slick shows

[knabe]

our county is adding a slick show this year, and eliminating hair show next year, so slick only starting next year.


local semen rep/ai breeder, said bulls used are going to change from blacks because they just don't look as good slick compared to non-slick.


what are your thoughts?

 

[jconner2088]

Smoke colored tend to do the winning down here in texas slicked. I have aeen some really good black slivk calves vut hard to come by. Hard to see that black when it is all slicked off and not fit to a 9

 

[Tallcool1]

Black and Slick don't go together at all.

I personally hate slick shows as well as blow and go.  The biggest learning opportunity for cattle selection revolves around fitting.  We went to ONE blow and go show and we were done after that. 

Why any show official would eliminate fitting is beyond me.  Might as well just go to the pen of 3 deal and call it good.  Just feed them out, load them up, have them judged, and call it a day. 

 

[knabe]

Why any show official would eliminate fitting is beyond me.

they want to make it "fair" for the people who can't or won't for any number of reasons.


least common denominator. those people took over the fairs, or listened to enough people who kept losing, participation went down, etc., so they had to do something so that the losers could fool themselves into thinking they were going to win just because those evil fitters keep winning.

 

[knabe]

maybe they should just get rid of halters too.


maybe just have a judging contents, so that those who don't want to own one can think they are going to win.


just make the whole thing virtual and upside down.


maybe if someone wins, ban them forever.

 

[knabe]

think american sniper is going to see some popularity at the slicks?

 

[PCJR21]

Our county fair is slick and has been for as long as I can remember.

The last 5 of 6 winner have been a color close to Orange....

We have 60-80 steers on a normal year. Normally we will have very few colored steers entered. IM NOT SAYING ORANGE OR COLORED CATTLE ALWAYS WIN! But when you look at black slick steers all day you tent to fall in love with the cool colorful ones.

If you get the hide right they really glow.....

That being said.
If you want to try for black slick cattle I would go with” heat wave” or you could try HORN livestock bull “return to gold” when bred to black cows you will get black calves unless the cow has a recessive Red gene.

I personally bred for slick cattle and I personally try no to get black ones... but that’s just me...

 

[CRS]

Knabe one of your California cohorts has the Chute Side podcast and they have had a great deal of discussion with their guests about slick vs hair shows. Very interesting perspectives. The families that win a lot now will win a lot without hair. It’s not just the haircut, there is so much more to it. Good thread though.

 

[HGC]

The chute side podcast talking about slick vs haired shows is definitely worth listening to.  They do a great job of covering both sides of the issue and actually present some data on who is winning.  It is on their April 14, 2020 podcast.

 

[Steve123]

Fitting is the great equalizer.  The divide between the people that work on their cattle every day and the people that don't is way more obvious at a no fit show.  I don't know how much money Sullivan's, Weavers, Andis and Lister give to support livestock shows. What would be the incentive for them if there was no fitting. For many of those shows to happen that support is essential.

If you want to increase participation, schools need to remove the penalties for absence.  Our school district has a policy if you have more than 5 unexcused absences you may get a visit from a social worker.  The other thing that shows can do is shorten the amount of time that you need to be in the barn for a show.  Being at a show for 4 days really increases the cost of showing and puts a big burden on parents that work.

 

[vc]

Knabe, they talked about that in our county as well, "to even the playing field" make it fair for all the kids. Only thing was it would not change the out come of the fair, the kids who purchased good haired steers and put in the work on them, would buy good slick sheared cattle and put in the work on them. Flat haired, cattle who have not had the hair worked would still look poorer than cattle who have had their worked.
We have always heard it takes a great colored calf to win a haired show and an even greater black one to win a slick show.

We also have a small fair that happens about 3 weeks after out county fair, the went to slick for the same reasons, last I heard the are back to blow and go.

 

[Chuck Wagon]

I'm not understanding about the playing field being even.  I think getting a slick sheer steer ready for show is harder than a hair fitted show.  I believe Ryan Rash confirmed this as well in his podcast.

 

[knabe]

listening to pod cast now


so far, in huge texas etc shows, slick levels the playing field as there are way more competitive families.


out here in CA, the talent pool drops off pretty fast.


colleges used to show but not anymore.  so sad.


maybe people got tired of cal poly slo winning every time.

 

[mark tenenbaum]

Fitting is the great equalizer.  The divide between the people that work on their cattle every day and the people that don't is way more obvious at a no fit show.  I don't know how much money Sullivan's, Weavers, Andis and Lister give to support livestock shows. What would be the incentive for them if there was no fitting. For many of those shows to happen that support is essential.

If you want to increase participation, schools need to remove the penalties for absence.  Our school district has a policy if you have more than 5 unexcused absences you may get a visit from a social worker.  The other thing that shows can do is shorten the amount of time that you need to be in the barn for a show.  Being at a show for 4 days really increases the cost of showing and puts a big burden on parents that work./// (clapping) (clapping) (thumbsup) <party> <rock>

 

[Chuck Wagon]

Likewise, with slick steers you can tell if kids took had a good daily hair care program or not.  When you slick it off a week before the show, that exposes everything.  Signs of fungus, ant bites, scar from an accident and even blemishes from scratching.  That is what makes daily hide care so important.  Once you have a two hour drive to Houston, then you have to sit in trailer line 10-12 hours in unpredictable weather and mainly heat where they can lose 50 to 100 lbs.  At this point you can see all the imperfections in a drawn up hide so you need to get the steer hydrated and pray that they will eat.  It is a constant struggle to get fluids back in the steer so he looks fresh and healthy going into the show ring. 
A fitted show like Fort Worth is no different but you can still hide and shape imperfections by moving hair around.
Fitted or slick, you still have to have the knowledge to get the steer ready and it's invaluable to have someone with the experience on your team.  I do feel for the kids that do not have the parental or Ag Teacher involvement and have seen them shown up with a terrible hide.

 

[knabe]

I do feel for the kids that do not have the parental or Ag Teacher involvement and have seen them shown up with a terrible hide.

maybe have a show where there is no placement. you just show up, someone slaps your steer, you pay a bunch of people to shake your hand, pay some people to look disappointed they didn't win that didn't even participate and just keep going from there.


i have no idea why the latest generations hate competition and unequal outcome.


it's interesting all the subtleties that are coming out with the slick shows. 


pretty cool.

 

[knabe]

do the legs have to be slicked as well?

 

[Chuck Wagon]

100% slicked off and yes, they do look like chicken legs.  We use a Wide 10 and the better the hide, the less dry skin you get.  You don't get to hide any lack of bone.