How To Show A Dairy Calf

By: Ellen Harth

Introduction

Growing up on a dairy farm is a very rewarding opportunity where you get to see life

begin and end in the barn. Many farm kids are responsible for morning and night chores

on the farm, including feeding calves and milking cows. Some families are very

passionate about raising and showing cattle that they want their children into the show

ring. The experience of forming a bond with an animal and coming together to compete

against other farms is an experience that is second to none.

Throughout my many years of exhibiting dairy cattle through 4-H and Open Class

shows, I have gained a lot of knowledge about caring and fitting dairy animals. I have

been selected as the grand and reserve champion showman at many shows each

summer, as well as receive champion honors with my animals. Some key secrets to my

success are choosing the right project animal, walking the calf regularly, practicing my

fitting skills as often as possible, and observing professionals that have bred cattle for

many years. This process will describe how to properly care for a dairy show calf.

The Process

Selecting and Training your Project Calf. Being successful in showmanship starts

with selecting the calf that you are going to train. The calf needs to be calm and easy to

work with. There are many calves that are very stubborn at first, but the more time put
in; the calf will become more familiar with the person. Once the calf has been selected,

the person will start by training the calf with a rope halter by walking her daily.

The calf will start to get into a routine and that is when you will switch to a show halter.

The show halter is made of leather and includes buckles to adjust the size and a chain

to have better control of the animal.

The next step is to teach her how to set her legs up based on where the judge is in the

show ring. A calf’s front legs should always be parallel to the other while the back legs

will switch when the judge walks around her. For example, if the judge is on the right

side, the left leg will be forward and if the judge is on the left side, the right leg will be

forward.

Caring for your Show Calf. Calves need nutritious diets, clean housing, and proper

care to stay healthy. Every exhibitor should be keeping records of the calf’s birthdate,

tattoo number, sire (dad), dam (mom), and any health information like dates of

vaccinations or breeding date. This information may be helpful when the judge asks

questions about her in showmanship. Being knowledgeable about the calf can set

someone apart from the rest of the showmanship exhibitors.

Their diets should consist of grass hay, high protein grain, and clean water. Those

feeds help calves grow tall, maintain a healthy weight, and develop their bodies into

show condition. The calf should never be given dirty feed or water. Making sure that

your feed times are consistent is key to helping your calf grow at a rapid rate.
The calf should always be housed in a safe and clean environment such as a calf barn

with clean straw. The pen should be cleaned out regularly to avoid sickness from the

urine and manure. It is a good idea to wash the calf every few days to keep her clean,

stimulate hair growth, and get her used to water and soap.

Another great tip is to practice clipping your calf before show day. A clipper is a large

hair trimmer that is used on animals. It can be a scary experience at first, so getting

them used to the noise will make it easier on you. When clipping the calf, it is important

to start from the legs and then work up to the body and head. There should be hair left

on her spine to make her topline straight. A small clipper will need to be used on the

ears, legs, and face. Lastly, leave about half of the hair down her tail to puff it up at the

show.

Final Preparations at the Show. After training, washing, and clipping the project

calf, it is time to show off your hard work at the show. Before entering the ring, the

exhibitor must be wearing a white shirt and pants, have a show halter on the calf, and

make sure she is fitted properly. The fitting should include creating a topline, puffing up

the tail hair, spraying on topline spray and shining spray, and cleaning ears and hooves.

Some other basic tasks for show day include brushing off dust and straw, applying fly

spray, wiping her muzzle, and adjusting the show halter to fit correctly.
In the Show Ring. The exhibitor and their calf will circle the ring in a clockwise

direction. The person should be in front of the animal walking forward until everyone

enters the ring. Then they may turn around and walk backwards to have full control of

the calf. Make sure to play close attention to the location of the judge because the calf’s

legs should correspond with where he is when you are stopped. It is important to leave

a close distance between the calf behind and the calf in front of each person. As

everyone is circling the ring, the judge will ask each person some questions about their

calf including name, birthday, sire, dam, and diet. The animals will be pulled into a

lineup where the animal on the ends will need to have their back legs opposite. All of

the animal’s legs in the middle do not matter which way they are set up. From there, the

judge will select the grand, reserve, and honorable mention showman and they will be

recognized for their hard work.