Banding/cutting yearlings

[Judge Sharpe]

Hello the campfire:
Another dumb new guy question:
I have cut pigs in the dim past, Sharp pocket knife, cut the cords and splash terpintine on the cut and let him go.
1. Is banding in general a good solution to castration, or is there an advantage to cutting? Also i seem to remember a crusher type instrument we used that you crushed the vas defferins and blood vessals with. Emasculator maybe? What are your opinions in this?
2. How does one do the cutting? Do you do more that throw some sulpher or blue spray (gingen violet) or turpinetine in the cut and will that keep flies awayfrom it? I have never heard of stiching the cut. I know a tetnas shot is a good idea.
Thanks again for the accumulated knowledge here.

 

[raykour]

If we are cutting a calf that is bigger than approx 350 lbs, we have an emasculator ready, just in case. If they are smaller, usually just yanking out the testicle fast will cause all the vessels to close and suck up on their own.

We have a spray bottle of novalsan or betadine solution that we spray on the scrotum prior to cutting. We spray the open wound before we let them up.

We TRY to cut when flies aren't going to be a huge issue.

Advantages to cutting...would you rather have someone cut your testicles off real quick, or put a rubber band on them and let them die a slow, painful death? IMO (opinion only) calves that are cut are alot happier than calves that are banded alot faster. Banded calves limp off to their momma with their backs curled up. Cut calves run up to momma and start sucking. That is just my own experience. I have used banding and cutting in goats as well. Cutting a little goat is pretty darn easy on them, and the little banded goats seem to look a little off for a few days.

 

[dun]

Looks like the OP is another one hit wonder

 

[mel8030]

I banded a couple of smaller 4-5 year old grass fed genetics bulls a few years ago and started feeding corn. After 50 days I sold them at the stockyard. One brought 3 cents lower than the top selling Holstein steer. The other one was smaller but had more of a typical bull look sold in the lower quarter of the fed Holsteins.