I think that shortyisqueen has again nailed this question about hair, and I think her answer is very accurate. I also agree that too much hair can be an issue in the real world in regards to fertility issues.
I am sure many of you have noticed that the most fertile cows in your herd are the ones that start to shed their winter hair the earliest in the spring. I am thinking this may be a hormone thing, but it certainly seems that the females that you see the hair( especially along the midline of the back) shedding, are almost always the first to calve the next year. Those females that hold their hair well into the warmer spring and summer weather, are usually the hardest ones to get in calf... and are also usually the hardest ones to catch in heat. I find that my real hairy heifers almost drive me crazy, trying to catch them in heat. I really believe there is a correlation between the amount of hair and fertility issues.
Here in Canada, as well as many parts of the northern US, we like to see good hair on our breeding stock. A good hair coat is important to help an animal maintain itself in our cold winter months. But as I have said in many previous posts, I think almost every trait we can breed into our animals is best in " optimum" amounts... and this includes hair. If you have ever tried to sell a bull to Australia, one of the first questions you will be asked is " how much hair does the animal have?". Not only are the Aussies concerned about the amount of hair an animal has because of their environment, but they believe too much hair will result in reduction in fertility in their herds. I have had Aussie breeders tell me that certain US and Canadian bulls did not work in their country because their daughters were too hairy and as a result, oftentimes came in open after the breeding season... and were culled. If you look at Australian breeders advertisements, they oftnetimes promote their bulls as being " slick coated". As I mentioned, this is partly due to their environment... and partly due to their believe that slick haired cattle are more fertile.
Hair is a real part of the " clubby " world. As shortyisqueen has mentioned it is an economic issue. In the clubby world, the only real days that really count are the days you walk your animal into the show ring, so you want to have as much impact as possible, as first impressions can make a difference to the results you end up with. Oftentimes, we see posts on here about cool rooms, rinsing your animal two or three times a day etc etc etc. None of these topics have any logic in the real world, but they make perfect sense in the clubby world. This does not mean that one or the other is right. Both can be right. Where the problems occur is when people try to use clubby logic in a real world setting.... or real world logic in a clubby setting.
Unfortunately, too many people think that because a heifer has had a great show career, she should be a great donor for all parts of the beef industry. It could well be that she may be a great producer of show oriented stock. It may well be that this same female is virtually worthless as a producer of offspring that will work in commercial beef herds. There are some that can do both.... and this is why I almost always object when I see posts that say that show bloodlines... or show animals will not work in the real world. Some simply won't... but some can. This is not a black or white issue. The real problem is that too many people do not understand enough about structure and fertility, and how these two things work together.
Hair is important in both worlds. Here in Canada, a feeder calf with hair will bring more at the sale barn than a slick animal. We regularly got as much as 10 cents more per pound for our Charolais steers that had " good hair" than we did for the slick haired steers. Oftentimes, the hairy animals seem to be a little looser hided cattle and they tend to flesh easier and finish faster. Again, this is not a hard fast rule.. but a general one.Many of the original European breeds like the Limousin, Blonde, and even Maines, did not have much hair. North American breeders have worked hard to breed some hair into these breeds, and today you will cattle from these breeds with excellent hair.Hair is an important trait to a feedlot operator. Feedlot operators have little or no concern about fertility issues. Fertility is of utmost importance to the producer, so again we see there are areas where two worlds clash. This is why I have come to the conclusion that somewhere in this mix, there has to be some area of common ground... or " optimum conditions".
