​Local 4-H dairy clubs learn about fitting and showing calves

The fourth meeting of the South Bruce 4-H Dairy Club was held at the Teeswater fairgrounds, July 23. The South Bruce club was joined by the Arran Tara Dairy Club.

The focus of the day was fitting and showing calves. Members were invited to bring their calves with them to the meeting. Once everyone had arrived and all the calves bedded, fed and watered in one the barns, the meeting began.

After brief introductions, the clubs gathered around to watch a clipping demonstration given by Jamie Farrell. Clipping or fitting is when the calves' hair is trimmed before each show to highlight strengths and minimize weakness they have in their body conformation.

Farrell, who owns a dairy farm near Ripley, has fitted cows and calves in nine Canadian provinces, 14 American states, and several countries across the globe.

He explained each of the pieces of equipment he uses when fitting a calf. First, he uses a hair-blower and top-line brush to stand the hair up on the calf’s top-line (spine). Once the top-line is standing straight and tall, he uses a pair of large clippers with a fine blade and starts squaring the calf’s top. He levels the high point over the calf's rump and trims the long hairs under the calf’s belly.

Farrell told the group that he prefers to use the large clippers for top-lines, feet and legs because they are more reliable, easier to maintain, and once you get comfortable with the large clippers they are faster to use than the small clippers. Everyone had a chance to practise this technique.

The morning finished with a presentation of leather show halters to the first-year members by Jane Lang-Mawhinny on behalf of Farm Credit Canada (FCC) in Walkerton.

At noon, the members were treated to a lunch of pizza, milk, and ice cream, generously donated by Alta Genetics, the Bruce County Holstein Club, and the Bruce County Dairy Producers.

After lunch, it was time to focus on the showmanship side of the meeting. This clinic was given by Curtis McNeil, a Level 3 judge, capable of judging 4-H regional shows and county shows. He has judged many shows, including the Lucknow 4-H Dairy Invitational and the Ancaster Fair.

The clubs gathered around a show ring that had been set up earlier that morning. McNeil, along with South Bruce club member Molly King and her calf, gave a demonstration of showmanship.

McNeil explained what the judge is looking for from the time the competitors first set foot in the ring to the final line-up. One of the things he focused on was how the showman should walk the calf when in the ring. He went over pacing, when to walk forward or backward and how much distance to leave between each calf and the outside of the ring.

He also showed the members how they should set their calf’s feet and when to switch the feet as the judge moves around the calf. The object of all this is to show the calf off to its best advantage. When McNeil finished his demonstration, the clubs split into two groups. The intermediate and senior members retrieved their calves and entered the show ring for a mock show and some one-on-one advice on how to improve their showmanship skills. The first- and second-year members moved to one of the barns for a lesson on hoof care by Dr. Alec Martin.

Martin owns a vet clinic in the London area and is also a leader of the South Bruce club. He brought four hoof and lower-leg specimens with him. He had dissected one of them so that the members could see the different bones and muscles that make up the hoof.

He used the other specimens to demonstrate proper hoof-trimming and to talk about common hoof diseases and injuries that can lead to lameness, such as strawberry hoof rot, laminitis and bacterial infections.

During the afternoon, the clubs had a visit from Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs. She shared some of her experiences from 4-H and said that what she learned has stayed with her throughout her life. She encouraged the members to stay in 4-H and get involved with some of the provincial camps and other opportunities that 4-H has to offer.

The clubs finished the day talking about proper showing outfits and the need for safe footwear when working with cattle. Four outfits had been set out for the members to judge and use in the discussions. Dairy cattle showmen are to wear a clean white top (with no logos) tucked into their white pants, a plain black or brown belt and hard-toed footwear.

The club thanks Alta Genetics, the Bruce County Holstein Club, the Bruce County Dairy Producers, Roberts Farm Equipment, FCC Walkerton, Curtis McNeil, Dan Martin, Dr. Alec Martin, Jamie Farrell, Lisa Thompson, and the club leaders for sponsoring, organizing and participating in this special meeting.

The next meeting of the South Bruce 4-H Dairy Club is Aug. 10 and the club’s next show is the Lucknow 4-H Dairy Invitational, Aug. 1.

A special congratulations to Jason Watke, Micaela Hill and the rest of the Bruce County team at the Eastgen Challenge. Micaela took third with her senior heifer; Jason took third in senior showman; and the team won premier county.