Hair on Steers and Heifers

[William]

This year I am trying to keep a lot of hair on my steers and heifer. How do I do this. Do I wash them in winter?

 

[txshowlamb]

Wash 3-4 times a day brush brush brush cant brush enough! Fans with misters help just keep them cool and condition hair daily

 

[bcosu]

yes, wash them as often as you can. if it's too cold and you don't have good facilities then blow them out and get them as clean as possible. in the spring and summer the key is rinsing and brushing. cool em down by rinsing them and then stimulate the hair by brushing. i prefer two of the plastic massage brushes but sometimes use a rice root brush. both are good. brush the hair down then brush it all forward. it also helps to keep them under fans too.

 

[BCCC]

Well I will wish you luck......Yes you need to wash in the winter but only everyother day or so. the time you will really need to start washing in April to get them to keep it, and then in may you will have to wash them multiple times a day,  and keep them under fans, and in the dark as much as possibly. Also you will nee to brush, and comb ALOT!!!  When is your show? and where are you located?

 

[William]

I live in Washington. I have shows starting in April and my last show is in October.

Do I need to have hot water to wash them in the winter? Or can I wash them just with the hose? How cold is to cold to wash?

 

[OH Breeder]

I live in Washington. I have shows starting in April and my last show is in October.

Do I need to have hot water to wash them in the winter? Or can I wash them just with the hose? How cold is to cold to wash?

We built an indoor wash rack heated in the winter via salamander and cooled in summer. We wash with cold water but blow with a double blower dry. I have a friend that swear once a month you need to use hot or warm water to remove build up. It does help with some oil residue.
Once they get use to the washing in the winter they will get use to it. We don't wash when it is in the teens and twenties. But when it is in the 30's we wash. Not as regular as in summer. Make sure you put some kleen sheen or something in after washing. Winter is especially hard on the hair and dry's it out.

 

[William]

Thank you for all the advice you have given! I am really excited to have hairy calves at fair!

 

[ShowmanQ]

Thank you for all the advice you have given! I am really excited to have hairy calves at fair!

Hair is one of those widely debated things. Some absolutely love it and some want to slick everything in sight. I can see the side of both points. In my opinion if everyone else has it you better have it too. I cannot stress enough the importance of the difference between a bunch of hair and a bunch of GOOD hair. Make sure you train it very well. BRUSH BRUSH BRUSH....when your arms falls off use the other one (lol). Having wel trained hair is the key, I have seen calves with a TON of hair that is poorly trained and, as someone who fits my own cattle as well as others, you just CANNOT get the same effect with poorly trained hair. If it is January and -5 degrees I would not rinse but that does not mean you get a day off, get them tied and sheen and brush. Good luck and always remember, as in all things in life, YOU ONLY GET OUT OF IT WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT and CHAMPIONS ARENT BORN...THEY'RE MADE IN THE BARN.

 

[txshowlamb]

I have a qusetion could I wash my calf when its like 30-35 or is that too cold?

 

[BCCC]

I have a qusetion could I wash my calf when its like 30-35 or is that too cold?

Not as long as you get them blown out good

 

[William]

What kind of products should I use in the hair?

Also I have a steer that has a TON of winter hair right now, probably 3 inches all over. Should I leave it all and just train it right or should I clip some of it off?

Thanks

 

[BCCC]

Well winter is coming and he should keep the hair pretty good up until Aprilish and then it wil start shedding out so you could body clip him then and then by the end of june he should have decent hair

 

[farmboy]

if you get the calf dry fast, you can wash them anytime of they year regardless of how cold it is. just get them dry though or their gonna get sick