Un "BEEF"lievably Excellent Animals

DUNKIRK, NY (July 23, 2019) - - The Warren K. Brown Show arena was busy again Tuesday as Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s 4-H Beef Project participants gave it their all at the 4-H Market Steer and Beef Breeding Show,

The Chautauqua County 4-H Beef project participants all showed their beef animals at the Chautauqua County Fair on July 16, 2019. The 4-H Beef Project is part of Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Youth Development program and is open to all Chautauqua County youth. There are two tracks to the project: raising a steer for the market and/or raising a heifer (female) for two years until she has a calf. The project begins in November when the participants bring the steers they have raised or bought to “weigh-in” and get a beginning weight on their animals. Over the following nine months, participants feed and care for their steers or heifers. The animals are grain fed and the participants learn to keep track of their expenses each month as well as the animal’s weight gain. The project culminates at County Fair where the kids are judged for their ability to show their animal and the animals are judged for their confirmation. The steers are sold to the public at the Meat Animal Sale held annually on the last Friday of Fair, starting at noon. Responsibility, bookkeeping, and ethics are just some of the qualities that 4-H and the beef project teach through livestock.

The Grand Champion Steer for 2019 was raised by Lydia Covert of Little Brokenstraws 4-H club. Parker Schauman of Little Brokenstraws club won Reserve Grand Champion Steer. Michael Kibbe’s steer took the Highly Commended 3rd Place award and Corinne Covert of Little Brokenstraws club won the fourth place Commended award. Wyatt Harrington of Wild Oats Club had the Grand Champion registered heifer. Kelsie Jackson’s heifer was Reserve Champion Registered Heifer. Hannah Schauman of the Little Brokenstraws club won Grand Champion Non-Registered Heifer wither yearling heifer and she also won Reserve Champion heifer with her two-year-old heifer. Brittney McElwain won Champion Cow and Calf Pair and Hope Catanese won Champion Aged Cow. Hannah Schauman also won Supreme Female with her yearling heifer and Brittney McElwain took Reserve Champion Heifer.

Grand Champion Steer Showman was Corinne Covert and Holly Crandall won Reserve Champion Steer Showman. Kelsie Jackson won Grand Champion Beef Heifer Showman and Corinne Covert won Reserve Champion Heifer showman.

The 4-H Youth Development Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated July 22, 2019