Iowa-angus
Well-known member
This year i will be showing a cow calf pair, but i do not know much about it. Can you give me some info on how to show them?
Jeanne - Simme Valley":1orlx0di said:Correct, some shows are set up different, depending on the judge's preference.
The biggest thing isn't HOW you position the animals in the ring - you will be TOLD how to do that.
The biggest thing is to get the cow & calf used to being SEPERATED at home. We let our pair be together outside at night. During the day, they are seperated in different pens. We let the calf nurse around noon in the beginning, then seperated again for the rest of the day. Take one out of the barn (for a walk - for a rinse, anything) without the other one. They will behave much better at the show.
We don't even tie them next to each other in the barn. We tie them in "size" order with the rest of the string, and we do tie them together at tie-outs.
Also, plan ahead for when you will nurse the calf prior to showing. Some people don't let the calf nurse AT ALL the morning of the show. Not us, we nurse them. If the cow is a decent milker, she should have a good udder in about 3-4 hours after nursing. So, if you expect the pair to be shown by 9 am, you need to get them nursed around 4-5 am. If they normally get to nurse in the morning, and you don't let them, they are "nasty" in the ring! all they want to do is nurse.