The Garden City Telegram
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Technique key in Cattle Working Contest
Published 5/30/2009 in Beef Empire Days-Industry
BY MONICA SPRINGER
Feedlot cowboys and cowgirls gathered beneath the grandstands at the Finney County Fairgrounds on Friday afternoon to hear some advice from the Beef Empire Days Cattle Working Contest judges.
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Lakin Feed Yard Inc. 2 team members Jeff Hoffman, left, David Castro and Francisco Rodriguez talk over strategy Friday while waiting for their turn to compete in the Beef Empire Days Cattle Working Contest at the Finney County Fairgrounds.
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Nicole Odell runs the chute for a team from L9 Cattle Co., Scott City, Friday during the Beef Empire Days Cattle Working Contest at the Finney County Fairgrounds.
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Justin Fry, left, and John Hicks tag and vaccinate a cow Friday while competing in the Beef Empire Days Cattle Working Contest at the Finney County Fairgrounds. The pair, along with Jean Hicks, made up a team from Irsik and Doll Feed Yard.
Don't stress out the calf, judges Mel Metzen and Todd Stone said. Get them caught and don't fight with them in the chute.
Metzen and Stone said they were looking for teams that properly handled the cattle and teams that paid attention to technique.
The Cattle Working Contest provided teams from eight feedlots a chance to get a look at the latest techniques in safe and humane treatment of cattle and to win prizes.
Each team consisted of three feedlot employees. The team loaded cattle in to a chute, removed the ear tag and replaced it with a new one, and gave vaccinations and a de-wormer.
One team member handled the chute, and the others stood at the sides of the chute to give the calves shots.
"It's really preventative maintenance," said Jean Hicks, who works at Irsik and Doll Feeders in Garden City. Jean Hicks and her husband, John Hicks, said taking part in the Cattle Working Contest was a learning experience.
They perform the tasks of giving cattle shots and placing identification on them often but not every day, they said.
After each team performed, contestants watched the teams of other feedlot employees.
Nicole Odell, Monda Crossman and Tyler Roberts said they perform the Cattle Working Contest tasks every day at work.
However, Roberts said, a challenge was using the kind of chute at the contest, which differs from the kind of chute he uses at his job.
Other than that, Odell, Crossman and Roberts thought they did well in the Cattle Working Contest. They entered as a team for the first time and said they planned on entering the contest during next year's Beef Empire Days.
Another reason Roberts said they entered the contest was for the prizes. The team that places first received $100 and a silver belt buckle.
Ben Siegfried, Cattle Working Contest chairman and territory manager for Fort Dodge Animal Health, said the contest went smoothly.
He said the goal of the event was to educate teams on new products and refresh the feedlot cowboys and cowgirls on beef quality assurance.
The results of the Cattle Working Contest will be announced during the BED Awards Banquet and Awards Presentations at 5:30 p.m. today at the Clarion Inn.
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