Banding or Castration?

[calfbuyer]

Case knife (sharp), cut off 1/3 lower scrotum, get testicles out, pull em till they pop, feed em to dogs, cut off any excess fat or cord, turn em out, you're done.

 

[Banjo]

I was taught to cut on the waning moon. Has anyone else heard of that? I try to do everything that deals with nature by the moon phases.

Same way here......I also try to band now by the phase of the moon also.
http://www.almanac.com/bestdays/timetable here is a good sight that tell when the right days are to castrate each month.

 

[rosti]

I always band on day 1 and have never had a problem.

 

[mofarmgirl]

My father-in-law use to cut his in the fall when they worked the cattle; flies and the heat being the major concerns. But since my husband and I have started our own herd, we began with banding and ear tagging at birth. My father-in-law was skeptical about it, but the next year he agreed to do his the same way. It's much less stressful on the calves at birth. We've heard that doing them that young can cause the little guys to look a little more feminine, but we haven't had any issues with that. They all seem to grow up as they normally would. This is definitely our preference; but as stated from others it is good to have another person with you to help keep the mothers away when doing this.