Do you wash your cattle or am I just becoming a bit nutty?

[Roscommon Acres]

I groom our heifers, but that's because they're to be our family milk cows and I want them to be gentle. While we sit and wait for calves, it is the best thing to do to get them used to us. The steer was for a 4H show and we groomed him and actually used shampoo and conditioner once in awhile. Partly for coat care and partly just so that we would be able to at show time. We aren't big cattle people. He was our first one and we don't have any equipment so we couldn't put him in those little gates that hold their head. He had to be gentle enough to be washed, dried and clipped just while standing there tied to a tree. Needless to say, we started when he was 500 pounds, not when he was 1200 pounds!

But in all this, I read that their skin actually doesn't like a lot of shampoo. It will dry them out. So scrub away if you really want, but be careful with how much soap you actually use.

 

[Kellykidz]

Our Lowline Angus has such a broad flat back dirt just piles on her. She really looks more like a hippo than a cow. We give her baths when the layer of dirt gets thick, usually I just brush it off but every few months she needs it washed off.

 

[GLENMAR]

Here's me spraying off my old boy. I cropped me out because I was not looking cute that day.

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

Aw....He is handsome and must have appreciated a cool shower.

 

[Southern by choice]

Saw this and had to post this... some people really do groom their cattle. As a scissor specialist I LOVE THIS... Looks like cow/pyr mix to me.

www.today.com/pets/cutest-cows-ever-internet-obsesses-over-fluffy-cattle-6C10169801

 

[GLENMAR]

I would love to be able to brush mine, but they are not used to a lot of handling, and I don't want to be on the other end
of those horns. I am going to build a catch pen and shoot. Then I should be able to brush them.

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

Saw that article Southern. They are quite something aren't they? My daughter actually saw the article and sent it to me saying, "I thought you might like some of these!" I'm guessing I wouldn't like the amount of pampering time that is needed. But they are cute.

 

[Southern by choice]

Here's me spraying off my old boy. I cropped me out because I was not looking cute that day.

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/3787_bath.jpg

 

[goodhors]

We washed the 4-H calves every couple weeks or so, seemed to reduce the flies, and
helped keep the white from staining. Also helped with taming them so they were
quite accepting of handling.

They also got brushed often, which they do love! They much prefer a very stiff brush
and really lean into it. We also screwed a couple stiff broom heads to the edge of the feeder
and cattle would brush and rub on the broom bristles to get their itches taken care of.
Kind of "self-grooming" of their various parts, heads, chins, both sides and haunches,
which was pretty funny to watch as they contorted themselves to reach the itchy places.

I don't think you are nuts, I hate seeing poop encrusted animals, so I also would be
doing something to get that off them. We only had a couple at a time, not a herd
of cattle which you probably couldn't keep up with in cleaning.

 

[Briard'nSheep]

Growing up my friends parents had an organic dairy farm. After the moms were separated from the calves we would go in and groom them. I am sure it "prepared" the calves somewhat for becoming a dairy cow. The adults had brushes and special areas to rub on, i don't remember if they got any special grooming in between milking
Those cows were quite tame too, licked your hands and everything

(yeah, probably because of a bunch of 6-14 year old girls brushing them each day when they were little!!)