Castration question

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Luv4whippets

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Well Number 71 is 4 weeks old now and coming along quite nicely. He has put on 30 pounds since he's been here even with fighting a bout of pneumonia. He is a Jersey or Jersey cross and is starting to be a testy bugger already. I think it is time to castrate him. Could you all share your prefered method with me? I have pretty good idea of what I'm planning on, but want your opinions.
 
You can easily band at that age ,use two rings though just in case.

Sounds like he is doing well congrats ,it's nice to read where someone actually knows how to look after a calf for a change.
 
I dodnt know where you are from, but around here the flies are getting bad. With that said I would band instead of cutting.
 
Thanks everyone. It has been a joy so far, even with getting up early, and staying up late, worrying about the little guy. I foresee more cattle in my future. I was hoping to cut him, because the thought of him walking around with a rotting scrotum for weeks bothers me for some reason. It is still pretty mild here in Michigan and it has been rainy. One thing I was hoping to get answered is about tetanus. What do you all do about that? Thanks again.
 
The only tetnus shot I have ever given was to a 900lb bull that we pinched. Have never given it to newborns and have not had a problem.
 
If you are going to cut him you had better know what you are doing, sterile knife etc. I think having a sac that has had the blood flow cut off so that it just shrivels and eventually falls off sounds better personally.
 
hillsdown":271hbg8k said:
I think having a sac that has had the blood flow cut off so that it just shrivels and eventually falls off sounds better personally.

I thought the same thing too, until I saw that terrible picture posted in the health area!
 
I am sure I can find you pics of cutting going wrong as well. Freak events happen as well that sometimes are unexpected.

I band and many others here do as well because it can be done by yourself and at day 1 or 2 with no repercussions to the animal..Just keep that in mind when you are deciding.

Good luck whatever you decide..
 
hillsdown":2kbwjwn2 said:
If you are going to cut him you had better know what you are doing, sterile knife etc. I think having a sac that has had the blood flow cut off so that it just shrivels and eventually falls off sounds better personally.

I have to agree, when younger the sac has less blood flow so it has less feeling. Someone said there's dates in the farmers almanac for castration, but I don't know anything about that.
 
The farmers almanac thing is very interesting. My husband always buys a copy, so I'll have to check it out. Don't worry, if I decide to "cut" him, I have 4 vets backing me up. I work in the veterinary profession and they have been coaching me all week. I know it's different than doing them all the time yourself, but at least one of them is only a phone call away. Also, I won't be using a "knife." I'll be using a number 10 scalpel blade straight from the package after the calf has been scrubbed. Their guidance has gotten me this far and I think we've done pretty darn well.
 
Luv4whippets":z7spwa3u said:
The farmers almanac thing is very interesting. My husband always buys a copy, so I'll have to check it out. Don't worry, if I decide to "cut" him, I have 4 vets backing me up. I work in the veterinary profession and they have been coaching me all week. I know it's different than doing them all the time yourself, but at least one of them is only a phone call away. Also, I won't be using a "knife." I'll be using a number 10 scalpel blade straight from the package after the calf has been scrubbed. Their guidance has gotten me this far and I think we've done pretty darn well.


City folk.
 
Just band him and be done with it. If your going to cut him have you got a good way to hold him or will he just stand there and be still while you cut on him??
 
Luv4whippets":632i8rla said:
The farmers almanac thing is very interesting. My husband always buys a copy, so I'll have to check it out. Don't worry, if I decide to "cut" him, I have 4 vets backing me up. I work in the veterinary profession and they have been coaching me all week. I know it's different than doing them all the time yourself, but at least one of them is only a phone call away. Also, I won't be using a "knife." I'll be using a number 10 scalpel blade straight from the package after the calf has been scrubbed. Their guidance has gotten me this far and I think we've done pretty darn well.
For your first go at cutting, you may want to put the scalpel away, and get a newberry, these are not small animals under sedation, laying on a stainless steel surgical table in a office. I've seen to many fingers and hands cut with scalpels.
 
Luv4whippets":35izerwm said:
City folk.

You won't find any of those here.....[/quote]

Everybody has got to learn somewhere. This is a good place to start. City folk can be turned into country folk...
 
Do you work for a large animal or small animal vet?

Ditto banding. The scrotum does not rot off. It dries up and falls off. Once it is dried and shriveled, you can cut it off below the band.

It is really easier on the calf. There isn't any drainage like a surgical castration. You band the calf, he does a little dance and then he is fine.

PS. Cattle are not sedated for castration. The littles ones are held down. We had a long yearling bull castrated and our vet did him standing in a squeeze chute.

Good luck.
 
Thanks guys, my assistant from work was going to come out and help me. I doubt if he'll stand still to be banded or cut and I wasn't planning on it. He kicked when I just reached to make sure they were both there. One of farmers who comes in for coffee rec. I tie him. Do you just let them stand there because that seems dangerous? This was some of the information I was looking for. In a book I read it said something about different band applicators (sure hope that was the proper terminology). Is there one that in your experience is better than others? Or can I just buy the average TSC model and have good results? For whoever asked I work for a mixed practice...small animal and equine. The farmer I talked to explained that most people pull everything too far thru the band and they end up looking like the calf in the health section because the cords pull everything back too tight to the body. That is what I am afraid of. Thanks everyone for your experience.
 

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