Herford Hair

[okcc]

I just got a herford and need help training hair. I have tried everything I know and work hair evry day. Does anyone have any tips? Thanks, Chad

 

[STX108]

This might help.....http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/extension/beef/beefu9.pdf

 

[herf96]

Hereford hair is fun to manage.  I guess that is why some are usiing some heatseekers sons to make those hereford marked ones with good hair.  On a more serious note.  While rinsing during the summer months I would do the following.  If your planning on going to jr. nationals i would have slicked the cattle a month or maybe two ago.  Start rinsing the calves two to three times a day.  After you rinse use a wash brush, rice root brush, or (rubber mat is what I call it)  and from the middle of his back to his belly brush the hair completely flat.  Avoid the tailhead for now.  After you have brushed the hair completely flat take a come and comb all the hair forward and then forward again with the rubber mat.  The come all of his hair at a forty five degree angle toward his head and neck.  The tailhead can be kind og tricky.  Go ahead and comb his tail head up like normal but if his hair is short an unruly you can part his hair between his tailhead and hip if tha makes sense.  I would not use anything in his hair except for maybe a conditioner while you are rinsing and tying under the fans.  When it gets closer to show time. I would rinse and blow dry the calf blowing the hair straight forward adding kleen sheen to his hair as he becomes dry.  As the calf has more hair you can stand off the calf once his dry and blow the hair form two foot away using sheen and make the hair pop.  I would avoid using any oily hair products.  I am not a fan of some of the oily hair products.  Kleen sheen and hours of blowing will make a huge difference.  I mean hours.  When we are getting ready for the majors in the winter we spend an average of 5-6 hours a day working hair or blowing from a distance when the calf is dry.  This is not for just a few weeks but a month in half  or so from the big one.  I know it sounds like alot of time, but it works.  I once worked for a prominant hereford person and I had his sons heifer tied to the fence after I washed and blown her hair dry I worked with it for a couple of hours and just used sheen.  His wife another prominant hereford person asked me a few days later what I did to make the heifers hair look that way.  She did not believe me when I said sheen and a couple of hours of work. Stictly blowing dry hair and working it with sheen.  Their cattle always look good and they have had their share of national champions.  I cannot express enough about what a blower, sheen and time on hereford hair will do during the winter.  In the summer use what I listed above it won't lead you wrong.  I hope this helps.

 

[DiamondS]

))  Or not so stupid   Anyway, Hereford hair can be really rewarding once you get it where you want it.  If you can get Hereford hair to look great, then I you're nearly a master!  The important thing when just starting the hair is like herf said, go straight down and then forward.  Post some pics when you get a chance!!!  And, Good luck! 

 

[Dero]

While I'm no HJereford expert with our Chifords the only way i can seem to stay ahead of the curles is to rinse constantly and make sure they are completely dry before you quit.  I also add my home made conditionor of mayonaise and lemon juice.  This is more of a creme rinse than a conditioner but it works.

 

[okcc]

Thanks for all the replies, they help ALOT!! A friend of mine actually owns the heifer and he bought her out the star lake sale this spring, she was lot 176 if you want to see her sale pic. There might be a video on the website also , i know at one point there was. Thanks again

 

[txshowlamb]

With raising Herfs for two years now their hair is so trickey! What I do and it works well is wash 2-3 times a day and brush all hair forward then blow it forward (sometimes I keep them wet and put in front of fans) But you still need to blow them out at least once a day to get the hair trained to be straight and not going every which way. In the morning I spray my steer down with Double dip and brush forward, wash at noon and brush forward keep wet. In the evening wash and then blow forward. Before you know it the hair is gonna loook beautiful!
Britt

 

[HerefordGuy]

When you do wash, use lemon Joy.  I've also heard of people using lemon jello to train the hair (but I can't remember to recipe). 

Other than that, what has already been said of brushing, combing and blowing forward is very important.  Be careful about combing straight up as you are likely to get a lot of cowlicks if the hair is not trained.  If you have a spot with a cowlick, comb that area down again and then forward again.

Just my $0.02

 

[Shady Lane]

You've been given good avice in the posts above.

I've worked on a LOT of herefords over the years and that is pretty much exactly what I do. Just be meticulous to work that hair very carfully when it's wet and make sure you get it completly dry, bruching it down until it's flat and smooth seems to be the key. Carefully comb forward and then once all forward and starting to pop some, try to get that 45 degree angle forward and up.

If you follow the sugestions given to you carefully you will have good luck.

 

[herefordfootball]

This might not be as good as the above posts but it works for me. Rinse, comb all body hair down(not leg hair) intensely with rice brush, blow foward with blower for at least 45 min to hour on each side. We also throw a little wave tamer in the hair with some sheen once the hair is dry and blow some more!!!

 

[HerefordGuy]

I've also had luck mixing liniment and Kleen Sheen.  You mix 1/3 liniment (asorbine or Sullivan's) with 2/3 Kleen Sheen. In my experience, really works well. 

 

[OLD WORLD SHORTIE]

Herford, hair funny.