HAIR QUESTION

[grandchamp58]

Its getting hot! My steer is losing most of his hair, however, i would like to keep some for the fair. Is there anyway where i could keep a little, especially on the legs and the tailhead etc., but not worry too much about the body? Not many people in my county keep hair and my calf doesnt need to much (he aint too bad  ) . Thanks in advance!!!!

 

[shortyjock89]

Do you do any rinsing or washing on a regular basis? That's the starting point. What do you have for fans or a shaded place to keep him?

 

[tipmover]

Ok get your notebook out lol, I just went through this with my calves.  Your calf is shedding, it is what his body is telling him to do because it is starting to get warmer.  The first thing you need to do is comb, comb, and do some more combing.  Use a curry comb, scrub brush, show comb, anything that will take the hair out that wants to come out.  He will keep shedding until you get all his old hair out.  So keep combing on him.  It took me around a week to get all my heifers dead hair all out. 

Once you get all the old hair out then the new stuff can start coming in.  It will take some time, but with washing, combing, and a somewhat cool environment, his hair will start growing back.  I recommend using a roto brush from sullivans, it is the same as the rice brush only bigger and does a better job.  Working the hair is key to getting it to grow.

Hope this helps.

 

[sizzler14]

along with the combing, the washing, the blowing, a lot of it boils down to something that can ruin all of it and that point is the sunlight. Dont let your calf in the sun. We put our calves in the cooler at 5:30am ad turn them out at 9pm. if the night air is not below 60, there are days we dont even turn them out because its above 60. You can make a calf almost believe its late fall time by doing this. its something so simple but a lot of people will turn their calves out at 7pm or when its 70 degress during the night and no matter what you have done all day, a lot of it is still for nothing if you let them out early or when its above 60

 

[grandchamp58]

That sound like good advice, thanks! I rinse him on a regular basis and have used the shedding comb and he has been growing some tough new hairs (They are a pain to train!)