Jeanne and all -
The risk of tetanus is LESS with cutting, vs. banding, but I can assure you that knife-castrated calves can contract tetanus and die. I had one of my own do so 25 years or so ago.
About a 400 pounder that we'd missed earlier in the spring. Cut him and about 2 weeks later, found him 'sawhorsed' out in the pasture. Treated with tetanus antitoxin and massive doses of penicillin, but he didn't make it.
We don't routinely recommend tetanus toxoid vaccination or administration of tetanus antitoxin for calves that are to be knife-castrated - but using a polyvalent Clostridial bacterin with tetanus toxoid in it would not be a bad plan if you wanted to cover all bases.[/quote]
I agree that would not be a bad plan and might help more than we could ever imagine.
I have 2 suggestions for those knife cutting. 1. keep your knife in alcohol between bulls 2. spray the wound with iodine. 2 simple things, but will avoid a lot of trouble.
Larry