Clipping

[BCCC]

How do you guys clip your calves butts(for a lack of better terms)?? Like on the sides of your tails? How high up do you start and how far down do you go? Different from steers to heifers? Would you do it different if you were trying to make them look thicker? I am just looking for different oppions. Thanks

 

[Eberth]

The thinner the tail the stouter the calves look. For me it all just depends on the calf as to how far to go down on the tail.

 

[TJ]

How do you guys clip your calves butts(for a lack of better terms)?? Like on the sides of your tails? How high up do you start and how far down do you go? Different from steers to heifers? Would you do it different if you were trying to make them look thicker? I am just looking for different oppions. Thanks

Here is an opinion from a non-expert...  

It's kind of hard for me to describe without showing you, but you probably already know all of this.  Find the top of the twist & that is where you start.  Clip up the tail & get real close, but don't go quite all the way to the tailhead.  Clip the tail into a v shape up by the tailhead.  Clip the tail straight when viewed from the side & slightly (key word being slightly) round the highest point above the tail head so that it looks natural & is not a sharp point.  I take all the hair off the backside of the tail.  Either cut the tail switch off even with the hock or the navel, depending upon the animal & whatever looks better.  I mostly cut it even with the navel.  Clip the butt itself from the tail going outward.  Also, if I have time & the tails are really hairy, I like to cut the front of the tail from the top of the twist down to the switch, down to about 5/8 or 3/4 of an inch about 2 weeks before the show, but I leave the sides as long as possible.  Doing that makes them look straighter when viewed from behind.  On some cattle I've started at a point different than the top of the twist, but that is very rare.  All depends upon the calf.

Wish that I could show you rather than explain it.  But, again, I am no expert.  

Hope that helps.              

 

[bcosu]

in theory they are supposed to have big square butts from both the side and behind so you want to flatten them from the rear. use medium blades and go one blade width from the twist up to the tail head right beside the tail on both sides right where you can tell where the hair really starts growing. the twist is then your marker for how close you can clip everything else. you need to clip straight out to the sides of their butt. this should make them look flatter and bigger. don't round it at all just go straight out.

 

[BCCC]

in theory they are supposed to have big square butts from both the side and behind so you want to flatten them from the rear. use medium blades and go one blade width from the twist up to the tail head right beside the tail on both sides right where you can tell where the hair really starts growing. the twist is then your marker for how close you can clip everything else. you need to clip straight out to the sides of their butt. this should make them look flatter and bigger. don't round it at all just go straight out.

Okay Thats what I have been doing for the past year so I guess I didnt need to doubt myself lol. Thanks for your input all of you!