Banding tool

[Cruizer]

Going to switch to banding my young bull calves
Which banding tools does everyone recommend and why

thanks

 

[bball]

Love the EZE tri-bander. Also have banded many a bull calf with the one that uses the 'green cheerios'. Works fine as long as you don't let them get to far past 3-4 months old.

 

[Kell-inKY]

Had to use the California Bander when a couple of mine got too big (like bball is saying), otherwise the cheerio worked great, either one was easy to use.

 

[dun]

Tri-Bander

 

[Jessica06]

Tri-Bander. Have banded hundreds and have never had a band break. The largest calves we ever do are probably 300-350.

 

[Ky hills]

I usually use the little green bands, but if they get too big I have one of the older banders that uses tubing. I'm sure that the new ones are probably easier/quicker to use, but I don't do enough banding of larger calves to justify buying another one. It is important to also give a tetanus toxoid vaccine when banding older calves.

 

[Littlejohn]

We use this tool, with the green band. It helps keep everything in place while you are working


http://www.cattleequipmentco.com/#!about/cjg9

 

[Lucky_P]

KyHills,
It's important to have the initial dose of tetanus toxoid on board at least a couple of weeks prior to banding older calves, and giving a booster at the time of band application. Or, giving a dose of tetanus antitoxin AND tetanus toxoid, then boostering the toxoid 2-3 weeks later.
I've seen trainwrecks with producers losing 15-20 head of big calves to tetanus over a few days' time when they gave tetanus toxoid at the time of banding... the lost the 'race' between the organism germinating and producing toxin and the calf's immune system responding to the toxoid and making antibodies against the toxin.

 

[bball]

KyHills,
It's important to have the initial dose of tetanus toxoid on board at least a couple of weeks prior to banding older calves, and giving a booster at the time of band application. Or, giving a dose of tetanus antitoxin AND tetanus toxoid, then boostering the toxoid 2-3 weeks later.
I've seen trainwrecks with producers losing 15-20 head of big calves to tetanus over a few days' time when they gave tetanus toxoid at the time of banding... the lost the 'race' between the organism germinating and producing toxin and the calf's immune system responding to the toxoid and making antibodies against the toxin.

Thanks for clarifying this Lucky. The more the proper procedure is reinforced, the more we will hopefully be able to recall and use it!