The trend to aerosol-free cattle fitting products has moved from Herefords to Angus, but is not without detractors.
As part of a new environmental policy, the Canadian Angus Association has eliminated aerosol products from its Gold Show series of shows, including Farmfair International in Edmonton.
Association president-elect Kirk Wildman said it was one step to help reduce the impact on the environment, livestock and their handlers.
“We just wanted to make the barns a little more environmentally friendly,” he said.
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During a hastily called meeting at Farmfair, some exhibitors called for the new rule to be relaxed because of the increased expense and time that is required when using non-aerosol products to get cattle’s hair into place.
“Some members worried it came in too fast,” said Wildman, who represented the association’s board of directors at the meeting.
The decision was made at the board’s February meeting.
“There was lots of buzz about it,” said Maureen Adams of Forestburg, Alta., who attended Farmfair with her Angus cattle.
Adams and her husband, Rob, liked the switch to nonaerosol glues and adhesives. Before the show, she picked up inexpensive hair gel and it seemed to do the same job for lessmoney.
“I like it for heath reasons. I’ve got bad asthma and I feel bad when it’s used,” Rob said.
Maureen thinks it’s a trend whose time has come.
“I think you shouldn’t need all that stuff. If you have a good animal, it should show through.”
They support the switch as long as it applies to everyone, but some Angus exhibitors ignored the non-aerosol rule.
“I guess we were a bit naive at the board level,” Wildman said. “We thought it would be followed. We never thought penalties were needed.”
He said some of the money that the Canadian Angus Association awards will not be given to producers who ignored the rule.
Wildman said 95 percent of the exhibitors followed the nonaerosol policy at Farmfair. Exhibitors are allowed to use aerosol sprays when competing against other breeds.
Geoff Anderson with Six Mile Angus of Fir Mountain, Sask., said he hopes the Canadian Angus Association will soften its stand in time for Canadian Western Agribition in Regina.
“It cost us twice as much money to fit the animals,” said Anderson, who estimated it cost $200 to fit five cattle.
He said it also took twice as many people and time to get the animals into show shape using human hair products.
Anderson told the meeting it was recommended that they follow the Americans’ lead and ban aerosol paint but not glue.
Wildman said there are no plans to change the policy before Agribition.
It will be the first time a breed has gone aerosol free at Agribition. The Hereford association’s aerosol ban applies only to Farmfair.
Paul Lucas, director of agriculture with Northlands, which hosts Farmfair, said his organization was asked to take a position on the aerosol debate but is leaving the decision up to the breed associations.
“This is an industry led initiative,” he said.
“As far as Northlands is concerned, we would be in support of anything environmentally sustainable or environmentally responsible.”
Lucas said the move to fewer aerosol sprays at cattle shows is a growing trend.
“I think it will eventually be phased out.”
