MARKET LIVESTOCK UPDATES – as of September 2, 2026

Meat Animal Sale Checks

Please make sure that your Meat Animal Sale checks are cashed in a timely manner.

MLP Reports

The Market Livestock Production report must be completed by all exhibitors who sold a market animal at the Fond du Lac County Market Livestock Auction/Meat Animal Sale.

The MLP Report can be found at www.fonddulaccountyfair.com →Exhibitors →Market Livestock Committee and Project → 2026 MLP Form.
The report must be mailed or emailed on or before the Friday following Labor Day (no exceptions). This year’s date is Friday, September 11, 2026.
Fond du Lac Market Livestock Project
P.O. Box 1466
Fond du Lac, WI 54936
Email: fdlmarketlivestock@gmail.com
Failure to complete these pages in an acceptable and complete manner will result in loss of sale privilege for the next year’s market livestock sale.
Members of the Fond du Lac County Market Livestock Committee will review forms.

MLC Applications

As stated in our mission statement, the Fond du Lac County Market Livestock Committee is dedicated to educating the community about agriculture and promoting quality meat production. We provide a safe environment where youth can engage with the public, develop professional and leadership skills, and gain valuable life experiences. Through these efforts, we strive to strengthen the connection between agriculture and our community.

If you are interested in helping make the Market Livestock Committee stronger, we encourage you to consider applying to serve on the committee. Deadline to apply is September 15, 2026.

www.fonddulaccountyfair.com → Exhibitors → Market Livestock Committee and Project → MLC Application

Beef Project Guide

Here are the notes from the Intro to Beef meeting on August 24, 2026. If you have questions, please reach out to Ben Zick whose number is at the end of the notes.

GOALS AND PLAN
- Develop goal for your project
- Decide on a budget.
  The baseline for show steers (club calves) this year will be $2,500-$3,500. This is based on the feeder calf pricing of commercial feeder calves. Premium show steers usually are around $4,500 and up.
- Timing of purchase.
  Most sales start in mid August continuing through November. The majority of sales will be in September. Look at sites like SCOnline or SteerBidder.com and Equity Livestock- Lomira Early October (Live sale)
- End date of project
  Choose the Sunday before the fair as your date to calculate your rate of gain. You will want your finished beef steer to weigh 1,400-1,500 lbs. This is a standard weight range to work in with wanting to choose a calf that will finish near that size.
  
  Weight Eligibility requirements for the sale are as follows:
  Beef steers: Final minimum weight of 1100 lbs.
  Dairy steers: Final minimum weight of 1400 lbs.
  Dairy x Dairy Crossbred steers: Final minimum weight of 1200 lbs.
  Dairy x Beef Crossbred steer: Final minimum weight of 1200 lbs.
CHOOSING A SHOW STEER
- Structure and Disposition
  You need a steer that is built correctly so it can handle the weight gain and be able to perform all the way to the end. Watch how the calf walks. Look at the hocks and front legs making sure they operate correctly. Attitude is important; try to find a calm calf. Walking into its pen or sale pasture is helpful. Nervous calves typically struggle with weight gain and make the working with the animal less enjoyable.
- Genetics
  If you want hair you need to choose an animal that will grow hair. Certain beef breeds will grow longer hair. Maine, Chi, and Simmental influenced cattle will have hair growth in their genetics. Crossbred club calves typically grow the best hair. Speaking with the seller/breeder will give you insight into the predictability of the calf growing hair.
- History
  Find out if the calf comes from a successful breeding history. We look for siblings to past champions or from dams that have produced champions in the past. Most of the bulls being used have produced champions. Still ask about why that sire was chosen. Search bulls on the internet you can see pictures and descriptions of the bulls.
- Dairy Beef , Dairy Cross, and Dairy x Dairy
  Look for stocky, stout calves. Short fat nose (old farmer advice). Structure is important. If possible, talk with the breeder/seller. If buying through an auction barn ask if you can view animals before the sale. The timing may be different for when you want to purchase the calf. Still make sure you do the math allowing yourself enough days for your calf to reach his target weight. Final weights are typically 1500 lbs to as much as 1800 – 1900 lbs.
- Tips
  Watch sales even if not in your area. Pick out some of your favorites or one you will want to buy and see where the money ends up. Travel to different sellers, asking questions and letting them know what you are looking for. Talk about your goals and experience level. Ask what is all included in the purchase. Examples: help at other shows, feeding advice, clipping before the fair. Most sellers are wanting you to succeed and will help if possible. HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO SEE THE ANIMAL IN PERSON BEFORE A PURCHASE.
FIRST 2-3 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE (till about January- February)
- Feed a quality feed
  We typically use a finishing feed after the steer is home. Depending on the condition of the calf is how we decide how aggressive we are with feeding. We target the steer to be finished or near finished by June 1. This gives you time to adjust at the end. Free choice hay is provided. Access to clean fresh water.
  Gut supplement – there are some good gut health supplements that can be used the whole time. This will help the animal process feed effectively. Joint Supplement – show calves benefit from joint supplements. There are lots to choose from. Work with the breeder/seller or your show feed nutritionist on what supplement will work best.
- Keep track of the steers weight
  Weighing the steer weekly helps you understand how your calf is growing and allows you to adjust feeding amounts. You want your calf to have an appetite. There are multiple feeding strategies, we will feed grain once a day in the evening. This allows the calf to eat during the cooler time of day. Most calves should have their daily grain finished by the morning. Weigh the grain before you feed and then if there is still grain left after 24 hours weigh what is left. Determine if the amount is too much or if something else is causing the calf to not finish their grain. Some calves will eat too much of the free choice hay and that will need to be adjusted.
- Weekly handling
  Try to work with the calf weekly. This will include washing the calf, brushing (working) the hair and drying the calf out. The calf should be able to stand tied with his head up for 1-2 hours at this point. You can start working on walking your calf. You want to treat your calf like he is going into a show ring as much as possible. Yes, if conditions do not allow or if time doesn’t allow at this point skipping a week will not be detrimental to your calf. If you cannot wash your calf, just brushing and blowing the dust out of the calf will help keep him clean.
MIDDLE 2-3 MONTHS. (February- April)
- Feeding
  Keep monitoring weight gain and the look of the calf. Work with the seller (if possible) on evaluating the condition and progress of the calf. Adjust as needed. Consistent weight gain is optimal however calves will sometimes stall in weight gain then put on quite a bit of weight in a short time. The look of the calf is as important as the weight gain. We feed for a look while monitoring the weight.
- Weekly Handling
  Continue weekly handling. At this point the steer should be comfortable standing tied and being worked for 3-4 hours. Washing and rinsing will keep the hide and hair clean. Brushing during these months help remove dying hairs. The more time you put in during this stage leads into an easier time at the end.
- Practice showmanship
  Having your steer able to walk in the show pattern and be able to setup easily at this point is important. It gives you time to fine tune your showmanship and build confidence with your steer. At this point the steer will see you as their buddy, typically enjoying the time working with you.
FINAL 3 MONTHS. (April-Fair)
- Feeding
  Keep monitoring weight gain and the look of the steer. Feeding strategies still can be a nightly feed with access to free choice hay and water.
- Supplements
  Joint supplements- utilize a good joint supplement that will keep the animal loose in their frame Melatonin or Hair growth supplement- feeding a melatonin supplement will help with hair growth and will help keep your steer relaxed.
- Daily handling and hair conditioning
  You will want to put the steer in a dark pen (no direct sunlight) with fans to keep the steer cool. The steer does not need feed in the day pen. Water can be provided but is not necessary in most cases. At this point you will decide if you want to shave your steers body hair off or use a shedding comb to remove the winter coat. You want to do this about 90-100 days from the start of the fair. Rinsing, brushing and drying the steer daily at this point will help the steer grow a great hide of hair. You will need to wash with soap only weekly with a mild soap. We use soaps developed for cattle. Other soaps if not diluted properly will be harsh on the skin causing dandruff. We will use a daily skin and hair conditioner. A daily conditioner is recommended after each rinse. Conditioners that can be left in without causing damage to the hair or hide over 24 hours is recommended. Your steer should be standing tied with his head up for 4-5 hours at this point.
- Showmanship
  Continue working on showmanship. You will want to start to introduce the show halter and show stick. You will want to be able to do everything without a show stick. Your steer should be trained to walk into his stance. The show stick will be used to calm the steer by rubbing in the brisket area.
- Final clipping and fair preparation
  A week before the fair the steer will need to be clipped. Utilize the seller if possible or have an experienced person help you with clipping. You will want to dye the hair of your calf about 3-4 days before the fair. This will give body to the hair and even the look of the hair.
Dairy beef, Dairy Cross and Dairy x Dairy
Most of the above is about beef steers, however the sooner you start to handle your calf the better. Regularly tying your steer will help a lot. Practice your showmanship starting at a young age which will help you and your steer in the show ring. Feed is different for the dairy classes of steers. Typically dairy based steers need high corn diets that give the steer the needed nutrients to quickly develop their large frames and add muscle and fat. Work with a dairy beef feed person.

GO TO FAIR and ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS!!

This should give you a good idea of what is needed. You should still work with the seller and others involved with raising show steers. Then evaluate the information you received determining if you can incorporate it into your program.

The project takes time. Fixing or correcting issues can take 30-60 days.

Hoof trimming is usually done every 45 days starting in February. We use a hoof trimmer who has been trimming show steers for years. He comes to local farms and we haul in for the trimming (budget $50 per steer). Dairy beef steers may only need one hoof trimming around May-June. This can be done by hoof trimmers that service the local dairies.

Dehorning ( ALL BREEDS): The sooner you have the calf dehorned the better. This allows the calf to recover and get back to growing.

Questions. Text Ben Zick 920-948-1221. I am happy to help.