Do people clip the backs of cattle which are partly housed, that is fed outside on an open yard

[Timbo]

Full back, top of tail and the bottom of tail

All our housed cattle are clipped, especially the weaned calves. If you see any sweat on the shoulders or top of neck, clip them !!

Ps down the rump either side and end off tail too.

 

[Gulli]

Full back, top of tail and the bottom of tail

Do you not do the middle of their tails too?
I usually do a clippers width either side of the tail because I think it makes them look nice.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Do you not do the middle of their tails too?
I usually do a clippers width either side of the tail because I think it makes them look nice.

Sorry just seen this....I clip the end off and the top half....just keeps them cleaner over winter i think

 

[Northeastfarmer]

What do you use to cut the bottom of the tales? My clippers that I use for the back would be blunt after a couple of tails?

Just the shaver...why would it blunt them anymore than the the hair on their backs?

 

[bobajob]

I will get shot down for this- we clip their heads too.! Prob doesn’t make any difference to weight gain, but they look better and I am looking at them everyday feeding them so why not!

 

[mo!]

I will get shot down for this- we clip their heads too.! Prob doesn’t make any difference to weight gain, but they look better and I am looking at them everyday feeding them so why not!

Each to their own, I couldn't care less what they look like as long as they're growing. All sold deadweight so no-one else cares either.

 

[Agrivator]

A lot of work/On farm testimonials from the US and Canada to suggest regularly clipping replacement dairy heifers results in higher growth rates. Even when temps drop into the minus 20's! Keeping cattle cool results in higher feed intakes and thus growth rates, keeping them warm and sweaty reduces intakes and growth rates plus has been linked to increased pneumonia incidence. Unfortunately I don't think there is any peer reviewed research on the subject though.

The first trial in the UK was done by Petchey and A. N. Other at SAC Aberdeen in about 1972. It showed that there was a positive effect on liveweight gain. But I would expect the effect to be more marked in rough-coated breeds.

 

[puppet]

I will get shot down for this- we clip their heads too.! Prob doesn’t make any difference to weight gain, but they look better and I am looking at them everyday feeding them so why not!

I agree they always look nice in the market but maybe we need to get away from more labour input to working out how to put most kilos on at the lowest cost. Only a minority of suckler herds making profit before subs

 

[Whitepeak]

I will get shot down for this- we clip their heads too.! Prob doesn’t make any difference to weight gain, but they look better and I am looking at them everyday feeding them so why not!

I like to clip their heads out to, makes it a lot easier to dehorn them when you can actually see the horn and not just a tuft of hair. Also a part of me thinks that we lose a lot of heat from our heads so are cattle similar??

 

[mo!]

I like to clip their heads out to, makes it a lot easier to dehorn them when you can actually see the horn and not just a tuft of hair. Also a part of me thinks that we lose a lot of heat from our heads so are cattle similar??

The whole heat loss through your head is a myth. We lose about the same through our head as any other part of our body.

Why wait until they have so much hair that it needs clipping before dehorning?

 

[Highland Mule]

The whole heat loss through your head is a myth. We lose about the same through our head as any other part of our body.

Why wait until they have so much hair that it needs clipping before dehorning?

I dehorn same time as I tag and ring - put the paste on at a day old. Seems to be the least worst option.

 

[Whitepeak]

The whole heat loss through your head is a myth. We lose about the same through our head as any other part of our body.

Why wait until they have so much hair that it needs clipping before dehorning?

On our calves you can’t feel a horn bud when we tag at under a day old, so we can’t/daren’t use the iron then. We are also very paranoid about flies so we don’t do any during the summer, so we do them all once they are housed which is now. It’s not a big job as most pop out with the iron, even with late April/May born calves. The horns on our Blondes do seem to be very slow developing, a 6mth old calves horn is the same size as 1mth dairy calves horns. Anything born inside is done before we turn out though.

 

[Highland Mule]

On our calves you can’t feel a horn bud when we tag at under a day old, so we can’t/daren’t use the iron then. We are also very paranoid about flies so we don’t do any during the summer, so we do them all once they are housed which is now. It’s not a big job as most pop out with the iron, even with late April/May born calves. The horns on our Blondes do seem to be very slow developing, a 6mth old calves horn is the same size as 1mth dairy calves horns. Anything born inside is done before we turn out though.

Try a tube of the paste - if it works at a day, you won't need the iron. A set of beard trimmers to take the hair off a 1" square, stick a pea sized bit on the head, a strip of duct tape on top and let them go. For the price of a tube, what have you got to lose?

 

[sheep breeder]

All our housed cattle are clipped, especially the weaned calves. If you see any sweat on the shoulders or top of neck, clip them !!

Ps down the rump either side and end off tail too.

Do all the cows down the rump for calving and for Ai. Cattle are like ourself by sweating out through the back bone.

 

[johnflimston]

I have never clipped cattle backs but sounds like I should. What do you do? A couple of stripes the full length of the back? Could I use my shearing machine (longhorn 3.2, runs off battery) , normal handpiece, just put on a cattle comb?

Don't bother with cattle blades unless your showing them, standard wide shearing comb is fine.

 

[shearerlad]

 

[Weasel]

I will get shot down for this- we clip their heads too.! Prob doesn’t make any difference to weight gain, but they look better and I am looking at them everyday feeding them so why not!

I do the same, and trim their ears so can read their tags

 

[Weasel]

Each to their own, I couldn't care less what they look like as long as they're growing. All sold deadweight so no-one else cares either.

What an attitude! That's why your cattle look sh!t!

 

[Northeastfarmer]

What an attitude! That's why your cattle look sh!t!

Don’t hold back...say what you really think

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

What an attitude! That's why your cattle look sh!t!

Maybe he is more interested in his pay cheque!