I know there are quite a few folks with walk-in coolers on this site. When should I put my son's steer into the cooler? His final show is the Oklahoma Youth Expo. He is sired by Eye Candy and has tons of hair. This is my first winter to have a cooler and didn't know if I should go ahead and put him in now or wait til we get closer to OYE, as long as it is cool here.
When should a steer going to OYE go into the cooler?
- Thread starter Sambosu
- Start date
Help Support Steer Planet:
The 90-100 days prior to a show technique is what I used this past summer to get my kids heifers ready for the Tulsa State Fair. Since the calf is a YAK right now, I didn't know if I should use the same routine or change it up since it is cool out.
Sambosu said:
I don't know where you are located in OK, or the details of the OYE. I believe this is a March show?
First off, I am not a fan of putting a steer in the cooler just because you have one. We have a cooler too, and only use it when we need it. If he is pretty close to fat and you have "cooled off" his ration, he may not need to go into the cooler at all. Eye Candy calves are 1/4 Galloway, and that has a huge influence on hair coat! Just remember that when you start to EASILY SEE signs of shedding, it is too late! You will not stop Mother Nature once she tells him to shuck his hair.
What I would do is rough clip the steer EXCEPT his head, so that his hair coat is shorter and he stays cooler. Use a shedding comb on him so that you can easily monitor what is going on with his hair coat. Remember that a shedding comb will only remove hair that is not attached, and will not pull healthy hair. Get him inside and under fans right now, along with rinsing and working his hair. Monitor the temperature in the show barn, and hit the cooler at the first sign of shedding or February 1, whichever is first.
I bet you don't need to actually put him on ice!
Good luck!
DLD
Well-known member
For those of you that don't know, the steer show at OYE is March 20 - 21.
You'll probably get as many different answers as there are replies. We don't actually have a cooler, so I may not have the answer either, but we'll start now trying to keep them in the shade under fans on all but the really cold, cloudy days. I'd say if you're ready to start putting them in now, go ahead. I sure wouldn't wait past the first of February. I know some people with coolers that started the first of December, and some that won't usually start 'til mid to late February
You'll probably get as many different answers as there are replies. We don't actually have a cooler, so I may not have the answer either, but we'll start now trying to keep them in the shade under fans on all but the really cold, cloudy days. I'd say if you're ready to start putting them in now, go ahead. I sure wouldn't wait past the first of February. I know some people with coolers that started the first of December, and some that won't usually start 'til mid to late February
BAILEYFARMS
Well-known member
Anytime from now till the 20th of jan. The idea is to use the cooler to keep hair this time of year not grow it. If you wait any longer you take the chance of his body realizing the days are getting longer and decide to shuck it. The big boys say Jan 1 in Ok. the year we were champ simmi we put him in on Jan 1st he turned loose of his hair two days after he showed.
[email protected]
Well-known member
The last response is very correct. Put in now in hopes you can hold the hair. Also keep in mind that lice is a big problem this time of year. If they are licking their body, they probably have lice. If you are still not fat enough, then put them in the cooler and get them fat. Getting close on time to get fat. If you have to push to get them fat then you will loose hair that way too. Good luck.
Our babies are licking their bodies a lot now. WE will use ultra boss tomorrow before they start rubbing.
Our babies are licking their bodies a lot now. WE will use ultra boss tomorrow before they start rubbing.
I think since it will get up to the 50s Monday, I will start putting him in the cooler this weekend. I also started feeding a hair supplement by Sunglo almost two weeks ago. Hopefully by getting the calf in the cooler this weekend and the supplement without melatonin, I can make sure the calf keeps his hair for OYE. Thank you all for your opinions on this topic.
simba
Well-known member
Tallcool1 said:
Awesome advice, just curious as to why you say to clip everything EXCEPT his head. Is it just to save time or is there a specific reason for it? Thanks!
DLD
Well-known member
Larissa said:
A lot of people around here have the notion that clipping their heads this time of year automatically makes them start shedding their hair. I've shown cattle my whole life - when I was in school, we clipped their heads every two weeks through the winter because we believed it kept them cooler and helped them grow hair. We showed all winter long, and never thought twice about clipping - now days you'll see very few market steers at winter jackpots down here, because everyone is afraid of losing hair. Some of the ones that are shown aren't clipped much, if at all (especially their heads), even at the county shows (which are typically 2 - 3 weeks before OYE) - almost all of which have bonus sales (just saying they do mean something to most exhibitors). Now, I'll grant you that the steers we're showing now are genetically much hairier than they were then, but other than that, nothing but the people have changed. My personal opinion - yeah, some cattle will shed out after you clip them, but some of 'em would've shed out anyway. I'll admit that the theory is so prevalent here that it gets in my head, too. So I worry some about it, too. But we bought 'em to show, fed 'em to show, and we're going to show them clipped like show cattle. I'm not going to tell anyone else it's right or wrong - just saying why I do what I do.
BTW - notice in the pictures of the Texas Tornado bull he's clipped to a T everywhere else, but not his head...
simba
Well-known member
Thanks for the info DLD!
Latest posts
-
New to showing need help with show stick- Latest: looking4champions
-
-
-
-