer that won Houston. There are many factors that go into what makes a champion heifer, including genetics, feeding, showmanship, and even the judge’s personal preference. There is no way to guarantee you can buy a show heifer that will always win a show – there are just too many variables.
So the key in buying a show heifer is not just to look for the highest priced heifer – that’s not a guarantee – but to look for a heifer that YOU and your family like, that connects with you, and that you feel you can make a return on investment from if that is your end goal. Also, being honest, some junior families don’t care if they make a return on their investment or not. Their “value” in buying a calf is the quality time the family gets to spend together. And that is something you can’t put a price on.
2. Feed
Show feed is probably going to be your next biggest expense in feeding your cattle. Here at BRC, we factor $8 per head per day as our feed cost to keep an animal in the show barn. We feed twice a day and we feed a custom ration from East Bernard Milling. This figure only covers feed and hay, it does not consider things like supplements, or your time and labor to feed, etc. It is simply the feed costs.
3. Facilities
You are going to need a place to keep your calf. Some school FFA programs offer a ag farm for student use, which is amazing. If not, you’ll need a barn to keep your calf. I have seen champions come from the fanciest barns you could ever imagine, and I’ve also seen champions come from the most run down, oldest, junkiest barns you can imagine. Again, it’s not what your barn looks like – it’s what happens inside that barn. At minimum, you need a clean, dry pen with shelter for your animals. You also need to give the animal access to fresh clean water and feed, and a plan for manure management. It would be great if you have a place you can wash your calf. But again, if you don’t have a fancy barn, you can tie your calf to the fence and use a makeshift washrack. If you’re raising Brahman cattle, you won’t need to use a blower or clippers, so you might be able to get away with a barn with no electricity. But ideally, you’ll also want power at your barn. Whatever your situation, keep in mind that initially, your facility setup is going to be an investment to consider- whether you’re building from scratch or working with what you have.
4. Equipment
When we were getting started with BRC, this is an area that surprised us. We literally had nothing, so we had to start from scratch with brushes, halters, pooper scoopers, halters, everything. So, this too can be an initial investment if you are having to buy all of this from scratch. If you’re a junior, your ag chapter may have some of this that is shared amongst members, like show equipment and tack. If you need to buy things, we recommend South Texas Tack and Ca-Hil Show Supply. And of course Sullivan Supply. These are all great places to get your equipment from. Depending on how many things you need to buy, you are looking at probably $200 to $3000 investment here. The $3000 would be if you are needing to buy a full line of show equipment like a showbox, end panels, etc.
5. A Trailer
This is another one that you probably don’t quite think of until it’s time to get ready closer to the show. How are you going to transport your calf there? Again some ag chapters and local 4-H’s have trailers that everyone shares. If not, there are a variety of options ranging from a simple stock trailer to trailers with full live in quarters. But again, it’s not how fancy the trailer is, it’s what’s inside it. Google Derek Begay NFR trailer if you don’t believe me. 🙂
6. Going to the Shows
When it’s time to actually GO to the shows, here is another significant expense. For us, the biggest expenses are hotel rooms, gas, and eating out. This can all ad up fast! We have tracked that for most shows we go to, our cost is around $100 per head per day at the show. When we go to Houston though, for example, that usually costs us around $200 per head per day, because going to Houston means pricier-hotels, more expensive food, etc. Here’s a good blog by Ranch House Designs about how to save money at stock shows: https://ranchhousedesigns.com/11-ways-to-save-money-at-stock-shows/
As always, we are here to help. We experienced what it’s like to start a Brahman operation from scratch and be up and running in less than a month, so we know what it takes and how much it costs. If you have any questions about specific things, we’ll be glad to help you.
