Dying hair

[farmmom73]

First, is it ok (is there a rule against it?) to dye a cow's hair for a show and second, does anyone do this?  Is it a regular part of your show prep?  Just wondering.  Thanks!

 

[angus214]

I guess it all depends on what you are showing and where! We show Angus cattle and you can not use dye. I would look into the rules where you plan to show.

 

[OLD WORLD SHORTIE]

I have a friend of mine that uses black hair dye on his Maine Anjou heifers, seems like a pretty common thing to me. Just because there is a rule about it does not mean that its not being done.

 

[rf21970]

Not like you are going to make a white calf black with it. Just gets rid of the red tint some black cattle have. Use it all the time. We have no rules against it. No different than black finisher, or black mousse.

 

[chambero]

Very, very commonly done - even at AAA-sponsored Angus heifer shows.

 

[renegadelivestock]

ever since i can remeber, we mixed black leather dye with kleen sheen and used it on our black cattle, like previously posted, just because there is a rule doesn't mean it doesn't happen

 

[Ms Ray]

I've seen rules that say no dying to cover breed defect, but that would not apply to sun bleached hair

 

[iowabeef]

Like others have said, check the rules for your show....many allow it.  We use cheap human hair die from the local dollar store.  Works great and you don't have to spend lots of money

 

[vc]

Most rules state you may not alter the animals color, to me, this means you may not dye a red calf, black, but you may dye a black calf, black.(you would be in violation if you dye white on the animal, black) If the rule state you may not dye an animal, that is clear cut, you can not dye it.

 

[The Show]

Lots of people dye. We dye before every show and it lasts quite a while. Rules or no rules, there's no way to "prove" that the calf has been dyed. I guarantee you the calves winning Angus shows have been dyed.

 

[obie105]

Depending on the rules I know some shows in Iowa they cannot have paint that will wipe above a certain area I don't show black ones so I am not sure exactly how it reads but I know at state fair they do wipe them with a white towel. If you are going to dye do it far enough in advance that it is dry and soaked in not the day before you go. It just depends on our show and the rules but its one of those things that everyone does.

 

[ilovecows]

There are no rules against dying your cattle for a show just so long as you aren't dying it a completely different color than the original to get it into a different class (such as it is not okay to dye a red steer black but its okay to dye a black steer whose hair has turned a reddish tint from sun jet black). Many people do this and it is definitely a part of my show prep. I do it because then you spray black paint on the legs of a black but reddish tinted steer it looks strange. Dying your cattle may seem like a lot of work but it is definitely worth it in the show ring ;D