Growing Hair

[klintdog]

We just slick sheared our heifers last week, and are now getting ready to go into the summer show season up here in ND. What's the best (realistic) method to get a decent hair growth on these heifers before July? In the past we've just concentrated on washing them daily with cold water, but we haven't had too much luck with that. They're Gelbvieh, so they can get pretty slick haired when they want to in the summer.

 

[jaydill]

Wash with cold water everyday.

Brush in the hair towards the head everyday. (the direction you want it to grow)

Shampoo only once a week.

Condition everyday.

Blow the hair in the direction you want it to grow.

Run fans on them during the day.. keep them as cool as you can, and in the shade.

Don't slick them down and then try to grow hair the next week to have a full coat ready by July. Lol. Just messin with you on that one. ;-)

Jay

 

[jaydill]

Pantene Pro-v helps too. I used to spray it on, let it sit, then blow the calf out and leave that conditioner on the skin. At night or the next day, I would rinse the conditioner out and then do it all over again.

 

[klintdog]

We normally use Johnson's Baby Shampoo to wash with. Should I ditch that and go with the recommendations above?

 

[jaydill]

I think one of the recommendations above or even some of the other advertised, moisturizing shampoos/conditioners would work. Mane & Tail works great too. Just keep that hair worked and you'll be alright. I would think any of those three would work a little better than the baby shampoo, though.

 

[klintdog]

I should probably add that we've been showing since I was 3, and I'm 25 now. We've always had problems getting hair on our cattle during the summer because of the weather up here, and the lack of AC in the barn, etc.

I'll give the different shampoo a try. The Johnsons actually works really well at getting some of the oil out of their hair and getting it to fluff up, but at this point I'm all about experimentation to try some new things.

 

[jaydill]

I should probably add that we've been showing since I was 3, and I'm 25 now. We've always had problems getting hair on our cattle during the summer because of the weather up here, and the lack of AC in the barn, etc.

I'll give the different shampoo a try. The Johnsons actually works really well at getting some of the oil out of their hair and getting it to fluff up, but at this point I'm all about experimentation to try some new things.

:lol: I feel your pain when it comes to trying to grow hair. It's pretty hard down here too. We have fans and misters going on them everyday all day and that helps. But a good rinse and comb twice a day everyday combined with the right shampoo/conditioner (and don't forget, genetics!) all helps with hair growth.

 

[*Cowgirl*]

Sullivan has a hair grower product but I've never tried it. We always soak them with cold water then turn the fan on high.

 

[Angus Cattle Girl]

What we do with our calves is we wet them down in the morning and at night. We blow them of in the direction that we want the hair to grow(towards the head or at a 45 degree upwards angle). I'd comb and brush them as well. I also put Kleen Sheen on 'em. It helps repel the dust and dirt a little. And last year, I put Revive on 'em at night then rinsed it off the next morning. I tried to keep 'em under the fans but that wasn't the easiest thing to do sometimes. Genetics plays such a big role in how much hair that they can get.

Hope this helps!!

 

[Bez!]

You folks might be working hard, but the fact is there is NOTHING that grows hair. You might get it thicker - the actual hair itself through conditioning and air conditioning and such. But to actually grow hair?

Never happen.

Unlike grass, you cannot fertilize and de-thatch. There are only so many follicles per square inch of hide. The hide absolutely WILL NOT grow more.

If you find it - I want to provide you with investors. We WILL GET STINKING RICH.

Bald male scientists have been searching for the Holy Grail - hair grower - for years. It has notbeen discovered - yet.

Genetics my friends. Genetics. That is THE ONLY hair grower out there.

Regards,

Bez!

 

[msscamp]

Genetics my friends. Genetics. That is THE ONLY hair grower out there.

Regards,

Bez!

Bez!, I really hate to argue with you - especially on your first night back after such a lengthy absence and all, but isn't this the scenario that Rogaine was developed for? How well do you think it would work for cattle? Just a thought.

 

[Bez!]

Genetics my friends. Genetics. That is THE ONLY hair grower out there.

Regards,

Bez!

Bez!, I really hate to argue with you - especially on your first night back after such a lengthy absence and all, but isn't this the scenario that Rogaine was developed for? How well do you think it would work for cattle? Just a thought.

Well, I do not have a lot of hair and I have not tried this Rogain stuff. But I have to admit it might be worth a try.

I am still a believer in genetics - otherwise hair follicles simply do not appear as if by magic.

I think Rogain simply brings - or encourages old follicles to start working again.

Someone finds something to create new follicles, I think they will be the richest person on earth in short order.

You got what you start with - and it does not get any better than that!

Then you age and things start falling - down - and/or - out!!!!

Bez!

 

[jaydill]

Whoopsies.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Bez - actually they aren't trying to grow NEW hair from non-existing folicles. Just want the hair they have to grow FASTER. If the cattle are hot, they shed out & don't grow much hair, so the concept of rinsing them, keeping them in cool dark barn, encourages their body to grow hair FASTER than when they are HOT.
Welcome back, haven't heard from you for a while.
Anyone out there ever try EQ Solution?? We no longer use conditioners or sheens. It's not a SOAP, it's a soil releaser, and can be left right on the animal for extra conditioning. We love it.

 

[Ryan]

Anyone out there ever try EQ Solution?? We no longer use conditioners or sheens. It's not a SOAP, it's a soil releaser, and can be left right on the animal for extra conditioning. We love it.

Got a friend that is a distributor of EQ. They love it, think its great. I have yet to try it... still a fan of clear ivory soap and a good brush to scrub them. Then again, we dont have hair on our animals like other breeds.

 

[Bez!]

Bez - actually they aren't trying to grow NEW hair from non-existing folicles. Just want the hair they have to grow FASTER. If the cattle are hot, they shed out & don't grow much hair, so the concept of rinsing them, keeping them in cool dark barn, encourages their body to grow hair FASTER than when they are HOT.
Welcome back, haven't heard from you for a while.
Anyone out there ever try EQ Solution?? We no longer use conditioners or sheens. It's not a SOAP, it's a soil releaser, and can be left right on the animal for extra conditioning. We love it.

Thanks and howdy back atchya'.

Yeah I know what you are saying.

I will also say that genetics is the real key to the SPEED of hair growth.

All that other stuff is just sales pitch - nothing more. I know there are lots that will not agree with me - and that is fine. But there is no silver bullet out there. You basically get what you get.

Good old Mom Nature makes it grow at one speed - too slow for some and too fast for others.

Put them in the cold and sooner or later the hair will shed out and the new coat come in - but that temp you need is a lot colder than any air conditioned barn in the southern U.S of A.

My own cows would not think of shedding out until the temp hits the mark around 5 - 10 degrees above freezing. ANf the temp has to stay there.

Heat will cause them to shed out - thins the coat - but in the end all the cold water and sheens and "stuff" is nothing more than stuff. Money spent good after bad.

Only way to get a good coat is to pick a calf that comes from something that already has decent hair. A poor coat - unless poor from being fed wrong - will always be a poor coat. A good coat will - if the animal is treated right - almost always stay a good coat.

Folks will scheme and plan and whine and cry and do all in their power to get hair to grow. When in fact all you can do is wash it, condition and blow it. Anything else is beyond reality.

Lots of money spent on advertising and shiny brochures - for a reason. To pull money from the pocket of the person who is anxious to win. It is an easy sell to those who live and die in the show ring. Get a sponsor from a couple of wins - start promoting the name of the product and lo and behold - the profits roll in.

Easy to get folks to open their wallets and spend - but it is still GENETICS - not product that makes the coat.

Bez!

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Bez - I totally agree with genetics. The Simmental cattle are not known for the "best" hair. Shorthorns & Maines usually sport "great" hair.
We don't worry about hair. Keep it pretty short. Don't adhesive it - just blow & show.
The EQ Solution is a costly product compared to dish soap, but it eliminates all the other products and produces clean, conditioned, shiny skin & hair. My hubby is a stickler on the wash rack, rarely lets anyone "help" him wash. He's totally sold on the product.

 

[Ryan]

The EQ Solution is a costly product compared to dish soap, but it eliminates all the other products and produces clean, conditioned, shiny skin & hair. My hubby is a stickler on the wash rack, rarely lets anyone "help" him wash. He's totally sold on the product.

I am a stickler in the wash rack, too. Don't let anyone else do the washing. I use a combination of the dish soap and sullivans purple shampoo...depending on the animal. The dish soap does a surprisingly good job. There are ingredients in there to protect hands while washing dishes which help the skin and coat. It is kind of one of those things where we've used it forever... dont fix it if it aint broke. Everyone that I know that uses EQ loves it, just hard for me to switch.

 

[Bez!]

Bez - I totally agree with genetics. The Simmental cattle are not known for the "best" hair. Shorthorns & Maines usually sport "great" hair.
We don't worry about hair. Keep it pretty short. Don't adhesive it - just blow & show.
The EQ Solution is a costly product compared to dish soap, but it eliminates all the other products and produces clean, conditioned, shiny skin & hair. My hubby is a stickler on the wash rack, rarely lets anyone "help" him wash. He's totally sold on the product.

Hence the following:

Shorthorns - Great beef cow - the U.S. herd - in my opinion - almost completely ruined through show breeding.

Simmies - Great beef cow - not always wanted on the show floor. Great structure and great fleshing ability - but poor hair - hmmmm .... which would I want in the field? Hair or pounds?

Maines - Well, I have seen some great herds - but they have a rep in some areas for being a bit hard to handle.

Of all the above - if I had my druthers - I would have a herd of Shorties. BUt in the U.S. of A. almost everyone will roll their eyes when I say that. As well they probably should with what generally - repeat generally - is found running in the fields in today's market - poor animals but they grow hair!!!!

But go to Saskatchewan and Alberta - there they are the true beef animal. And they have a rep they truly deserve - easy to handle, eat anything, in fact thrive on poor ground, gain well, cross BETTER than these Murray Greys (bet that gets a reaction!!! ) and almost as good as a Herf! And raise a darned good calf on nothing but weeds and water.

Marble well and grade right up at the top. There are a couple on this board that can provide proof in pics. Have no problem being very popular in the prairies as they do as well or better than the (in)famous Black Angus. Man - maybe I should buy a few!

I am up front on this - I figure showing has ruined many good animals and I am dead set against hair issues and fluffing and adding hair and pumping and fizzing and so on.

Wanna' show a true performance beef animal? Wanna' show who has the BEST performance animals?

Place them in quarantine for one week on hay and water only - then (arguments can be made this is unrealistic and I agree - but for a major show? I say do it or be dammed) - place them in quarantine for another 24 hours - no food and water. Wet them down and THEN judge them. Only the best will make it rather than the person with the deepest pockets who can afford the best make up artist.

This from a family who has made a fair bit of bucks on the show circuit - but I am soured - to fake and phony now.

Now so I cannot be called a complete thread hijacker:

Anyway - back to the topic at hand - hair.

The holy grail. Yet you cannot eat it - therefore I am a proponent of wetting all show animals down with a bucket - so one can see what is REALLY there.

Any show person brave enough to do this and any judge with guts enough to do this - will only show or judge A BEEF ANIMAL. Not a puppy pet that would fall apart on grass.

So wash them with the cheapest dish soap out there - it does a great job and it is easy on the skin. Rinse them really well and then blow them dry. Stay away from the sheens - they tend to attract dirt and dust. The hair will look great and if the judge is a man / woman of integrity they will see past the hair and look at the animal.

Have a good one,

Bez!

 

[shutskytj]

Well said Bez even though I show I tend to like the Houston and San Antonio steer shows you have to peel them to show there is no allusions there. But again a good judge can see through the allusions