Heatwave hair

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reno1014

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Nov 26, 2007
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166
We just bought a new Heatwave calf.  We have never had a hair calf before.  His hair is kinda kinky in places and kinda long in others.
What is a good routine for hair like this and what is it sopposed to look like?  How often do you use soap to wash their hair? By kinky I mean
REALLY kinky, almost wiry.
 

BCCC

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I would wash with soap once a week. I would rinse at leats once a day, and 3 times in the summer. I would blow it all forward and brush alot. use kleen sheen daily
 

reno1014

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Nov 26, 2007
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166
Is their hair sopposed to be that kinky?  Kinda like a really bad perm O0.
 

BCCC

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NO, it should be fairly straight I will go get pictures of what the hair should look like
 

showgoer

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Feb 25, 2008
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It sounds like your calf has really GOOD hair, and there is a difference between long hair and GOOD hair.  Just think of it in terms of women's hair.  Women always want more volume and body to their hair ~ that's why companies sell all those shampoos and conditioners.  Anyone can grow long hair, if the genetics are there to allow it.  The frizzy, kinky, afro like hair that stands on end alll the time will allow you to hide the animals faults and accentuate their strengths.  Long, straight hair can lay flat and is much harder to clip.  Even if you blow like crazy and get that long hair to stand on end, it will eventually start to fall down especially when you are in the ring at a county or state fair in July/August and it's 90 degrees out.  The ideal situation is to have the frizzy type hair and grow it as long as you can so you still have the length to build the legs and make them look massive from behind.  Shampoo once a week making sure you get all of the soap out, rinse at least everyday, you can never blow or brush too much, and don't forget to condition the hair.  Whether it's a daily product like Kleen Sheen, Laser Sheen, or good old Rag Oil or a conditioner you put on after rinsing like Mane and Tail.  If you are keeping the calf in a cooler, I have found it impossible to overcondition the hair.  The cooler really drys out the skin and hair and even if you get them a little greasy, you can always wash that out quickly before clipping or going to a show.  Hope this helps!
 

Jill

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Jan 20, 2007
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Gardner, KS
O0, gotta love that Heat Wave hair, that hair is the best you can buy, be thankful and keep well conditioned!
 

reno1014

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Nov 26, 2007
Messages
166
I had no Idea.  We have only shown a steer last year and he didnt have "hair" like yall talk about on here.    To tell you how much I know I thought they all came "broke" to lead, geez was I wrong!  I also learned the hard way what "blow and show" meant.  Someone needs to write a book
"how to raise a show steer for dummies".  Nearly everything I know I learned from reading yalls posts.  I appreciate all the advice, I need
all the help I can get. :)))  Speaking of that, what about when they jump in the air and try to fly when your trying to lead them?  This calf can
jump nearly as high as my head! 
 

BCCC

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Jan 6, 2008
Messages
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Location
Hillsboro, TX
reno1014 said:
I had no Idea.  We have only shown a steer last year and he didnt have "hair" like yall talk about on here.    To tell you how much I know I thought they all came "broke" to lead, geez was I wrong!  I also learned the hard way what "blow and show" meant.  Someone needs to write a book
"how to raise a show steer for dummies".  Nearly everything I know I learned from reading yalls posts.   I appreciate all the advice, I need
all the help I can get. :)))  Speaking of that, what about when they jump in the air and try to fly when your trying to lead them?  This calf can
jump nearly as high as my head! 
when they do that pull their head down, The heifer a sent you a picture of used to do that and now she is just fine.
 

showgoer

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Feb 25, 2008
Messages
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You can probably look at some other posts on here about breaking calves but I'll try giving you a few ideas.  First of all, the earlier the better because the calf will be smaller and easier to handle.  Every calf has it's own attitude, some will be stubborn and some will want to run.  Some will be fairly calm and settle down quickly and others might never settle down and be nervous in any environment ~ it's just their disposition.  For me, there is nothing worse than one that won't walk when trying to break them to lead.  I would much rather pull on one, have it lurch forward and then have to slow him down than dragging one around with all four legs locked up and his rear about an inch off the ground(anyone who has ever experienced this knows what I mean!)  I'll list things we have done or I have seen done and if you have any questions about them, let me know:
Use a chain halter instead of a rope halter.  The rope halter will clamp down on their nose and jaw and not loosen up like a chain will when they do move forward releasing the pressure.  Adjust the halter so the nose strap is high up on their nose, not far down almost ready to slip off.  Make sure the lead is long enough to have both hands on it so you have good leverage but not a 20 foot horse lead that you/calf will trip over.  The chain is also a little more "aggressive" on their jaw making it a little sore so they'll respond better when pulled on.  For real stubborn or ornery boogers you can get a breaking halter (Big Jim or something similar).  We have one that has what looks like barbed wire woven through the chain which they respond to quickly.
Walk him behind another calf/cow that is broke.  Some just don't like going first.  Make sure you also have someone following him all the time so that when he does jump forward, they can slap/push/twist his tail to keep him moving.  Don't be scared of him.  He is just adjusting to something new ~ not trying to hurt you.  Calves can sense when someone is nervous and it will cause them to be nervous.
We have tied calves to an big old tame cow that was shown herself and used her to help get a calf to move smoothly.  Tie the calf's halter to the cows halter on the show side of the cow.  Still have someone tail the calf.  The cow is alot stronger/bigger than you and I and if she leads well she'll pull that calf along with her and the calf will be more comfortable with another animal by it's side.  Don't use a cow that is newly settled or close to birthing because the calf could bang the cow around a little and we don't want any abortions.
Along the same lines is using a donkey.  We have only done it once with one that we never thought we'd get broke.  Again tie the calf to the donkey's halter but we didn't lead the donkey around.  We turned them out in the lot for a few days.  The calf learns that it drinks when the donkey drinks.  It eats when the donkey eats.  It lays down and it moves when the donkey does or the donkey tends to unleash a few bites to the neck or kicks to the rear end!  So when there is a tug on that halter, it better move or else.  Plus you aren't the one the calf dislikes at the end of the day!  It's very important that you keep a close eye on them though so they don't get tangled up or the donkey gets too rough with the calf.
We've also used a truck/tractor.  It's very important that there is no way the calf can lurch into the rear end of the tractor/truck or get tangled up in the rear wheels.   I've seen a setup that attached to the tractor hitch that went back and had a horizontal pipe to tie the calf to.  I've seen a similar setup that attached to the 3 point hitch.  I've also seen a similar setup that attached to a Reese hitch receptor on the back of a pickup.  We have a frame from an old grain drill with the boxes taken off.  We then have three 2 x 12's stacked on top of each other that run the width of the drill.  This creates a sort of wall that they can't get over,under, or around.  There are holes drilled in the top board to run the halter through and tie the calf up.  We use a tractor because it is easy to keep a steady speed and we start out real slow with someone tailing the calf.  The calf will put on the brakes, lurch, put on the brakes, lurch and so on until he gets tired and starts walking.  Then we'll speed the tractor up a little so the calf is walking at the same pace it will be shown at.  After he gets comfortable, we move someone up by the calf, walking beside him and eventually having their hand on the lead.  After several sessions of this, we eliminate the tractor and drill frame and give it a shot by hand.  We've had about a 95% success rate with this method on calves that we couldn't put a halter on and lead fairly easily the first couple times.
Again I hope this helps and good luck!
 

BCCC

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Jan 6, 2008
Messages
2,087
Location
Hillsboro, TX
showgoer said:
Along the same lines is using a donkey.  We have only done it once with one that we never thought we'd get broke.  Again tie the calf to the donkey's halter but we didn't lead the donkey around.  We turned them out in the lot for a few days.  The calf learns that it drinks when the donkey drinks.  It eats when the donkey eats.  It lays down and it moves when the donkey does or the donkey tends to unleash a few bites to the neck or kicks to the rear end!  So when there is a tug on that halter, it better move or else.  Plus you aren't the one the calf dislikes at the end of the day!  It's very important that you keep a close eye on them though so they don't get tangled up or the donkey gets too rough with the calf.
We've also used a truck/tractor.  It's very important that there is no way the calf can lurch into the rear end of the tractor/truck or get tangled up in the rear wheels.   I've seen a setup that attached to the tractor hitch that went back and had a horizontal pipe to tie the calf to.  I've seen a similar setup that attached to the 3 point hitch.  I've also seen a similar setup that attached to a Reese hitch receptor on the back of a pickup.  We have a frame from an old grain drill with the boxes taken off.  We then have three 2 x 12's stacked on top of each other that run the width of the drill.  This creates a sort of wall that they can't get over,under, or around.  There are holes drilled in the top board to run the halter through and tie the calf up.  We use a tractor because it is easy to keep a steady speed and we start out real slow with someone tailing the calf.  The calf will put on the brakes, lurch, put on the brakes, lurch and so on until he gets tired and starts walking.  Then we'll speed the tractor up a little so the calf is walking at the same pace it will be shown at.  After he gets comfortable, we move someone up by the calf, walking beside him and eventually having their hand on the lead.  After several sessions of this, we eliminate the tractor and drill frame and give it a shot by hand.  We've had about a 95% success rate with this method on calves that we couldn't put a halter on and lead fairly easily the first couple times.
Again I hope this helps and good luck!

DITTO, I do both of those, I have a CRAZY CRAZY steer on one of my jack's, and They have only been together for a day, and that steer is already starting to figure it out.  HOWEVER, I would not do it to an expenisve calf, or one that you are about to show with a week or two. I have seen donkey's bite a calf's ear off before,

The tractor also works, but need to have something to keep them out of the wheels
 

Clubcalfshowgirl

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Joined
Mar 17, 2007
Messages
144
reno1014 said:
I had no Idea.  We have only shown a steer last year and he didnt have "hair" like yall talk about on here.    To tell you how much I know I thought they all came "broke" to lead, geez was I wrong!  I also learned the hard way what "blow and show" meant.  Someone needs to write a book
"how to raise a show steer for dummies".  Nearly everything I know I learned from reading yalls posts.   I appreciate all the advice, I need
all the help I can get. :)))  Speaking of that, what about when they jump in the air and try to fly when your trying to lead them?  This calf can
jump nearly as high as my head! 

Just pull there head down and keep walking him.
I had a steer 2 years ago who did that and within a month or 2 he was walking perfectly.
 

red

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Jan 20, 2007
Messages
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Location
LaRue, Ohio
I use Infusium's leave in conditioner for really kinky hair. I dilute it w/ white vinegar & spray it in & brush. Used about every other day. Also Woolite works for getting those kinks out. Same as the conditioner, dilute it down but rinse out.

Red
 

reno1014

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Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
166
Yesterday we tied him up to a pickup and he walked fairly well, after a few leaps and tugs.  He was kinda raw under the chin, but now his
chin is sore.  Is there a way to do this without tearing up his chin and jaw?  I feel sorry for him, as it looks like it hurts.  I noticed on my
sons show calf last year that he has a calluse under there.  Is this normal?  Should I wrap a cloth under there? 
 

red

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Jan 20, 2007
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LaRue, Ohio
there are special wraps for halters. A poly one & also a lambswool like one. Sullivan's has them. Or use vet tape to wrap. Try not to keep the halter on all the time. JMO.

Red
 

red

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Location
LaRue, Ohio
I wonder about a conditioner for frizzy hair? I've seen some on the market. Look in the hair care aisle.

Red
 
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