As the weather turns warm, and students begin their summer break, many think of spending their days in the sun at the pool or going on vacations. As for livestock kids, that is when the real work begins. The warm weather marks the beginning of the summer show season, full of regional and national shows. While summer shows can arguably be some of the most fun shows for exhibitors, with the extra contests and activities they get to partake in during the show week, they can also be the hardest to prepare for. Therefore, we have compiled a list of tips and tricks for exhibitors for this upcoming summer show season.
1. Dead Hair Removal
Before one can really start to work and train your cattle’s hair for summer, you must first remove all the dead hair. While it may be tempting to try and keep all the hair on your cattle as possible, the dull, dingy-looking hair must go. For black cattle that can also be hair that has taken on a brown/red appearance. Leaving in the dead hair will prevent fresh new hair from growing, leaving your animal looking dull and stale come show day.
2. Train New Hair
Once you have all the dead hair removed, it is important to train the new hair that is beginning to grow. Untrained hair can leave a similar unappealing look on show days as dead hair. One of the best ways to train new hair is by brushing it forward with a rice root brush after washing your cattle before you blow them out or put them under the fans. Remember, that any time you are working hair on an animal, whether that be blowing them off or combing them up, always direct that hair forward in the direction you want it to lay.
3. Brush, Brush, Brush
Just like human hair, you want to condition your cattle’s hair as well. When cattle are in the barn leading up to your summer shows, their hair should be conditioned. Everyone has their favorite brand they like to use, so find the product within that line that works for conditioning cattle hair. Use your sheen daily and work it into the hide and hair by brushing or blowing it in. This conditioning of the hair will help new hair to grow and for the hair to look fresh at the show.
4. Keep the Barn Clean
Having a clean pen or cooler room will make the daily care of cattle easier. Having a clean space for your cattle can also benefit hair growth. After working your cattle’s hair, and getting it to lay correctly, the last thing you want is for your cattle to then lay down in dirty wet areas that defeat the purpose of all the hard work you just did.
5. Sunlight
Sunlight can also affect the growth of your cattle’s hair. With longer, sunnier days beginning in the spring and leading into the summer, it is important to keep your cattle in a cooler area, whether that be in the barn or in a shaded area, to trigger their body to grow hair. Make sure your cattle are tied into the barns, under fans, early in the morning before the sun shines bright. Then, the cattle should not be turned out until the sun goes down and the temperatures have cooled off.
6. Develop Feeding Routine
It’s important for cattle to have a daily consistent feeding routine. Feed your cattle individually and at the same time each day to monitor their feed intake. Cattle grow differently and their feed rations should be unique for that specific animal to meet their specific needs. If your cattle are used to eating together, try feeding them still in close quarters, but in individual pens or runs to adjust. When they are fed on a daily, consistent schedule they may also eat better. You also want to make sure the cattle have access to clean water at all times especially when they are turned out at night. Having cool water to drink will help to cool the animal and keep them on feed.
7. Exercise
It’s important for cattle to also get exercise on a daily basis, especially after being in the barn all day. Exercise could include having a large run to turn cattle out at night that allows them the space to really get out and walk. It could also be walking your cattle for a period of time before turning them into a pen at night if that pen is smaller.
8. Practice Showmanship
An important aspect to having a successful summer show season is showmanship and how your animal works at a show. Even if your cattle have already been to a show, it is still important to work on showmanship before summer shows. The more you work with your cattle the more comfortable they will get with you and the better you will work together at a show. Practicing showmanship also allows you to learn your animal’s habits, such as they like to stand stretched or keep their tail up. By learning these habits, you can begin to correct them, or learn how to adjust them when you are setting up your animal at the show.
9. Consistency is Key
One of the best ways to be successful showing in the summers is to develop a game plan and stick to it. Identify what dates are important and what your end goal is and then execute that plan daily.
10. HAVE FUN!
The most important part is to have fun. While showing and/or raising cattle teaches you valuable life lessons, it’s also about the fun and joy of the experience. It’s about bonding with your project, the places you get to go, and the lifelong friends you make along the way.
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