CASTRATING

[NY-JB]

I START TO RAISE A HERD OF HEREFORDS ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO AND I AM TRYING TO GET MY NUMBERS UP I CURRENTLY HAVE 15 HEIFERS AND 5 BULLS 4 BEING UNDER 5 MONTHS I WAS WONDERING WHEN YOU SHOULD HAVE THEM CATRATED I HEARD BEFORE THREE MONTHS AND DO YOU GET MORE MONEY FOR A STEER RATHER THEN A BULL

 

[Fallfish]

This is a question with no clear answer. Some swear that castrating them as soon as they hit the ground is best and some cut or (calcrate) band 700 pounders and up.

I personally have done both and all in between. Frankly, I've noticed little difference. Either extreme has advantages and disadvantages. Banding or cutting real early is less stressful on the calf but waiting until they weigh 400 or 500 pounds gives them (so the argument goes) a chance to use their hormones to "bulk" up a little.

Whatever you choose, just make sure you castrate them as steers certainly bring more than bulls (generally speaking of course- a bad steer calf will bring less than a good bull calf).

Just my thoughts,

Fallfish

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

I did an experiment this spring. Traditionally, I've always cut my calves at around five months. This year I banded a few calves off cows that had what I felt to be fairly good predictable type calves. The ones I banded didn't grow as fast as the ones that were cut later, but by the time all was said and done, I got paid more per pound for the lighter, banded calves and so it worked out about even on a per calf basis.

 

[G&L Cattle]

There is alot of great imformation on this board pertaining to this subject.


Click on Search and type in CASTRATION.


G&L

 

[9 ER]

Why do steers bring in more than bulls or heifers?

 

[dun]

Why do steers bring in more than bulls or heifers?

Generally, that's alwasy the qualifier, bulls don't do as well in a feed lot environment as the others. Then there is the costs/risks of castrating older animals.

dun

 

[9 ER]

What about the heifers? I watched a sale the other day and steers were bring more than heifers.

 

[dun]

Heifers generally don't grow as well and/or finish as well as steers. Although the last couple of loads of heifers our marketing assoc. shipped all went to the same feedlot. The owner claimed that his profit margin is higher on heifers then steers. We didn't see hyis books so there's no verifying his statement. But he alwasy bids on the heifers but only sometimes bids on the steers.

dun

 

[ChrisB]

I have heard before that there is more profit in heifers than steers also. Heifers do not gain as quickly or convert as efficiently but when they are sold they bring the same price or maybe a penny difference. You make up the difference in the purchase price though, or so the theory goes.