Clipping The Backs Of Cattle

Clipping the backs of cattle at the point of housing is for most now a common practice to reduce sweating and the risk of pneumonia.  Trying to keep cattle cool as weight gains increase is a particular problem facing those with fattening cattle. So would it not be beneficial to re-clip cattle again mid winter?

By the New Year often the hair has regrown to the extent that it can be just about impossible to see whether or not the animal was clipped. Re-clipping again mid Winter would not only keep the animal cool (reducing sweating also keeps cattle cleaner) but could potentially increase daily live weight gains, intakes and growth rates. Re-clipping could easily be incorporated with weighing which will reduce stress but also labour requirement.

Left unclipped the thick dense winter coat means that heat cannot escape, think of it as you unzipping a jacket which will then let heat out and away from the body and so cool you down.

Sarah Balfour, Sarah.balfour@sac.co.uk