Answering your hottest questions! Whenever I post a picture of my girls with a lamb, I always get asked how we get our shag so big. I believe in sharing what works and helping anyone we can. If you’ve ever wondered about our exact care routine and the products we use, keep reading!
Products We Use for our lamb shag
- A set of horse polo wraps
- Infusium or ProHair
- Mane & Tail Conditioner or Conditioning Cream
- Mini Fluffer
- Hair Moisturizer mixed with Kleen Sheen or ProSheen
- Shapley's MTG
Early Leg Care
Leg care starts as soon as our lambs come home. The first time we thoroughly wash them with a quality livestock shampoo, our favorite Sullivan's Rejuvinate. Once clean, we apply a conditioner and gently brush through the hair with a Mini Fluffer. The wide-spaced teeth of the Mini Fluffer work perfectly for untangling hair.
After working in the conditioner, we let it sit for ten minutes to soften and truly condition the hair. Rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of conditioner, as buildup can cause itching, rubbing, and even hair loss.
Next, we blow dry the hair, directing the airflow downward to train the hair to lay in the right direction and avoid tangling. Once dry, we apply a generous amount of Infusium 23 or Pro Hair, gently rubbing it in to completely cover the hair. Allow the lambs to air dry as much as possible, or place them in front of a fan for faster drying.
This is when we wrap the legs with polo wraps. These wraps are great because they offer the right amount of stretch and breathability, and are perfectly sized for lambs.
I also found a video tutorial on wrapping horse legs that can be useful (my inner horse person thought this would be the easiest way to show you). The only change I make from the video is starting just below the knee and covering the lower half of the knee to prevent rubs.
When opening your leg wraps, they may be rolled in the wrong direction. Unroll them, stick the velcro together, and re-roll them in the same direction to ensure proper wrapping.
Don’t get discouraged if leg wraps come off occasionally. Adjust the tightness and overlap to get the best fit.
Intense Summer Care
Once school is out, our haircare routine intensifies. We divide the lambs into two groups, alternating days, so each lamb has their legs done at least three days a week.
On their designated day, we remove the leg wraps and rinse their legs with cold water for several minutes. This helps stimulate leg wool growth, similar to how it helps cattle hair growth. After rinsing, we blow-dry the legs, following the same steps as before with Pro Hair, drying, and wrapping. Once a week, we also apply a spray of Hair Moisturizer mixed with Kleen Sheen or ProSheen. This mixture is especially beneficial in our dry climate!
In summer, we deep condition once a week. If a lamb starts to smell funky from all the TLC, Shapley's M-T-G is effective. While it’s great for hair growth, it’s best used sparingly due to its messiness.
I hope you find these tips useful! If you have any special tips of your own, please share them in the comments!
1 comment
Do you cut the polo wraps? This is our first lamb project and have notice there is a difference in the lengths of lamb leg wraps and polo wraps.