Bull or Steer?

[Salers69]

I have a 4-H member in my club that has a steer but people are talking that it may be a bull. The member says he casterated with the rings in the spring. It weighs 1300lbs and is about 16 months old. It looks very bully. What is the best most unintrusive method of getting this checked out. Show and Sale is two weeks away and people may want the calf banned from the sale.

Help

 

[IluvABbeef]

Sounds like it could be a stag with a teste stuck up in the body cavity. You might have to restrain him and go feel around for that escapee testicle. I dunno if you'd call that unintrusive, but it'll have to be done.

 

[Susie David]

Put him in the chute and have a feel....
You can easily feel the undecended testicle if it is there...and it can just as easily be removed.
Just my two bits worth....DMc

 

[msscamp]

If the animal was castrated last spring, that would put him at about 6 months of age - give or take. Are you sure his looking 'bully' is not just from late castration? A bull left intact until 6 months of age would develop some bull-like characteristics.

 

[redfornow]

Yet another prime example why people need to knife cut instead of band.

I agree, everyone that can't count to two needs a knife.
Everyone else can band....
I really dont see how you can miss em at six months old?
But I am sure its been done.

MD

 

[certherfbeef]

I have a 4-H member in my club that has a steer but people are talking that it may be a bull. The member says he casterated with the rings in the spring. It weighs 1300lbs and is about 16 months old. It looks very bully. What is the best most unintrusive method of getting this checked out. Show and Sale is two weeks away and people may want the calf banned from the sale.

Help

Have a vet check the steer out. Get him to sign a paper that states his findings. Make sure is says VERY CLEARLY that the calf is a steer. Then have more than one copy on hand at the show and sale. You as the advisor need to have a copy for your records as well as the show committee chairman.

 

[bggoff]

I use the knife and have had very good luck with it. I know there has to be pain for the animal and I asked my vet about purchasing some of that numbing medicine. He said NO in no time short, I believe it would be better for the animal but I can't go to pay a vet every time I need a bull castrated.Some bulls are born with one testacle low and the other one is high up in the stomach area I have been told. At that age I could see how someone could band that bag and not realize they didn't get two.

 

[milkmaid]

I use the knife and have had very good luck with it. I know there has to be pain for the animal and I asked my vet about purchasing some of that numbing medicine. He said NO in no time short, I believe it would be better for the animal but I can't go to pay a vet every time I need a bull castrated.

It's lidocaine you want... if you're in the states (not including crazy places like California) you should be able to buy a bottle from your vet without difficulty. It's a local anesthetic, used for surgeries, spinal blocks, etc. Boss used to keep some on hand as an aid in dealing with calving malpresentations.

 

[bggoff]

I'll check with another vet. This vet won't even sell me banamine. But he will sell me Micotil. He said Banamine and ladicane had to be given by a vet.

 

[milkmaid]

Banamine and Micotil are both prescription-only drugs. Means both have to be bought through a vet or with a vet prescription (can also buy online w/the prescription). If he'll sell you one there's no reason he can't sell you the other.

Sedation and euthenasia drugs are the only ones I can think of that a vet cannot prescribe, sell, or allow any of us "commoners" to give -- provided you're not in a crazy state like California, where even pennicillin is prescription-only.

 

[CattleHand]

a knife helps lesson the chances of infection i have always heard.

We through some condensed soap on it (got it from wal mart) and then cut em. Never had much problems with infection.

 

[Alan]

I'll check with another vet. This vet won't even sell me banamine. But he will sell me Micotil. He said Banamine and ladicane had to be given by a vet.

Time to find a new Vet, that does not make sense. With a good client/Doctor relationship you should be able to get a syringe of almost anything.... except the euthinasia (sp) drugs.

Alan

 

[ArrowHBrand]

I agree with Alan. Get a new vet. We purchase Banamine, Nuflor, and just about anything else except for sedatives from our vet. We have been vetting there for years and he knows we use drugs and medications responsibly. You have to have a good vet/client relationship and if your vet won't work with you, find another one. We band our bull calves, as long as the person banding gets both there isn't a problem. In all of the years we've been banding we've never had any infection problems and we've never missed a testicle. We band within a week of calving and I have seen a calf that was banded later (about 7 mos. old) and he got infected, not pretty. Banding works for us, do what works for you.

 

[Mama_Mutschler]

My daughter's show steer fof FFA is the same way. He was however Cut not Banded and we've had the vet out to check because I would swear that he had a testicle. They call him "The Buffalo Steer" because he's so bull like. The vet said that he just has a little more testoterone then the rest of them. We had a real problem with his attitude for a long time then we put in a nose lead and now he's the perfect Gentleman. He's 1395 pounds and 14 months old. Our fair is a week from tomorrow and I already talked to the livestock people they said that as long as he's managable he will not be banned from the auction. You should talk to the livestock office at your fair.

 

[cowgirl Ibara]

pain killers or numbing solutions arnt need when your castrating. I castrate all of my calves with a knife, spray them up with some blue cote then they're up and ready to go.