Castrating calves alone?

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Preston and LuckyP, what brand immobilizer do you use. I have seen the vet use a stock-still but that was 20 years ago. Is there one that is battery operated?
 
We've got the (cheaper) Stephca model. Farm manager(wife, also a veterinarian) bought it a year or so back.
Don't have to use it very often, but I'm gettin' too old to spring back quickly from those deep bruises and breaks, and I'm too old and fat to be roping and throwing calves.
I've hooked myself up to it, and turned up the juice - slowly (but I didn't hook the leads to my butt and lip! LOL) It's not painful, but it wasn't a whole lot of fun, either.
My wife is also a certified veterinary acupuncturist, and I've had her 'needle' me on occasions in the past - and she's got an electrostimulation unit that she hooks up to the needles - the sensation was very similar.
I can't tell that the cows we've used it on are any more reluctant to come up into the chute than they were before, and I'm still in one piece - which is the most important thing
 
OH :eek: :shock: THATS what you guys are talking about when you say immobiliser. I've never seen/heard of one in Australia, wonder if they are sold/used here or even legal here. Seems like the animal rights guys wouldnt like it too much
 
Thanks for the links. I will check them out. The one I saw used was for working on an injured eye and also for treating pinkeye when putting a shot in the inner eyelid(or whatever that is called). Might have seen it used when doing cosmedic dehorning also.
 
kenny thomas":3guwjp3v said:
Thanks for the links. I will check them out. The one I saw used was for working on an injured eye and also for treating pinkeye when putting a shot in the inner eyelid(or whatever that is called). Might have seen it used when doing cosmedic dehorning also.
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Kenny,

For all the above and all other minor/major invasive procedures.

The RAU type has the added feature of a unit to gain semen samples for periodic breeding soundness exam analysis.

I have seen all of them in use and are well worth the investment.
 
Keren. Stockstills are widely used in Aust and have been for many years. Most places out here have one or more. We have a RAU but only use it for emergency situations, like a beast tangled in wire, prolapsed cow etc. Some places use it on every calf that goes through the cradle, no matter how big or small, to make sure the brand is applied just perfectly. This last weekend we had to cut about 30 twelve month old charolais mickies (very big bull calves are called mickies in Aust!) who wouldnt fit in the cradle - we made sure the RAU was packed in the gear but they were pretty quiet natured and we didnt need to use it, we did them in the squeeze crush okay. Don't you American guys use calf cradles to brand your calves? I'm sure that if we have them, you would have them too!
 
I band by myself at 3 to 7 days of age wherever I can catch the calves in the pasture. I cannot lasso very well but at this age it is not much of a problem to slip up on the calf and toss the lasso a few feet. Once the calf gets over its jumping about and exhausted I place my foot on the rope and grasp a front and rear elg on one side and pick the calf up and then drop it a short distance onto its back. This jolt seems to confuse the calf and often it will hardly move. While in this state of confusion I place the band, count to two and remove the banding tool. Then ear tag. That is when the calf raises cane. My ear tag tool is spring retracting and that helps get control of the ear tag tool with the calf jumping about and me trying to remove the lasso from its neck.
 
agmantoo":3gcfw36t said:
I band by myself at 3 to 7 days of age wherever I can catch the calves in the pasture. I cannot lasso very well but at this age it is not much of a problem to slip up on the calf and toss the lasso a few feet. Once the calf gets over its jumping about and exhausted I place my foot on the rope and grasp a front and rear elg on one side and pick the calf up and then drop it a short distance onto its back. This jolt seems to confuse the calf and often it will hardly move. While in this state of confusion I place the band, count to two and remove the banding tool. Then ear tag. That is when the calf raises cane. My ear tag tool is spring retracting and that helps get control of the ear tag tool with the calf jumping about and me trying to remove the lasso from its neck.
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why don't you use a calf catcher instead of roping them and letting them struggle til they are exhausted seems like you are stressing them more than necessary
 
Bought some yesterday off the farm that are too mean to cut. When I was younger I did not think there was such a calf. They did not get too mean. I going to take these to market in the morning.
 
kenny thomas":3no1flt9 said:
Bought some yesterday off the farm that are too mean to cut. When I was younger I did not think there was such a calf. They did not get too mean. I going to take these to market in the morning.
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I've often wondered which comes first, age and wisdom, experience and wisdom or injurys and wisdom
 
Angus Cowman

If the "calf catcher" that you referenced in the trailer type that affixes to an ATV I do not think that my terrain would permit its use. I live in the rolling hills of western NC. Many of the hillsides are too steep to safely ride the ATV. Trying to ride sensibly, I have turned the ATV over 4 times over the years. I have had to adapt to whatever I can use and to date what works best for me is the lasso. The crazy cows were culled from the herd years ago so I do not need protection from the mommas. I do have a holding pen but the cattle are too far from it to move the herd just to catch calves. I calve year round. Often I have thought of trying to use a boleadora from South America but fear I would break a calves leg. Admittedly, I could use some type of help. Thanks for the suggestion however.
 
agmantoo":163muaea said:
Angus Cowman

If the "calf catcher" that you referenced in the trailer type that affixes to an ATV I do not think that my terrain would permit its use. I live in the rolling hills of western NC. Many of the hillsides are too steep to safely ride the ATV. Trying to ride sensibly, I have turned the ATV over 4 times over the years. I have had to adapt to whatever I can use and to date what works best for me is the lasso. The crazy cows were culled from the herd years ago so I do not need protection from the mommas. I do have a holding pen but the cattle are too far from it to move the herd just to catch calves. I calve year round. Often I have thought of trying to use a boleadora from South America but fear I would break a calves leg. Admittedly, I could use some type of help. Thanks for the suggestion however.
Click to expand...
No the calf catcher is like a shepherds hook on the end of a pole that extends to around 8 or 9ft and you just walk up behind the calf and hook its leg then walk up the pole and throw the calf down
they work really well
 
kenny thomas":1oau7g1t said:
Preston and LuckyP, what brand immobilizer do you use. I have seen the vet use a stock-still but that was 20 years ago. Is there one that is battery operated?
Click to expand...


KT,
I use the RAU Immobilizer and really like it. It makes branding and castrating much easier.
 
I'm looking for a video clip of a calf catcher and all I've been able to find are the box on the atv type. Anybody know of any video of the hook being used?
 
I've just never seen one used and wanted to see how it's done. If I get one, we're making a video!
 

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