How to Make a Steer

***This is a warning.  This post is not meant for younger viewers or for viewers with a weak stomach.  As a matter of fact, I am so serious about this that I am going to do another post right above this one so that you really have to be looking for it to see it.***

There are some things that just have to be discussed.  Even if it makes people uncomfortable.  This is one of those things.  This has to be discussed.  I am learning so many things living the farm life and I need to impart all of this knowledge onto someone.  Let's begin with the list of things you need to make a steer.

-The Farmer.  (I'm sure that there are women that would say I'm taking a step away from women's lib here, but I'm staying out of this man business, if you know what I mean.)
-A newly born boy calf.  (When I say newly born, I mean it guys.  We're talking a day or two out of the womb.  Anything older than that gets to be complicated.  Let me just say that we've tried to do it to older calves but then it involves a knife rather than a band and that turns ugly real fast so just keep it to a one or two day old calf, please.
-A nine year old boy to be your asst.
-A tool that looks very similar to pliers and probably has it's own name that I'm not sure of because, remember, I'm a girl and I'm not from the country.
-A small band that looks like if it didn't have a bigger job to do it could maybe be a spacer for your braces.

Once you have all of the things on the above list you are ready to begin.  The Farmer and his asst. lure the mama of the newly born boy calf into another field and lock her in.  Once the mama is out of the way half the battle is done.  Except when you are dealing with White Face who will not let a little ol' thing like a barb wire fence keep her away from her calf.  But she's the exception, so let's go on like it is not her baby.  So, the nine year old asst. holds down the baby boy calf while the Farmer takes his plier looking things and the tiny rubber band and stretches it around...I'm thinking of what to call it.  Hold on a sec...  I can't go with the technical name because I am a little girl trapped in a big girl body, so I'm going with the 'set of hangy boy parts'.  After the band is placed around the 'set of hangy boy parts' the Farmer and his asst. are done and soon the baby boy calf will be a steer.  There's not much said between the Farmer and his asst. after their work is done.  Although, one time the nine year old did say it looked like it would kind of hurt.  There you go.  You've learned something new today.  But wait.  There are still a couple of questions that linger in my mind.  When said rubber band has finally accomplished it's intended task of separating the boy calf from his 'set of hangy boy parts', where do they go?  I often wonder if I am going to stumble across a set one day on the way out to the barn, but I never do.  So, what happens to them?  Also, wonder how this will actually make the meat taste better?  I'm sure there's a scientific explanation I just haven't looked it up and don't really want to because how do I type into google 'letting go of baby boy calf set of hangy boy parts, does it actually make the meat better?'