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



## Stubbornhillfarm (Sep 19, 2011)

I ask this because of our 4 cows, someone always has manure stuck to their tail, their hind end, knees, something.  It doesn't seem to bother them.  However, when I see it, I take the brush and try to get it off.  Sometimes their tail is a bit tricky.  We have hosed them down on occassion and they don't mind.  But could we, should we use some kind of soap on them?  Am I just getting a little carried away?  It's ok...I can handle the truth!


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## aggieterpkatie (Sep 19, 2011)

They'll be fine if you just brush them.  No need to bathe them constantly.


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## WildRoseBeef (Sep 19, 2011)

You are getting a little too carried away!  Bathing only needs to be done if they're going to go to a show, and I very much doubt if that's going to happen anytime soon 

The only time our cattle ever got a bath was when a nice soaking rain shower went over and they were out grazing on pasture. 

Besides, if you keep bathing, they'll just make an excuse to get dirty again so they can see you get all in a huff over the fact they're dirty all over again.


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Sep 19, 2011)

hahaha...OK.  I'm with you both!  No luxury spa for the cattle.  And not that we have too many visitors at the farm and from the road you would never know that we even exist, but I always worry about some non-animal person seeing manure on one of our animals and calling the SPCA or something.  Believe it or not, there are some people out there even more nutty than me!


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## Royd Wood (Sep 19, 2011)

Shillfarm - spa
We wash shampoo and dry show cattle a day or 2 before a show otherwise nope as they will go and poop on each other


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## Beekissed (Sep 19, 2011)

When I got my Jersey cow she was so neglected and mangy looking that I started feeding her raw eggs in her feed and, yes, I washed her with conditioning shampoo and rinsed with vinegar.  It took some washing to rid that tail of manure because she had scours when I first got her.  I brushed her every day and it wasn't long before she was glossy and beautiful....when I took her back to be rebred, the farmer couldn't believe it was the same cow!  

It did spoil her a bit and she would try to horn the dogs away from me when I would sit out in the yard and she would try to lay her head in my lap for a good brushing.  Just like all ladies, she really liked to have her hair styled...


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## FarmGuru (Sep 19, 2011)

no need if u are not in show business 

There is a difference between our cleaning and animal cleaning


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Sep 20, 2011)

Beekissed said:
			
		

> When I got my Jersey cow she was so neglected and mangy looking that I started feeding her raw eggs in her feed and, yes, I washed her with conditioning shampoo and rinsed with vinegar.  It took some washing to rid that tail of manure because she had scours when I first got her.  I brushed her every day and it wasn't long before she was glossy and beautiful....when I took her back to be rebred, the farmer couldn't believe it was the same cow!
> 
> It did spoil her a bit and she would try to horn the dogs away from me when I would sit out in the yard and she would try to lay her head in my lap for a good brushing.  Just like all ladies, she really liked to have her hair styled...


Sounds like she was a spoiled girl!  But I bet she was a joy to have around.  She sure does sound like it.


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Sep 20, 2011)

Royd Wood said:
			
		

> Shillfarm - spa
> We wash shampoo and dry show cattle a day or 2 before a show otherwise nope as they will go and poop on each other


Royd and FarmGuru, No shows for us currently.  Maybe some day we'll do a couple of local country fairs or something.  Who knows!


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## VioletandBodie (Jan 10, 2012)

we wash them for fiar and get all the poo off it takes like 5 baths and a ton of bulvine shampoo to get them clean all the way but they smell nice after


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## Roscommon Acres (Oct 16, 2012)

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.


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## Kellykidz (Oct 16, 2012)

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.


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## GLENMAR (Jun 4, 2013)

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


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Jun 5, 2013)

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


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## Southern by choice (Jun 5, 2013)

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


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## GLENMAR (Jun 5, 2013)

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.


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Jun 6, 2013)

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.


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## Southern by choice (Jun 6, 2013)

GLENMAR said:
			
		

> 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


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## goodhors (Jun 6, 2013)

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.


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## Briard'nSheep (Jun 15, 2013)

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!!)


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