should he be under fans?

[Cowgurl101]

I have 2 steers that i have been brushing and rinsing about twice a day for a month now. They are still shedding hair every time i brush them( about 30-40min each per day) and im not sure why. I let them stay outside when its cloudy and under 65 degrees and am wondering if they need to be inside even when its not hot out. Also, do they need to be inside before the sun comes up? Ive heard different opinions on this. I really want my steers to grow hair, not shed it, so any tips would be great. Do you reccomend blowing them or not? Im not sure how long they should stay wet, since ive heard water can trap body heat in as well. Would just damp be ok? Thanks for the help!!

 

[shortyjock89]

It's pretty natural for them to still be shedding out now, but they should be slowing up quite a bit.  I would definitely keep them in every day, in a very dark environment if you can do it.  Definitely put them under fans, and get them in as soon as you can, because quite a bit of the hair loss comes from the calves producing less natural melatonin because of the longer days.  The longer they are in the dark, the easier it probably will be to grow hair. 

On the wet/dry issue, I think that if you have a really shaggy haired calf, it is probably best to blow them out, because those are the ones that will retain the heat.  If you have one with less hair, I would brush him out really good when he's wet, until he doesn't drip water anymore. When you get him to that point, he is probably OK to put under fans.

Good luck, growing hair in the summer is a real challenge!

 

[OH Breeder]

water when combined with air will usually drop the temperture. If you use a mister it can in the summer drop the temp 5 degrees in side. If you use chilled water it can drop it even more. I don't know that water traps heat per say. But, fans are a must when the temps start rising. We use fans year round unless the temperature is in the teens.
Brush brush is good good. A fluffer will help pull any loose hair out as you go.

 

[Turkey Creek Ranch]

If you get Livestock Plus, there is an article in it this month about brushing your calves, and them using hair. Basically, it says, that you brush and brush and rinse and rinse and the hair still comes out. This isnt a BAD thing, the hair will come back, fuller and healthier than before, and says the less exposure to extreme heat and sun the better the hair will grow. So yes, fans in the barn would be a great idea.

 

[red]

use a grill brichk to remove the old dead hair. The article in Livestock Plus was good info!

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