Steer-Aid Clinic Teaches Youth Beef Participants

RJ Kerchal, foreground, works side-by-side with his dad Rod Kerchal to trim the hooves on Holly Morgan’s steer. Morgan, of Hasty was the first in line on Saturday, June 20, drawing many onlookers. Rod Kerchal’s hoof trimming has become an annual part of WW Feed & Supply’s Steer-Aid program.

LA JUNTA –RJ Kerchal and Otto Lehmberg were the featured instructors on Saturday, June 20 for Steer-Aid, a free youth beef clinic here.

Southeast Colorado youth and their parents all got an education about feeding and nutrition, clipping and show day grooming for their 4-H and FFA projects.

“Don’t get caught up in the latest foo-foo dust” or trendy supplement, “but instead feed a basic, well balanced diet,” said Lehmberg, a Purina Animal Nutrition livestock specialist from Amarillo. “A good feed program, fresh water and grass hay will help you reach your goal.”

Lehmberg encouraged the use of scales. The first should weigh grain rations for twice-a-day feeding so that the 4-H’er will be consistent, exact and be able to increase rations gradually, as needed. The second was access to a big scale, “so you know your steer’s weight weekly. Don’t wait too late, and then try to push.”

RJ Kerchal chalks “no cut” zones onto Chad Russell’s steer. Kerchal wanted to leave the hair in these areas long. During the Steer-Aid Clinic he then demonstrated how to trim other sections to enhance the steer’s overall physical appearance and emphasize his strengths.

Kerchal, of New Generation Cattle at Calhan, clips and grooms cattle for the show ring on a national level. With the help of Dalton Chambers, the two men transformed Chad Russell’s steer into a show-ready animal during the Saturday morning program sponsored by WW Feed & Supply.

Kerchal talked about daily care and told the crowd that when he was growing up, he got a new rice-root brush every Christmas and was expected to wear it out. A good brush, a blower and lots of elbow grease will help train the steer’s hair, he said.

Before starting, he evaluated the steer and chalked “no cut” zones onto the black hide. As he worked, Kerchal explained how to hold the clippers and which blade to use. He expertly wielded his clippers to take a little hair off here and there to accentuate the steer’s strengths and provide an optical illusion to downplay faults. Despite the heat, about 30 people huddled around the steer, located under giant tarps in WW Feed & Supply’s parking lot, as Kerchal explained each step. He answered questions throughout his hour-long clipping demonstration.

Dalton Chambers (with clippers) answer’s a question from Kevin Humrich of Holly during the June 20 Steer-Aid Clinic. In the background, RJ Kerchal pauses to share a tip with 4-H beef exhibitors and their parents before proceeding with his demonstration.

Kerchal and Chambers then shifted to show-day grooming. Using an assortment of Sullivan Supply products, they created a “good” and a “bad” example of a fitted hind leg, and his wife, Andrea, showed how to make the tail fill the twist. He spent nearly another hour offering tips, answering more questions and showing how to emphasize the animal’s better qualities for when the steer is paraded in front of a judge.

For six hours, under another set of tarps, Kerchal’s father was trimming the hooves on beef projects. Rod Kerchal of Peyton brought his hoof trimming table and had a constant line of trailers with 4-H steers from throughout southeast Colorado needing his expertise.

The free Steer-Aid Clinic is annually sponsored by WW Feed & Supply.