Newbie Question

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Livingston

Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2009
Messages
7
Hi--

I am new to the show cattle world, but not new to show livestock.  I have a question that I was hoping someone could answer for me.  Why do  people tie their cattle out at night at cattle shows?  Probably a dumb question I was just curious. 
 

Livingston

Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2009
Messages
7
What i meant was why do they tie the cattle outside instead of leaving them in the show barn.
 

LazyGLowlines

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 7, 2008
Messages
533
I wondered that myself and 'think' it's because you can feed them somplace other than your display plus exercise to the tie-out.  No hay to clean in the display area...just my guess.
 

Doc

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Joined
Apr 13, 2007
Messages
3,636
Location
Cottontown, Tennessee
You give them exercise as you take them in & out. It also gives them a break from sometimes a harder underlayment to their bedding in the barn. Also in some barns it gives them some fresher air.
 

aggiegal

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 30, 2008
Messages
119
Location
Central Texas
We do not always do it.  It depends on the cattle we are hauling.  With heifers it's great because they are bigger and heavier and this gives them a break with a little more cushion to bed down in.  Most of the barns only have the layer of bedding and then concrete underneath.
The number one reason would be to give them some fresh air.  Most barns get a pretty heavy amonia smell, as well as dusty, once all the cattle have moved in and been there a while.
The exercise going there is good too, although we always walk ours regardless.
 

herefordfootball

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Joined
Apr 10, 2009
Messages
1,912
Location
Northern, Indiana
Personally I think its really up to the showman as wether or not to do this. We've done it once in a while, but rarely. To exercise the calves we walk them back and forth from the showring through out the day and use the showstick on them there. I dont really think its an advantage to taking your calves to tie outs. We go to the hoosier beef congress in december and people take their calves from the 55 or 60 degree barn out to the 20 to 30 degree tie outs. I'm pretty sure thats hard on your calves.
 

shortyjock89

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Joined
Mar 6, 2007
Messages
4,465
Location
IL
We always always always tie out.  It's so much easier to keep stalls neat and clean, easier on the animals, and easier on me in general!  If your calves are at all like mine, they like to make a mess when they go to bed, rolling around and junk. If I had to deal with that in the stalls, I'd probably have a fit. It's a lot easier to clean up tie outs at your leisure during the day rather than scrambling to clean them before the calves get back from the washrack in the morning.  The exercise is also great for them, since they get walked quite a bit here at home and you don't want them getting stiff at shows.  During the summer, we don't tie out until a half hour after dark, when it starts to finally cool off, and that makes us pretty much the last people in the barn, but that's ok if you bring home the purple.
 

stangs13

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 10, 2008
Messages
662
Location
Friendswood,Tx
We always use the tie outs! At houston they leave the lights in the barn on 24/7...it really messes with the heifers if you dont give them some dark to sleep in. And like everyone else said, keeps everything clean!
 
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