Hair

[AngusSenorita]

I work hair everyday and it doesn't grow. I work her leg hair in the evening while she is eating and I going to start getting up earlier so that I can wash her and work her hair before school too. I there anything else I can do to get hair to grow? My teacher is anxious to get her to grow hair for Houston, especially since she is a bit lighted boned

 

[Bez!]

I work hair everyday and it doesn't grow. I work her leg hair in the evening while she is eating and I going to start getting up earlier so that I can wash her and work her hair before school too. I there anything else I can do to get hair to grow? My teacher is anxious to get her to grow hair for Houston, especially since she is a bit lighted boned

Look - I see you folks worrying about this all the time.

If hair could be "made" to grow, every fat bald guy in the world - me included - would have a full head of hair.

In fact you cannot make it grow. You can keep it clean and healthy, but it WILL NOT GROW any faster.

If your teacher does not understand this then she is certainly missing something.

It is simply genetics and you have NO CONTROL over this.

Relax - it will be the length it is when you get there. Simple as that. Take the extra time to get some sleep - you will be wasting it if you think you can speed up the growth process.

Do not ever believe someone when they tell you there is a silver bullet to make hair grow - if there was I would be investing in it!!!

Bez!

 

[jaydill]

t is simply genetics and you have NO CONTROL over this.

Therein the answer lies.

 

[LaurenE]

There is no miracle product that will make hair grow. What we do to help with the hair, is we keep fans on them all the time and keep them cool by wetting them down. I don't know if it actually helps with the hair, buy they definately prefer it to the heat(in florida). We have an FFA chapter down here that bought a air conditioned barn unit/refrigerator that keeps the hair on there show steers, because it tricks there body into thinking it is winter. Although, this does not make the hair grow, it just makes it thicker. Good Luck!

 

[Bez!]

Just because I love to stir the pot.

If you have an animal that is sound and healthy - hair is the last thing you need to worry about.

A good animal is a good animal.

Camoflaging the flaws with hair is why many folks will NOT purchase a breeder from the show line.

Get away from the hair issues and get back to basic issues such as (in no particular order):

1. Structure
2. Conformation
3. Feed conversion
4. Attitude
5. Soundness
6. Breedability
7. Fertility

And so on. You folks get these in hand and you will likely win anyways. As a person who does not buy from the show line - I have in the past - it is because usually the animal does not do well in the field.

Are you showing for the sake of showing? Ie: beauty contest? If so, then all of the above is a moot point.

Are showing for breed and / or herd improvement? Then all of what I have stated - and much more applies.

Have fun folks and above all play fair - and do not let the politics get you down.

Bez!

 

[SF]

Listen to BEZ

No miracle treatments out there. Keep em cool and rinse em might help. Houston is too close though. You've got all you are going to get. With the short time between now and Houston there are other things to work on. Don't over comb em either.

 

[memanpa]

bez
i beg to differ with your bout there not being a product out there that increses available hair!
it is called hair splitting! i now have 2 hairs on my head, soon to be 4 :lol:
listen to bez!

 

[AngusSenorita]

she is a good animal, but does that mean I shouldn't try to have her look her best? I would like to see heifers shown slick to. Not because it would be less work, but because hiar can hide to much. I cna tell you this though, even if my heifer was slick she probably would preform at the same level. But untill that happens I'm just gonna play the game the best I can, and I just want a litttle advice

 

[Bez!]

she is a good animal, but does that mean I shouldn't try to have her look her best? I would like to see heifers shown slick to. Not because it would be less work, but because hiar can hide to much. I cna tell you this though, even if my heifer was slick she probably would preform at the same level. But untill that happens I'm just gonna play the game the best I can, and I just want a litttle advice

Sigh - I think you missed everything I said - sometimes you need to read and think.

Figure I will try to stay off the show threads from here on in.

Go on then - have fun - the rest will come with time.

Bez!

 

[AngusSenorita]

I understand your advice Bez, I am just trying to make sure I am not missing something, I work my animal everyday, and now that she is ready the only thing that I can do to improve her chances in the show ring is to get a bit more hair. I am lucky, I have spring break the week before Houston so all week long I will be washing and walking and working hair and walking and walking and washing ect. She will look her best for Houston and once again if there are any tricks I haven't used, please point them out, I'm just trying to do my best.

 

[rancherswife]

This is just my opinion...but here goes.
I think wanting an animal to look it's best at a show is wonderful. Daily rinsing and blowing and grooming is great.
But, most people don't EAT hair. We always taught our kids to raise the best beef through nutrition. And yes genetics. But all kids can't afford the genetics!
I could be wrong as I am alot :lol: But, I think most judges KNOW whats under the hair no matter what you do to it!
Have any of you ever had to show at a dry show? No grooming products allowed? Just a good brushing is all you get.
My kids had to do that several times during drought conditions. Talk about having to be honest with your cattle!
We don't show at the big shows like some of you do and I'm sure there are alot of politics involved just like everything else but Beef is the point isn't it?

 

[Bez!]

This is just my opinion...but here goes.
I think wanting an animal to look it's best at a show is wonderful. Daily rinsing and blowing and grooming is great.
But, most people don't EAT hair. We always taught our kids to raise the best beef through nutrition. And yes genetics. But all kids can't afford the genetics!
I could be wrong as I am alot :lol: But, I think most judges KNOW whats under the hair no matter what you do to it!
Have any of you ever had to show at a dry show? No grooming products allowed? Just a good brushing is all you get.
My kids had to do that several times during drought conditions. Talk about having to be honest with your cattle!
We don't show at the big shows like some of you do and I'm sure there are alot of politics involved just like everything else but Beef is the point isn't it?

Seems like someone gets it!

I watched a judge take a hose to a bunch of cattle one day - shocked a pile of people.

The best animal won. The best fitter lost.

Bez!

 

[kaneranch]

I agree with all of you but remember that you can beat people in the barn. There is no secrets just some work. Wash blow comb every day, you will see a change in her. Just My opinion. Kaneranch

 

[rancherswife]

OMG!!! I would have loved to see that!!!!! Especially after they just paid all that money out to the professional fitter :lol:

 

[AngusSenorita]

Well I guess I am doing all I can. I would love to see a judge wet down all the cows, and I never heard of a dry show. I guess you could say that we almost had one at our county show, a person was stupid and tied their cow to a water pipe and broke it. We where lucky that we had all our cows washed at like 8 am.If you hadn't washed them early you were stuck, people started bringing water in from the pond to wash their cows with. The water ended up getting fixed before the show so things went smoothly after that.

 

[jaydill]

This is just my opinion...but here goes.
I think wanting an animal to look it's best at a show is wonderful. Daily rinsing and blowing and grooming is great.
But, most people don't EAT hair. We always taught our kids to raise the best beef through nutrition. And yes genetics. But all kids can't afford the genetics!
I could be wrong as I am alot :lol: But, I think most judges KNOW whats under the hair no matter what you do to it!
Have any of you ever had to show at a dry show? No grooming products allowed? Just a good brushing is all you get.
My kids had to do that several times during drought conditions. Talk about having to be honest with your cattle!
We don't show at the big shows like some of you do and I'm sure there are alot of politics involved just like everything else but Beef is the point isn't it?

You're mostly true. The only part I beg to differ with is knowing what's under the hair. When the judge steps back for a final look at the animals, an animal with more hair and a good combing job--not necessarily even a fitting job--will look better than one that's got a minimal amount of hair. This...coming from the American classes. I can't say for the British ones, but I do know that competing in American classes I've been beat out by steers who may not have had quite as much finish as I did but had more hair, making them look more finished and feel more finished.

You're right, beef is the point. However, being show cattle...they've gotta look nice to.

But I do still agree with Bez. Work the hair so that it's nice, so that the judge can tell that you've been doing your job and spending time with your animal. But ultimately, its genetics are going to determine how much and how thick of hair is going to grow on that animal. Seeing as how it's a heifer, when it comes time to breed her, make hair one of the factors you're looking for. Obviously, it shouldn't be your most important factor, but you can still keep an eye out for it.

 

[shorthorn cowgirl]

I work hair everyday and it doesn't grow. I work her leg hair in the evening while she is eating and I going to start getting up earlier so that I can wash her and work her hair before school too. I there anything else I can do to get hair to grow? My teacher is anxious to get her to grow hair for Houston, especially since she is a bit lighted boned

Do you put her under fans ever morin? That is what we do every moring and the have a bunch of hair.

 

[jaydill]

I work hair everyday and it doesn't grow. I work her leg hair in the evening while she is eating and I going to start getting up earlier so that I can wash her and work her hair before school too. I there anything else I can do to get hair to grow? My teacher is anxious to get her to grow hair for Houston, especially since she is a bit lighted boned

Do you put her under fans ever morin? That is what we do every moring and the have a bunch of hair.

Senorita and I are in the same barn where we have fans going in all the pens, all the time.

 

[av smoker]

our kids where in 4-h for years we put them in the dark all day with fans on them in the summer in 100deg heat with little brushing- alot of rinseing had lots of hair but some we had never grew hair -its in the breeding also thats why all my cows have some shorthorn in them

 

[luvcows]

This is just my opinion...but here goes.
I think wanting an animal to look it's best at a show is wonderful. Daily rinsing and blowing and grooming is great.
But, most people don't EAT hair. We always taught our kids to raise the best beef through nutrition. And yes genetics. But all kids can't afford the genetics!
I could be wrong as I am alot :lol: But, I think most judges KNOW whats under the hair no matter what you do to it!
Have any of you ever had to show at a dry show? No grooming products allowed? Just a good brushing is all you get.
My kids had to do that several times during drought conditions. Talk about having to be honest with your cattle!
We don't show at the big shows like some of you do and I'm sure there are alot of politics involved just like everything else but Beef is the point isn't it?

I totally agree with you on this one. Here in Florida at our show the animals have to be shaved to 1/8" all over the entire body, nutrition and genetics is all they have to work with. If you can pinch the hair it is to long. No hiding anything on these steers. The best one wins cut and dry which I like because the best groomed steer should not be the winner over a better quality animal. One thing I can say about this is yes it does take time to clip the whole animal but look at the money and time I save on products, blowers, oh and the best thing of all I dont have to tote a grooming chute to the show. Yeah.