Making Hair pop

[LostFarmer]

We have been working hair for the last 2 months.  Fair is in 2 weeks.  Our version of working hair is to rinse and brush twice a day.  We are located at 6000 feet elevation and most nights we get into the 40's some low 50's and an occasional upper 30's.  Days hit 80 on a real hot one but 70's are the norm.  Steers are kept with fans on and in the barn but it is by no means dark.  We are not using any products on the hair just good cold well water and rinsing until they get a hump in their back.  We have started blowing them out just the past week.  The hair is not overly long but it is there.  The calves have about as much leg hair as the angus in them will allow.  The problem is how do we make it pop out.  We started brushing forward and 3 weeks ago went at a 45 and now up but the hair is just not where I would like to see it.  I hear of liniments and other items to make it pop.  What should we use?  LF

 

[Trails End Ranch]

For popping hair for show dya we use a mixture of 1/3 kleen sheen, 1/3 lininiment, and 1/3 lectric shave (aftershave). Works real good to get the hair to pop, although you do have to blow it in for awhile but once you do you will be impressed. I have never used it for daily use though.

 

[coachmac]

We are BIG roto-brushers.  There is a diagram at this link.... it is in the Hall of Fame section and posted byTotten Club Calves. 

http://www.steerplanet.com/bb/index.php?topic=14591.0

We daily groom our heifers using this basic diagram and have had success with it.... but we had great success when we picked up a roto.  I try to move around the calf ....  do one side with roto and use blower on the other then the next day rotate.  Sometimes you can make their skin really sensitive if you roto a certain spot to much.  the best way for us to get hair to pop is elbow grease!  It takes time but hang in there!  Oh... go to your local WalMart or Harbor Freight......basically buy the cheapest plug in drill they have ($20) the roto is $25-30.  You can have a "kit" that would cost you much more through a catalog.  I am not a fan of cordless drills for that either.  Heavy and no longevity!  Good luck!

 

[BCCC]

Brush that hair till your arm falls off, leave them under fans, then take your blower and blow them off some so that hair gets lifted off the hide. If you don't give that hair some volume with the blower that hair basically puts a blanket on that calf with the hair stuck to it and keeps in heat. You have good conditions to grow hair(as far as getting cool and it not getting about 70 normally. You have two problems that I see right away. 1. Get them in the dark, you could have awesome hair if they were in the dark with your weather. 2. Put back what you take away. What I mean is, when you rinse and dry and all that, put some oil back in their hair. You can use laser seen/kleen sheen and vinegar in the hair to condition it and keep dandruff at bay. Also one of my favorites is Hair Moisturizer by Healthy Hair Care, it contains lanolin and doesn't weigh down the hair like revive or final bloom. Its cheap too, $10 bucks to make a gallon of what basically works like Zoom Bloom(I think better)

On show day, I would cover them in a good coat of shaving cream and brush it in super good, then take your blower, and blow for AT LEAST 15 minutes(each side), that will put some set to the shaving cream, and give the hair some body. Do not put Final Bloom or revive in them on show day as it will make the hair heavy and want to lay down.  You can some kleen sheen and mix it with about 1/4- 1/2 rubbing alcohol/Listerine, and the alcohol in it will chill the hide and make the hair pop(kind of like goose bumps) Try some of that at home to see how it works.

I however disagree with coachmac, I love to use a cordless drill with my roto brush. The roto brush is a must have for growing/ training hair. Use it lots, EVERYWHERE, body, top, tail head, insides of legs, outside, just NOT the tail!! It ends badly...trust me I know!

 

[coachmac]

LOL  BCCC - you must be still working on those arms for the gun show!  ;D

 

[BCCC]

Something like that haha. But really, I have had bad luck with corded drills, seem to break the end off the brush when I use them, also I HATE cords, I have like a phobia of cords around the chute lol. Get a cheap drill(black and decker/skill) Yes they don't last forever, but they are light, and only like 30 bucks.

 

[AAOK]

Once we used Sullivan's Final Bloom, that's all we ever used for Show preparation.  My daughter would spend about 20 minutes on each side blowing it in until every hair was "popped".

My secret formula for daily hair care was 1/2 gal Kleen Sheen + 1 bottle Wintergreen Alcohol + 1 large tube of Mega Hold Hair Gel + 2cc concentrated Fly Spray.  Fill the rest of the gallon bottle 7/8 full and shake very vigorously.  We would spray this on after rinsing morning and evening and brush in with the Rice Root brushes.  In the mornings, the calves were tied in the barn wet under the fans.  At night, they were turned out wet.  The only time we used the Blowers was for clipping, and show prep.  Even in the 100+ degree Oklahoma Summers we never got beat on hair, or grooming. 

No blower, or Roto can beat a strong arm with a rice root brush.