castration.....when? why?

[kenny thomas]

Have you ever seen a load lot of bull calves sell on Superior livestock. I think I can answer it no. Reason why is the extra stress that the buyer does not want. That being said I will buy bull calves up to about 550lb and not have a lot of problem castrating them. I will castrate them on up to 800lb for someone else but not for myself. Too much stress I think.
I band 99% of mine the day they are born and if I miss one he is castrated by 2-3 months old. I also use ralgro to make up for any supposed lost growth from them not being a bull.

 

[moloss]

so you don't think there's a drop off in growth due to the decreased testosterone? do you think it's made up with a better price at the barn for the steer? I'm really small so every penny is important

 

[dun]

so you don't think there's a drop off in growth due to the decreased testosterone? do you think it's made up with a better price at the barn for the steer? I'm really small so every penny is important

That'swhere the "wash"part comes in. A little smaller becasue of cutting but no dock for a bull. If you wait till later to cut they set back of cutting about balances with the less growth form being cut younger.

 

[kenny thomas]

There may be a little loss from them not being a bull but that is why I use the ralgro. For $1 I can get the same results and most years give them another around July 4th and get some extra pounds. The difference in price is much more when I wean and precondition them also and make load lots.

 

[manitgotcoldhere2]

I'm with Kenny on this one. Cut them young and spend a dollar. The ROI will be so much better, than it will be for leaving them bulls. Now selling them one at a time, might not ROI very well, your selling at a discount to load lots already, the buyers of these calves are just jockey's grouping calves for load lots.

 

[houstoncutter]

so you don't think there's a drop off in growth due to the decreased testosterone? do you think it's made up with a better price at the barn for the steer? I'm really small so every penny is important

What weight are you going to sell them at and to what market. Give a answer to that and i think you can get better opinions... Notice I didnt say answer. As for me I was a low labor type of fella. No shots, cuts, tags. and put em on the trailer at 400 lb pounds. I could run more head, on less pasture that way.

 

[dcara]

Agree with Dun on the "its a wash" thing. I wait till weaning so I can pick the 1 or 2 that I might want to use as a herd bull. Then I pick the final one at about 13 months. I think they recover (i.e start gaining agin) faster when cut vs. banding. I've also had fewer problems with cutting vs banding.

 

[Dave]

Calves sold in the fall in this area the bulls will be docked about 10 cents. Knive cut will bring slightly more than banded. There are way too many banded calves that come in with one nut. Those get docked more than a straight bull. In the spring the price difference isn't as great but the calves generally are running smaller.

 

[moloss]

thanks y'all.....I really appreciate it....Chris.