castrating bull calves

[tncattle]

I'm talking anywhere from 60 -100 head of bull calves a year. How many of you cut or band? Also, do you do it at birth or wait awhile? In other words, how do you castrate your bull calves every year and what have you found are the advantages the way you do it?

 

[Anonymous]

Whats with all the questions all of a sudden? Did you win the lottery or something?
I band at birth usually. easier for me. I just banded 2 for the neighbor though and one got an infection above the band. Has me rethinking banding or cutting.
Gave some la200 and some betadine topical.
Anyway. This is only for a few. I still would think banding is quicker than cutting

 

[expensive hobby]

I use to band bulls at birth but leaning more toward leaving them intact and banding later. Pro of banding at birth is the calves are easy to work with.....con is no testosterone for growth. Banding 500lb bulls seems like it will be a bit more work to run them to a head gate, have someone sit on their back while lifting the tail as you tighten the band. Cutting is probably the best but for me I do not have the confidence to start hacking on a bulls nuts. If you do not know what you are doing you can cause more harm than good. Either way you need to watch for infection and mind the flies.

 

[MistyMorning]

I'm talking anywhere from 60 -100 head of bull calves a year. How many of you cut or band? Also, do you do it at birth or wait awhile? In other words, how do you castrate your bull calves every year and what have you found are the advantages the way you do it?

Well I don't have anywhere near 60-100 head, so maybe this doesn't count as an answer to your question, but I had banded at birth fo years. I switched to cutting at weaning this year as I was not doing a very good job at banding and would end up with a stag every year it seemed.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Generally I band at birth, easier on me and on the calf. Sometimes they get banded within a day or so of birth. I don't keep any back as bulls as mine are all terminal.

Where I had been working, they banded at birth depending on which cow had the calf. Some were kept as bull calves and banded or cut as they grew off. The ones that weren't growing off as well as they wanted for bull prospects were banded/cut at various times----weaning---yearling etc.

Katherine

 

[dun]

The problem of waiting till they;re older to cut them is the setback they get from waiting probably offsets the extra gain you got by leaving them intact longer.

 

[xxbrand]

I have always castrated with a knife at birth. The younger the calf at the time of castration, the less impact on welfare and performance. They recover faster if castrated at birth with less stress. I also go by the sign of the moon. Always works for less blood and no infection.

 

[B&M Farms]

I dont have that many head but I cut within three months. When I was younger I worked for an uncle that ran around 200 cows and we waited for calving to end and cut everything then. All from just born to three months old.

 

[larryshoat]

The method of castration is not as important as becoming skilled at the method you use.

Larry

 

[ohiosteve]

I prefer to cut bulls and have never had a problem. I think time of year is important and always cut after fly season. 2 years ago I had 8 Jersey steers I let get up to 5-600 pounds and was worried about the size but within an hour of cutting they were all out eating grass and acting like nothing happened. I prefer to get them smaller though for both them and me. Just make sure after you cut the bottom of the scrotum off you PULL the testicles out so the cord tears so it does not bleed ( maybe only a couple drips at most) If you cut the cord you risk bleeding to death or so I'm told I've never done it.

 

[Crazy Farmgirl]

I worked on a deacon farm for a couple years where we had 700-1000 head at various ages (1 day to 8 mo) We found that banding (with iodine wash first) the day they came in (all less than 1 wk old) proved to be the most beneficial. Less stress, faster healing times and less infection. The older the calf the more difficult and stressful the ordeal was for all involved, we also saw that when they were banded/cut later they lost anything they had gained above the others. It certainly did not justify feeding so long just to have them lose it.

On my herd I band day one..unless he shows potential as a herd bull (which are few and far between), by weaning time I make the descision wether to leave him intact or not.

 

[Lucky_P]

I use a Burdizzo emasculatome. Try to work the calves as early as I can get 'em run up in the chute, but prefer to do 'em before they hit 3 mos of age. Bigger is tougher on me and the calves.
I've always liked the Burdizzo - no bleeding, no chance for infection - and I've not 'missed' a nut in 40+ years of doing 'em.
We implant every steer when we 'clamp' 'em.

I've seen tetanus in both baby calves and big 500-800 lb bulls done with the little green cheerio or the surgical tubing elastrators. Granted, it's small numbers compared to the number that are done that way, but it happens.

 

[dun]

I prefer to cut bulls and have never had a problem. I think time of year is important and always cut after fly season. 2 years ago I had 8 Jersey steers I let get up to 5-600 pounds and was worried about the size but within an hour of cutting they were all out eating grass and acting like nothing happened. I prefer to get them smaller though for both them and me. Just make sure after you cut the bottom of the scrotum off you PULL the testicles out so the cord tears so it does not bleed ( maybe only a couple drips at most) If you cut the cord you risk bleeding to death or so I'm told I've never done it.

I had one bleed to to death in 65 and have pretty much stayed away from cutting since if I've had a chance/choice.

 

[Limomike]

I have always banded at birth...works best for me, AND have had VERY little problems. One of the few times I did, it was because of me hurrying too much to get it done, and ended up getting too high on the sack, causing infection. As Larryshoat said.. its important to be skilled in the method you do use.

 

[ohiosteve]

I've always wondered about cooking the leftover results from castrating but have not been brave enough yet. Anyone out there tried em?

 

[Workinonit Farm]

I haven't cooked them, but my (late) inlaws always did with both the lambs and the calves and one of the fellows I used to work with does at his place.

Katherine

 

[inbredredneck]

I've always wondered about cooking the leftover results from castrating but have not been brave enough yet. Anyone out there tried em?

They are very tasty just make sure you cook the f**k out of them.

 

[kenny thomas]

I have tried them and was not impressed. But could have been the cooking or just the thought of it. Might be good if I did not know what it was.

 

[Gale Seddon]

I bet they taste like chicken?

 

[Roadapple]

I bet they taste like chicken?

With a slight nutty flavor.