Castrating a newborn

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Alan

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I have always waited to castrate until the calf was about three months old. I'm thinking about doing it within the first 24 hrs this year, I think I would rather wrestle a 70lbs calf these days. I'm talking about castration not banding. I have researched some and see it can be done without problems to the calf. My questions are, does anyone here do it or have done it? Any problems to watch for out of the regular stuff such as infection? Finally how much weight loss do you believe there will be at 205 days, meaning from becoming a steer at 24 hrs and growing out to 205 days compared to the same animal as a bull at 205 days? I take a nickel hit at the sale yard for bulls.

Thanks, Alan
 
Alan
we have seen a upto 5% loss in gain at weaning but have noticed little difference after weaning and preconditioning for 45-60days
My Vet and I had this discussion a few yrs ago and IIRC he said as high as 7%
I have read a few studies on this and I was thinking the ones I read were from Nebraska you might do a search and see what some of the research says

If I was going to wait until 3 months I would just wait until weaning

also the differences we seen were in calves castrated at weaning compared to calves castrated at birth
 
Alan":21m96vbu said:
I have always waited to castrate until the calf was about three months old. I'm thinking about doing it within the first 24 hrs this year, I think I would rather wrestle a 70lbs calf these days. I'm talking about castration not banding. I have researched some and see it can be done without problems to the calf. My questions are, does anyone here do it or have done it? Any problems to watch for out of the regular stuff such as infection? Finally how much weight loss do you believe there will be at 205 days, meaning from becoming a steer at 24 hrs and growing out to 205 days compared to the same animal as a bull at 205 days? I take a nickel hit at the sale yard for bulls.Thanks, Alan

If that is all the hit you take why not just leave em intact. They have to be gaining more than enuf on the differential to make up for that. In today's market that's less than 3%. You also avoid even the slightest possibility of complications.

FWIW
my buddy and I banded every calf at birth for 5 years and if the genetics and milk were there they still grew like weeds. With those cows being Shortie or Shortie/GV believe me there was plenty of milk. So it really didnh't matter. In a tougher environment it might make a few lbs difference in your WW's
 
Sudies have shown that bull calves castrated soon after birth result in improved health and gain plus improved marbling and tenderness compared to castration at or after weaning. But calves castrated before 3 months show close to the same results as those castrated soon after birth. I like to castrate soon after birth, because they are easy to handle and they recover fast because of very little stress.
 
xxbrand":xgm32ico said:
Sudies have shown that bull calves castrated soon after birth result in improved health and gain plus improved marbling and tenderness compared to castration at or after weaning. But calves castrated before 3 months show close to the same results as those castrated soon after birth. I like to castrate soon after birth, because they are easy to handle and they recover fast because of very little stress.


KNIFE OR BAND?
 
The studies I am talking about used both the knife and band. I use the knife.
 
Thanks for all the great input! 3way, my request for freezer beef is going enough I'll winter a couple extra steers next year. I also AI and use a clean up bull. So my plans are to cut as many AI bulls calves as needed, unless I like one well enough for a bull prospect that I may cut later. With the bull calves I don't plan to retain as steers, they will get shipped as bulls with any heifers I don't retain. I don't mind a nickel dock for not having the hassle of castrating by myself.

Alan
 

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