Hair

[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?

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.

That's how all our majors are here in Texas...all of them except Fort Worth. All steers are slick, but heifers get to keep their hair. At jackpots, hair can be long...which I agree with. Since the majors are really what counts, I think it's more fair to have every steer slick sheared. But along the process at those little jackpots, why not let the kids show off the skills they learned while putting in the hours working that hair at home? It's those unbelievably overpriced "professional" fitters I don't agree with.

 

[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.

That's how all our majors are here in Texas...all of them except Fort Worth. All steers are slick, but heifers get to keep their hair. At jackpots, hair can be long...which I agree with. Since the majors are really what counts, I think it's more fair to have every steer slick sheared. But along the process at those little jackpots, why not let the kids show off the skills they learned while putting in the hours working that hair at home? It's those unbelievably overpriced "professional" fitters I don't agree with.

What makes me mad since you brought up professional fitters is when parents hire these people to come in and do all the grooming for their kids animals. I want my kids in my 4-H club to learn to groom their own animal. I dont have a problem with one coming and showing the whole club how to do it. I watched at a show 2 girls who parents hired a "professional" and they walked the animals for the girls right up to the show ring gate and handed them over to them, the girls showed the steers and when that gate opened for them to go out that "professional" was there to take the animal back. Those girls didnt teach that animal to lead or anything else their parents hired someone to do it for them. To me they should be removed from the show. I am talking about steer shows for FFA and 4-H not heifer or any other shows. Those shows are meant for these kids to learn a part of agribusiness by keeping record books and learning to raise a good quality animal by feed, maintenance..etc. Not lets hire someone to come in and do it and I will just show the animal.

 

[AAOK]

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

This is the Show Board, not the Market Board. She is asking for advice about a heifer..........FEMALE. When we show 'em, we want to make them pretty. You go Girl!!!

Yes! Absolutely, there are things to help with hair growth. Since you're a female, I'm sure you know that in cold weather, especially when you get Goose Bumps, you have to shave your legs more often. The same goes for cattle. Spray ice water on her legs, blows fans all the time, and keep her in the dark as much as possible. You still have a little time. You need to brush her legs with a rice root brush at least an hour a day. She can grow a lot of hair in a week or two. Kleen Sheen is a great conditioner. It will help with thickness and training. Keep working. The ones that win are the best animals, and the best animals get the best care. They also make the best cows.

 

[AngusSenorita]

Thanks for the advice AAOK. I have been brushing her legs like crazy. I am lucky and I have spring break right before I go to Houston, so I have been tying her for 3 hours a day on top of walking for an hour and washing 2x a day. Normally I just walk an hour a day and wash 1x a day. I don't have time during school to tie her up for hours on end because I have to be there the whole time to watch her.

Hopefully what she does have will be enough.

 

[AAOK]

Thanks for the advice AAOK. I have been brushing her legs like crazy. I am lucky and I have spring break right before I go to Houston, so I have been tying her for 3 hours a day on top of walking for an hour and washing 2x a day. Normally I just walk an hour a day and wash 1x a day. I don't have time during school to tie her up for hours on end because I have to be there the whole time to watch her.

Hopefully what she does have will be enough.

You say you are washing twice a day. I hope you mean rinsing. You shouldn't wash with shampoo more than once a week; all the rest of the time should be rinsing. Always put back in some kind of conditioner each time after rinsing or washing. Also, does your show feed contain a good mineral pack? The proper vitamins and minerals are also very important for hair quality.

 

[AngusSenorita]

yeah I mean rinsing, I never wash because even after using vinegar and conditioning everyday she still has dry skin.

I do use a vitamin/mineral/probiotic supplement in her feed

 

[cattlemom]

I, like AAOK, would like to commend this young person for being out there working with the calf. She could be sitting in front of the TV or trying to figure out where to get the next "fix" from. I don't care who thinks show cattle should have hair or not I think it's a great way for kids to spend their time.

Best of luck to you Senorita!!! Keep up the hard work & everything will pay off!!

 

[AAOK]

I, like AAOK, would like to commend this young person for being out there working with the calf. She could be sitting in front of the TV or trying to figure out where to get the next "fix" from. I don't care who thinks show cattle should have hair or not I think it's a great way for kids to spend their time.

Best of luck to you Senorita!!! Keep up the hard work & everything will pay off!!

Hey Cattlemom
I'm coming up your way this weekend to see my little Grand Baby. Haven't seen her in six weeks.

 

[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?

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.

That's how all our majors are here in Texas...all of them except Fort Worth. All steers are slick, but heifers get to keep their hair. At jackpots, hair can be long...which I agree with. Since the majors are really what counts, I think it's more fair to have every steer slick sheared. But along the process at those little jackpots, why not let the kids show off the skills they learned while putting in the hours working that hair at home? It's those unbelievably overpriced "professional" fitters I don't agree with.

What makes me mad since you brought up professional fitters is when parents hire these people to come in and do all the grooming for their kids animals. I want my kids in my 4-H club to learn to groom their own animal. I dont have a problem with one coming and showing the whole club how to do it. I watched at a show 2 girls who parents hired a "professional" and they walked the animals for the girls right up to the show ring gate and handed them over to them, the girls showed the steers and when that gate opened for them to go out that "professional" was there to take the animal back. Those girls didnt teach that animal to lead or anything else their parents hired someone to do it for them. To me they should be removed from the show. I am talking about steer shows for FFA and 4-H not heifer or any other shows. Those shows are meant for these kids to learn a part of agribusiness by keeping record books and learning to raise a good quality animal by feed, maintenance..etc. Not lets hire someone to come in and do it and I will just show the animal.

I totally agree with you. There's a lot to be learned when participating in the show circuit, but us youth are robbed of it when parents and fitters "relive their childhood" so to speak through us. I had the privilege of breaking my own steer and from now on, that's how I'll always do it. I learned a lot about patience and also about animal's body language through the project. I'm glad I have supportive but not overbearing parents who got me to where I needed to be and left me to develop the responsibility needed to get my job done, and that I have an ag teacher who will supervise but again, leaves it to me to teach myself the self-discipline and responsibility needed to achieve my goals. Though I've shown other animals, this year truly helped me to develop a lot of things: confidence, patience, responsibility, and self-discipline, to say the least of them. I just wish more people could have that opportunity!

 

[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.

That's how all our majors are here in Texas...all of them except Fort Worth. All steers are slick, but heifers get to keep their hair. At jackpots, hair can be long...which I agree with. Since the majors are really what counts, I think it's more fair to have every steer slick sheared. But along the process at those little jackpots, why not let the kids show off the skills they learned while putting in the hours working that hair at home? It's those unbelievably overpriced "professional" fitters I don't agree with.

What makes me mad since you brought up professional fitters is when parents hire these people to come in and do all the grooming for their kids animals. I want my kids in my 4-H club to learn to groom their own animal. I dont have a problem with one coming and showing the whole club how to do it. I watched at a show 2 girls who parents hired a "professional" and they walked the animals for the girls right up to the show ring gate and handed them over to them, the girls showed the steers and when that gate opened for them to go out that "professional" was there to take the animal back. Those girls didnt teach that animal to lead or anything else their parents hired someone to do it for them. To me they should be removed from the show. I am talking about steer shows for FFA and 4-H not heifer or any other shows. Those shows are meant for these kids to learn a part of agribusiness by keeping record books and learning to raise a good quality animal by feed, maintenance..etc. Not lets hire someone to come in and do it and I will just show the animal.

I totally agree with you. There's a lot to be learned when participating in the show circuit, but us youth are robbed of it when parents and fitters "relive their childhood" so to speak through us. I had the privilege of breaking my own steer and from now on, that's how I'll always do it. I learned a lot about patience and also about animal's body language through the project. I'm glad I have supportive but not overbearing parents who got me to where I needed to be and left me to develop the responsibility needed to get my job done, and that I have an ag teacher who will supervise but again, leaves it to me to teach myself the self-discipline and responsibility needed to achieve my goals. Though I've shown other animals, this year truly helped me to develop a lot of things: confidence, patience, responsibility, and self-discipline, to say the least of them. I just wish more people could have that opportunity!

Couldn't have said it better jay!

Me either. Well said.

 

[jaydill]

Why thank y'all.