Cattle Grooming Equipment

Cattle grooming is part of the regular care routine for those involved in cattle showing. A regular grooming routine can help to encourage bonding between a person and an animal, as well as help to preserve the overall health of cattle. Brushing and combing the cattle help keep their hair and skin healthier, which enhances their overall appearance. Well-chosen cattle grooming equipment can make the grooming process efficient.

  1. Grooming Products

    • According to the University of Nebraska, standard cattle grooming equipment includes some basic products. These include mild soaps or shampoos and, when showing cattle, adhesives, adhesive removers, show foams, shaving creams and cattle hair enhancers. The university recommends using dish soap or household shampoo instead of the brand-name livestock shampoos, because commercial brands are not as gentle as the household items, leaving the hair drier since they remove more of the natural oils. Cornell University's Department of Animal Science recommends washing cattle once a month, increasing to once a week during the month prior to showing cattle, because a clean hide will encourage hair growth.

    Brushes

    • Each type of cattle grooming brush has a specific purpose. The two cattle brushes considered essential cattle grooming equipment are a wash brush and a rice root brush. Use a wash brush during the washing process to scrub cattle clean; the brush typically has flexible plastic bristles. A rice root brush is a stiff bristled brush that will help to remove dead hair, dirt and dandruff from cattle. Cornell University suggests brushing cattle daily during the month prior to showing.

    Combs

    • Two widely used cattle grooming combs are the Scotch comb and the fluffer comb. The Scotch comb is for standard grooming, whereas the fluffer comb has teeth set farther apart and fluffs the hair a bit more. The fluffer comb is more of a styling tool than the Scotch comb is. The University of Nebraska suggests having two of each comb, with one of each type being reserved for applying adhesives and for combing after adhesives have been used. That way, the combs for standard grooming are not sticky from the adhesive grooming products.

    Clippers

    • Clippers are a cattle hair styling tool item that serves to enhance the appearance of cattle that are soon to be shown. Choose a clipper type that has a strong, long-lasting motor and interchangeable clipping heads, which enable different clipping lengths. Cornell University suggests clipping cattle two weeks before showing, which allows a little hair growth time before the show. The purpose of that time is to allow a little new growth to remove the sharp, freshly clipped look, giving the cattle a more natural, yet still attractive, appearance.