Pink Heifer!

[katie_k]

ok so this is the 100th aniversary of my county fair and i am showing a pure white heifer.  I was thinking what i could do to bring attention to the cattle barn and to my ffa group. I thought that maybe i would dye my heifer pink. Just the spray stuff that washes out right away like kids get done at parties and carnivals. what do you think of the idea? It wouldnt stain her hair would it? i wouldnt spray her til after i was done showing.thanks for your input

 

[Cattle7]

I would be scared to dye her pink. I feel like its a little extreme & it may not wash out like it does on humans. Last year at our county we wanted to do something to attract to the beef barn so we decorated stalls! It was a hit.

 

[justintime]

Several years ago at a local fair they had a purple cow. Amazing just how many people came through the gates just to see it!

 

[katie_k]

well see thats the thing we have always decorated our stalls and you dont think just that stuff that comes in a can wouldnt wash out?

 

[Ms Ray]

I would do a test run at home way before fair to make sure it washes out also check your rule book.

 

[OLD WORLD SHORTIE]

I say just make her look good and let kids take pictures with her, or touch her.
Make it safe, make it classy, charge 5 bucks.

 

[justintime]

I say just make her look good and let kids take pictures with her, or touch her.
Make it safe, make it classy, charge 5 bucks.

Yes, very good comment. In this day and age, you have to consider the loony fringe and how they will react. The purple cow I mentioned occurred long before people thought it was cool to hug a tree.

 

[flacowman]

Our county show is always right around halloween so we do a costume class.  Kids put hats and fabric drapes on their calves and there is always lots of glitter, just DON'T use adhesive of any kind, plenty will stick with nothing at all.  One year I had a heifer that you could not scare with anything on this earth, so after the show we did pictures on her back or standing with her (she was tied with me holding the kids on her back the whole time and between her and the people standing with her no matter what.  We charged a dollar and made over 900 dollars through the week with her alone.  I would check with the people who run your facility about this first and also with your advisor/4h leader beforehand because there is a lot of potential liability in that and you could possibly end up on the bad end of a lawsuit if something does go wrong and your calf hurts anyone by some freak accident.  I would say your best bet is to let people pet her and any other calves that are gentle enough (and their owners are willing) and charge a dollar per calf that they pet or 5 to enter the barn or something  (pop) (pop) (pop)

 

[frostback]

What would the procedes go towards if you did charge? With the economy as it is today I would not be charging for anything when you are trying to put AG.  in a good light and get more interest.

 

[katie_k]

im not in it to charge anything. I just want to use it as a cute novelty thing to bring atteniton to the barns and the fair and the shows.  And shes kinda a mommas girl and isnt that ok with other ppl handeling her so i think that letting others handel her is not safe. but just so they could walk through and be like "hey look a pink cow!"

 

[PaFFA Proud]

I think its a neat idea and it will bring more people to see the animals when say some teenager girls are talking about the pink cow in the barn they seen while getting a funnel cake, while their is an older woman behind them whos idea of fair is BINGO listens in and then goes tell her BINGO gals, and they make their way to the cattle barns. It will spread like wild fire. As with the color I think it will be safe if its sprayed on lightly but if you want a brighter hot pink I would put on conditioner when washing then apply the hair paint. The silicones in the conditoner wont allow the colors to penetrate into the hair shaft making her semi-permenant pink. Good Luck and I understand your thought on getting more people into the barns. Most people at our fair only come for the pulls

 

[flacowman]

i might just stick with glitter, it'll take a few rinses to get it all out but it won't hurt her a bit and will dress her up some.

 

[savaged]

If it is after you show then do it.  It will be fun, and it will wear off if it does not wash off.   If we had "permanent dye" believe me the black color would sell out in a hurry.

Go for it and enjoy being young!

 

[katie_k]

Thanks for all the positive feed back! im happy to see that people get where im comming from. Would pink be the color to choose? i thought it was a little lighter so it would be easier to get out. what do you think?

 

[flacowman]

my other choice would be blue because if it did stain it might not be as noticeable and would hopefully fade quickly.  If you found some metallic temporary spray in stuff that might be really cool too, a silver or gold calf

 

[flacowman]

or yellow maybe?

 

[Ms Ray]

pink is good right now and could possibly decorate with pink ribbons and do a whole breast cancer theme.

 

[aandtcattle]

A couple of years ago at our county fair, a girl painted a message on the sides of her grand champion market beef.  This young lady had shown cattle at our fair since she was seven and the year she gave her steer a paint job was her final year of eligibility in 4-H.  She had won numerous trophies both in class and in showmanship and is a very well respected, well-rounded individual.  The messages said something like: "thanks for the memories Sheridan County".  It was very well received and well done.  Nobody even saw the messages until she brought the steer out to go through the sale.  It was probably the biggest "WOW" factor ever at our fair. 

 

[justme]

Just a warning it will probably stain the folicle.  Its like a blonde kids using that stuff, the hair will keep that pink hew to it.  If you plan on showing her after that I'd say don't do it.

 

[RidinHeifer]

Okay...I know about pink and purple aerosol hair paint from my ponies... If you do do this don't spray it heavy...we colored a tail completely pink and it stained some... It is all about how thick you put it on-our small stencil sprayed stuff does fine... just be easy with it and you should be fine-yes it was a white pony too.