Tips on stalls looking good at shows

Some of you are getting ready for your Junior Nationals & state fairs. We all like to look like the big boys but sometimes money is a big factor. I've put together some tips to keep your area looking good without spending a lot of bucks. If anyone has any more tips let us know!

1. try to color coordinate: keep neck straps & halters the same color
2. if you have a black fan cage spray paint it before you go
3. clean up show box & fan cage & other equipment before you get there. Nothing looks worse than a cage w/ bird poop all over it!
4. Keep sawdust or straw clean of manure & refreshen nightly
5. Keep tack area cleaned up
6. If cattle stand up after laying down blow them out & spray on Kleen Sheen or something similar
7. keep cattle as clean as possible all the time
8. be friendly w/ people that stop & look. Get up off your duff & talk to them
9. If possible have a farm or ranch sign to show who you are & where located
10. make pedigree signs up & hang
11. have business cards to hand out

Hope these help!

Red

12. don't hang something from the rafters and drop it in front of people. it's rude, crude and very juvenile.

at the iowa state fair, i think it's tama county, they go all out for their stall. they put up: a green display curtain, a white plastic fence as a background, strings of lights, heifer pedigrees, a white plastic chain that is strung through green holders behind the calves, they scrub down the cement in front of their stall, etc. they win herdsmanship every year so they get to choose where they are going to be stalled, so they pick the same place because it is perfect for what they do.

Probably going to catch heck with this one, but here goes. I completely understand and appreciate the purpose of having a stereo playing in a show barn in order to get the calves used to noise and whatnot, and we all know it is fun to see a stereo big enough that it is custom fitted into a show box all  on its own.However...I go to a lot of shows and it seems that a majority of the music played is 1) played way too loud, and 2) often inappropriate or offensive to some. There are people who don't want to hear some of the content in some of the "popular" new rap songs and such, as well as youngsters who probably would do better without hearing it from across the stalls. Iam all about having fun and kicking back at a show, but it is so much more professional when someone knows how to keep the music appropriate and at a reasonable volume.Seems like mainly rap "music" at the shows. Where's the classic rock and country music? O0 <cowboy>

I agree Showman Q, sometimes the floor shakes from the loud misic. One time we had to listen to Howard Stern's entire program. I finally asked them to turn it down.

Red

I completely agree with you on the music thing. What does "Goin Down" and "Soldier Boy" have to do with showing cattle? In some cases you wonder why people are even listening to this in the 1st place let alone at a cattle show.

showsteerdlux said:

I completely agree with you on the music thing. What does "Goin Down" and "Soldier Boy" have to do with showing cattle? In some cases you wonder why people are even listening to this in the 1st place let alone at a cattle show.

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I agree with the comments that some music is WAY too loud at shows....but would you be complaining if it was music that you liked?  I've never heard a song about showing cattle.

Great tips!  I struggle with my kids just tossing things AT the showbox and changing their shoes & leaving dirty socks in the aisle, etc.    PICK UP!!!   

Anyway.. what is your favorite show bedding? 

RE the loud music... Fo shizzle!  

FWIW, it's "soulja boy", not solider boy.  

At my county fair they usually have a giant pile of either wood chips or sawdust to use as bedding. It works well and is cheaper than bringing your own. But sawdust is my personal preference to use at home, the local saw mill gives it away for free as much as you want.

haha You're right TJ it is spelled Soulja Boy, good things to know.

I completely agree about the loud music. I do love listening to music....but a stereo blasting can get old real quick at shows. There have been times when you could not even hear what classes were being called because music was playing so loud. Then when you ask them to turn it down they get mad. If you ask me....it's just plain rude! JMO  8)

Oh, and I forgot to add on my previous post that very few people would enjoy what I listen to at such a high volume, so my ipod is a must at shows!

I just like to keep the calves blown out when they stand up, and if the weather's nice, I like to have them with their heads tied up for a couple hours when there is the most traffic from the other cattle people coming by.  Just having all of your equipment and stall set up clean and organized makes a huge difference.  At most of the county fairs I go to, there are usually two sorts of stall set ups : Freddy 4-H, with his poop filled straw, no stall gates, and kids flopped in lawn chairs right behind the calves, with all of their stuff in a pile.  Then there are those that have clean bedding, organized stuff, and a clear view of the cattle.  Before people even get around to looking at your cattle at these shows, they see what your stall set up looks like, and first impressions last.

Before people even get around to looking at your cattle at these shows, they see what your stall set up looks like, and first impressions last.

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  That is so true!

As far as bedding goes - I hate sand. 

red said:

10. make pedigree signs up & hang

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Often these are written too small for people with bad eyesight to see, and sometimes too scribbly that  it's often hard to decipher the writing

very true knabe. i believe that herdsmanship, along with showmanship (as mentioned in the other thread), are very quickly becoming lost arts.

TJ said:

RE the loud music... Fo shizzle!  

FWIW, it's "soulja boy", not solider boy.  

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As I said I don't know what half of it is and cant understand the half that they sing. Thanks for the correction though.

you know, there really is nothing more red neck and county then showing cattle, so every time I hear that 'gangster' music I laugh. Don't get me wrong I enjoy listening to it, but it just has no place at a cattle show.
(lol)

I might add cleaning up your chute.  We are notorious for not getting all the dust off the chute before we head to a show.  We also have 2 sets of blower hoses.  1 set that stays at home and another set that stays in the trailer for shows. 

speaking of blowers, have 1 or 2 neatly lying in front of your stall. that way you can use it at a moments notice. also have a scotch comb readily available.
I also have both the pitch fork & push broom hanging up in front of my fan cage. A clean walk area always looks good!

Red

i love decorating our stall at the county fair....usually go with a patriotic "country"  theme...everything is color coordinated...i like adding flowers and ferns to the display...and you cant forget the "candy bowl"(secret weapon to getting lots and lots of people to stop and look at your cattle)......

oh, and the horse hay bags are awesome!!! almost no mess from the hay!  hang one bag inbetween two calves....

here's a pic from our county fair last year...

i did have little red white and blue rugs laying over the straw....but by the end of the week, they had pretty much had it...if you catch my drift...lol....