Castrating newborns

[Sd1030]

Had a new born bull calf yesterday morning when i got home from work. I decided to go ahead and band him since i could easily get my hands on him. I gave tentanus shots and banded, also tagged him too. I must say doing it early like that makes it a piece of cake. In the past weve done it around 1-3 months or so and it is much more difficult. My question is do most of yall band that early? Are there any negatives to doing it that way? I know the arguement about leaving intact and they gain better and all that and thats not what im asking, im asking more so from a animal health standpoint. Also what about cutting out at this age? It seems fairly easy and seems to run less chance of complications from what ive researched. Whats yalls thoughts?

 

[highgrit]

I think you did good, that's the way I like to do it. The only negative around here is moma trying to catch you. Cutting in the summer is not for me, flies are bad news.

 

[BRYANT]

I always band them in the first week

 

[Sd1030]

Most of my mamas are easy going and will let me work a calf, but i never let my guard down.

 

[dun]

The only possible down side is those weird odd ones that have a nut suked up inside and you can;t get it worked down. Without do caution some people end up with stags from not counting to 2 before and after putting the band on.

 

[big ben]

The only possible down side is those weird odd ones that have a nut suked up inside and you can;t get it worked down. Without do caution some people end up with stags from not counting to 2 before and after putting the band on.

aint no real prolem kind of good to leave 1 makem grow faster just makes sure you push it way up sois it aint gonna show when you sail em. money maken trick

 

[Black and Good]

The only possible down side is those weird odd ones that have a nut suked up inside and you can;t get it worked down. Without do caution some people end up with stags from not counting to 2 before and after putting the band on.

:nod: I agree with dun. I band mine in the first three days. The main thing is to make sure there are two nuts behind the band before letting them up. Another trick I do is keep a shepherd hook on my tractor and drag the calf under the frontend loader. This keep momma a bay so I can pay attention to the work at hand. B&G

 

[Son of Butch]

aint no real prolem kind of good to leave 1 makem grow faster just makes sure you push it way up sois it aint gonna show when you sail em. money maken trick

:bs:
Purposely making and selling stags as steers is unethical and should ruin your reputation, if you had one to start.
Do it right and spend the $3 to implant, it will make more money than any money 'maken' hillbilly sailor tricks.

 

[bball]

Never had any troubles with ones we have done the day they were born. Just like dun and others have said, make sure there are two in the sack before you let off the slack.

 

[Sd1030]

Thanks for the input, i did make sure i had two, and even double checked once band was on before letting up. As far as cutting goes ive seen it where the testicles are just snatched out on young calves like this. My question is do you get alot of bleeding this way? Is it more risk invovled doing this vs banding, from the standpoint of bleeding out? Banding is simple and you reduce risk of bleeding out, but i like the thought of cutting due to the fact the healing process would seem to be faster.

 

[dun]

Thanks for the input, i did make sure i had two, and even double checked once band was on before letting up. As far as cutting goes ive seen it where the testicles are just snatched out on young calves like this. My question is do you get alot of bleeding this way? Is it more risk invovled doing this vs banding, from the standpoint of bleeding out? Banding is simple and you reduce risk of bleeding out, but i like the thought of cutting due to the fact the healing process would seem to be faster.

The pulling them methohd has less bleeding, usually' then using a knife to actually cut them. The cords and bloodvessels stretch and part at a weak spot and then retract back up inside pretty much.

 

[bball]

Thanks for the input, i did make sure i had two, and even double checked once band was on before letting up. As far as cutting goes ive seen it where the testicles are just snatched out on young calves like this. My question is do you get alot of bleeding this way? Is it more risk invovled doing this vs banding, from the standpoint of bleeding out? Banding is simple and you reduce risk of bleeding out, but i like the thought of cutting due to the fact the healing process would seem to be faster.

The pulling them methohd has less bleeding, usually' then using a knife to actually cut them. The cords and bloodvessels stretch and part at a weak spot and then retract back up inside pretty much.

We have even gone so far as to scrape the cords/vessels with a sharp knife (like cutting a hog) instead of just cutting. Prefer banding..for me it's just quicker, easier and less hassle. Never had one bleed out from cutting, but we don't do 100's a year either, maybe 30 in a busy year. Almost ashamed to admit it, but we haven't done tetanus shots at banding either for probably five years now. Used to every time, but got away from it. Cutting in fly season, there's a risk too.

 

[dun]

We have even gone so far as to scrape the cords/vessels with a sharp knife (like cutting a hog) instead of just cutting. Prefer banding..for me it's just quicker, easier and less hassle. Never had one bleed out from cutting, but we don't do 100's a year either, maybe 30 in a busy year. Almost ashamed to admit it, but we haven't done tetanus shots at banding either for probably five years now. Used to every time, but got away from it. Cutting in fly season, there's a risk too.

The scraping deal became the accepted method in the 60s vs just cutting them off. Don;t know when the pull deal started but it was the common method 15 years ago.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Weigh, tag and band within the 1st 24 hrs here. Then its just a few horns to deal with near weaning time.

 

[bball]

We have even gone so far as to scrape the cords/vessels with a sharp knife (like cutting a hog) instead of just cutting. Prefer banding..for me it's just quicker, easier and less hassle. Never had one bleed out from cutting, but we don't do 100's a year either, maybe 30 in a busy year. Almost ashamed to admit it, but we haven't done tetanus shots at banding either for probably five years now. Used to every time, but got away from it. Cutting in fly season, there's a risk too.

The scraping deal became the accepted method in the 60s vs just cutting them off. Don;t know when the pull deal started but it was the common method 15 years ago.

The 60's thing makes sense dun. I cut my 'cattle teeth' working for some pretty old, pretty grumpy cattlemen part time on weekends. Sure learned a lot in a hurry though.

 

[Ojp6]

I've at least helped cut them from 100 lbs to 1100lbs. Cutting is a lot easier when they're little than when they weigh over 600. It takes longer for them to get back on feed if you band them but if you have them in a lot it was easier to band because they would sometimes get an infection from laying in the sh!t with an open wound. Also banding was easier because a 1000 lb bull can beat they he!! out of you when you are trying to cut them. Pretty much all the cows we calve out we cut their calves but we band bigger bulls we buy to feed.

 

[kenny thomas]

aint no real prolem kind of good to leave 1 makem grow faster just makes sure you push it way up sois it aint gonna show when you sail em. money maken trick

:bs:
Purposely making and selling stags as steers is unethical and should ruin your reputation, if you had one to start.
Do it right and spend the $3 to implant, it will make more money than any money 'maken' hillbilly sailor tricks.

Yes do it right, do you think the buyer can't tell it is a stag by looking? They don't need to see a nut to know its there. I will NOT bid on a stag and most stags are discounted as much as .20 a lb or more.

 

[TCRanch]

This is precisely why we try to band within the first couple of days. This little guy was born while my husband was out of town & I'm not big enough to hold down the calf/band by myself; ended up waiting until we worked the herd a couple months later. A neighbor (long-time rancher) that was helping assured us it was better to cut at that age (he did the cutting for us) & the fatty tissue actually helps it heal faster, along with a hefty dose of LA300. The calf is fine but I think it's way more traumatic to cut, hate seeing it, worried about potential infection & will NOT do it again. Lesson learned.

 

[Sd1030]

That does look painful, i dont think id want to cut when they that big. Thanks everyone for the info.

 

[kenny thomas]

This is precisely why we try to band within the first couple of days. This little guy was born while my husband was out of town & I'm not big enough to hold down the calf/band by myself; ended up waiting until we worked the herd a couple months later. A neighbor (long-time rancher) that was helping assured us it was better to cut at that age (he did the cutting for us) & the fatty tissue actually helps it heal faster, along with a hefty dose of LA300. The calf is fine but I think it's way more traumatic to cut, hate seeing it, worried about potential infection & will NOT do it again. Lesson learned.

Ok, I cant get y feeble mind what I am seeing here. I cuta lot of calves and never had anything like that.
If you will reasearch it a little I think you will find that castrating is actually easier than banding no matter the size. It is easier on the person doing it is the difference.