Castrating a bull

[farmerjan]

We do not have a squeeze chute... just the chute behind the head catch that has been in the barn forever... I hold the tail high straight Up over the back which puts pressure on the nerves and "gives them something else to think about"... if the calves are small, I will get in the chute next to the calf and shove it against the side so it can't swing from side to side... just hold it up against the side and son bands them directly from the back....Even pretty big ones..

 

[kenny thomas]

How do you restrain them? I have a chute and head gate but no squeeze chute. Do they kick and buck much. Do you cut from behind the calf or the side of calf? I'm sure I'll learn as I go but don't want to get kicked. I have a 2x6 board that I place in rear of grown cows to prevent kicking but I'll have to move it up for calves because they are shorter. I just don't won't to be kicked. Thanks for helping me to understand the safe way. Also would the blue kote work for spraying?

Watch you tube for how to restrain them. Pulling the tail forward and then downward pressure works if you have help.
I have an electronic device called an Imobolizer and can knife cut them by myself but its not practical to buy one for only a few calves.

 

[tcolvin]

Cutting the bottom off is the correct way to do cattle, about a third of the way up. Stretch it til it breaks or if it is particularly thick and tough you can scrape it but make sure it is stretched down first. Never been around an emasculator so can't help you there.

 

[Hpacres440p]

Do weather conditions affect the decision of cut vs band at all? (Hot/muddy vs cooler and dry) fly season? I have an appointment to have 2 calves cut next week-temp is supposed to hit 100, with possible thunderstorms the day after cutting, flies are ridiculous with the rain we've had. Vet trip is about an hour each way in the middle of the afternoon…
I could do a more controlled date choice with banding at home, right?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Let me clarify a little on the "hold tail up". You lift the tail up, hold the underside of the tail close to the base, and apply pressure forward. By applying pressure forward, it immobilizes their legs. For calves, I generally get in the chute with the calf. Stand on its left side, grab the tail with left hand and apply forward pressure with the right hand (base of tail will be straight up). They will jump around occasionally, so watch YOUR feet. But, they can't LIFT their feet.

 

[Hpacres440p]

Well, my first attempts are epic failures. Maybe I narrowed the chute too much? Couldn't get the tribander between the thighs high enough on the 2 month old to get scrotum AND both testes caught without repositioning. The 4 month old is already big enough to be too hard to get both through the band easily. So, we just boosted the covexin 8 and turned them out for the time being.
Is California banded more realistic? Guess the vet gets another shot at it….

 

[elkwc]

Well, my first attempts are epic failures. Maybe I narrowed the chute too much? Couldn't get the tribander between the thighs high enough on the 2 month old to get scrotum AND both tested caught without repositioning. The 4 month old is already big enough to be too hard to get both through the band easily. So, we just boosted the covexin 8 and turned them out for the time being.
Is California banded more realistic? Guess the vet gets another shot at it….

I work calves by myself. My partner is 80 y/o and she helped me till 2 years ago. Then we took them to the vet the last 2 years. This winter I bought a calf chute. It allows me to work them by myself. I can lay them on their side to castrate. Makes it a lot easier on a small calf. Using the smaller bands and banders it is harder to band. A chute that fits the calf makes it easier.

 

[Rancher]

Yes the cal. bander after two months to 1.000lbers works. cherrio's 3 days and maybe a month

 

[wbvs58]

Well, my first attempts are epic failures. Maybe I narrowed the chute too much? Couldn't get the tribander between the thighs high enough on the 2 month old to get scrotum AND both testes caught without repositioning. The 4 month old is already big enough to be too hard to get both through the band easily. So, we just boosted the covexin 8 and turned them out for the time being.
Is California banded more realistic? Guess the vet gets another shot at it….

Are you sure you have the Tribander? The green cherio bander also has 3 arms to it but is not a Tribander. I have got the Tribander on them at weights over 300kg without too much problem you do have to work one down at a time but it is doable. Once they start going through puberty it becomes a problem. I would think at the ages you are talking about the Tribander would do them easily.

Ken

 

[Hpacres440p]

Are you sure you have the Tribander? The green cherio bander also has 3 arms to it but is not a Tribander. I have got the Tribander on them at weights over 300kg without too much problem you do have to work one down at a time but it is doable. Once they start going through puberty it becomes a problem. I would think at the ages you are talking about the Tribander would do them easily.

Ken

Yep-Tribander made in Montana. Maybe I'm not getting it positioned right, but when the jaws were open, I couldn't get in between and up high enough to make sure both testes were below the band on the little calf. Is there just a sweet spot for size?
I had the squeeze closed to keep them a little more restricted-I think that pinched their legs together too.
Obviously it will take some practice for me to get it done right…..

 

[wbvs58]

Yep-Tribander made in Montana. Maybe I'm not getting it positioned right, but when the jaws were open, I couldn't get in between and up high enough to make sure both testes were below the band on the little calf. Is there just a sweet spot for size?
I had the squeeze closed to keep them a little more restricted-I think that pinched their legs together too.
Obviously it will take some practice for me to get it done right…..

I think there may be some variation in what a Tribander is, a bit of a play on the words by different manufacturer. The Triband that you used seems smaller opening yet seems quite bulky. I think it is the XL Tribander I have used, the rings are a dark colour . The Triband seems to have cream coloured rings and a smaller weight range. I do think the squeeze may have limited your space a bit, Best of luck with it.

Ken

 

[crossbreed]

Watch you tube for how to restrain them. Pulling the tail forward and then downward pressure works if you have help.
I have an electronic device called an Imobolizer and can knife cut them by myself but its not practical to buy one for only a few calves.

I've seen the immobilizer, does it work well?

 

[kenny thomas]

I've seen the immobilizer, does it work well?

It works exactly as advertised. I can knife cut a 200 lb or an 800 lb by myself and it will never move. Actually seems the calf just stands still afterwards wondering what happened

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I bought an immobilizer, but have never taken it out of it's box. As long as I'm able to help Phil (by being the tail holder), he doesn't need it. Good to hear it works!!

 

[Dusty Britches]

Interesting to me that some vets prefer banding. I have several vets and they all prefer the knife cut. Perhaps it is a southern thing or our vets were all farm raised as well as the vet school instructors at Texas A&M. It's like one vet explained to me - wrap a rubber band around your pinky finger as tight as you can and you can feel the pain increase the longer it is on. A knife cut is quick, pain is gone in hours.

Knife cutting is the 100% guaranteed way to ensure both testicles are removed and stocker operators and feed lots prefer it. Since they are my customers, that is what I do. The smaller the calf, the easier it is to do. Use a sharp knife, quickly slice the bottom 1/3 to 1/2 of the fur sack, push both testes out, grab and pull until they break. I put betadine on and give a tetanus shot. For calves older than 3 months, make sure you scrape the fat out of the sack, too. They will heal a lot faster.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

We used a calf table. Seems to me by calf behavior the nerves go numb after a few minures when banded. The dog misses her feast of prarire oysters though.

 

[GoWyo]

Tcolvin, did you ever get this calf cut or banded yet?

 

[kenny thomas]

I bought an immobilizer, but have never taken it out of it's box. As long as I'm able to help Phil (by being the tail holder), he doesn't need it. Good to hear it works!!

Jeanne, wanna sell yours

 

[tcolvin]

Tcolvin, did you ever get this calf cut or banded yet?

Talk about delayed response, wow! I just saw this this morning over my first coffee. Sorry, but to answer a question very late, yes everybody has been doctored except one born on thanksgiving day, but he is in my sites.

 

[elkwc]

I will post an update also. Due to the extreme heat we had and some other circumstances we didn't work the last of our calves till Sept when the twmemps dropped some. On the last group the vet done he used the tool you put in a drill and twist them off. They swelled up big and laid around 4-5 days. He had banded all the previous calves. The calves didn't get up when I fed cake the next day. I got them all up. I had 2 small groups left. I used the Callicrate bander on them and they never missed a beat. The next day when I fed they came and ate with the cows. Had heard about the tool but had never seen it used until then. Only one bled a little. I would hesitate to judge it one one group of 12. But my first impression is I prefer the Callicrate bands. Those they use the California bander on seem to.get a little messier. The Callicrate dry up and fall off. You get the same tension on every band.