Banding or Cutting Part 2

[hillsdown]

ILH there is nothing worse than having a bunch of one hit wonders running around with your heifers.Cut or banded.

You made a very interesting point especially about the scar tissue.I band the same as you for convenience and some if I can't count to two it waits until I can or the vet can.I guess you just develop a rep that you do your banding properly.
I am going to ask a family friend who runs a very well known meat retail store here what he prefers.I bet he will say the same thing.

 

[randiliana]

Interesting point about the butchers liking banded steers. I would never have considered it. We also band, for convenience sake. That, and because we HAVE lost calves that we had cut at branding time. We could have bought a LOT of bands with the money that 1 dead steer would have brought us.

The thought that banded calves outweigh cut calves is also something to think about. Even if you figured that you got a .005 premium on the cut calves you would be making more $$ on the banded calves.
Figure
500 lb CUT steers at 1.0050 = $502.5.
520 lb BANDED steers at $1.00 = $520.
I think that that is a significant difference.
Those 520 lb banded steers would have to come DOWN to $0.965 to be at the same $$ as the 500 lb cut steers.

 

[CowCop]

~

We band and we band within 36 hours of birth.

5 years ago we had a stag, when the band musta broke, and it cost big $$, to have the vet do him at weaning.

So now we use the "4 cent solution." Our cost effective "insurance policy."

We use 2 bands when we band them. The bands cost 2 cents each.
No more issues.

The second band goes on much easier than the first. Put it side by side of the first one.

Remember to buy new bands every year and keep them in a cool dry place in order to eliminate breakage.

 

[hayray]

~

We band and we band within 36 hours of birth.

5 years ago we had a stag, when the band musta broke, and it cost big $$, to have the vet do him at weaning.

So now we use the "4 cent solution." Our cost effective "insurance policy."

We use 2 bands when we band them. The bands cost 2 cents each.
No more issues.

The second band goes on much easier than the first. Put it side by side of the first one.

Remember to buy new bands every year and keep them in a cool dry place in order to eliminate breakage.

That is the best advice I have read so far on this matter. I wanted to get the information from some one who has a lot of experience on this matter.