castration

[Lazyacre]

I am curious what most of you are using...banding or cutting and the timing. Old school says cut them early...now there is some information that says wait several months. Just want to hear from some of you as to your successes and failures with each method.

 

[sidney411]

You can search this board and find more then enough info on this topic, we have been discussing it quite frequently in the last few weeks.

 

[jerry27150]

we use burdizzo's at 3-400 pounds

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

Up until now I've always cut mine at about five months. I had a couple that got too bully looking when I left them that late. Up here as a standard, most guys band them when they are fairly young so I think I'm going to try that this year just to keep the buyers happy.

 

[shorty]

I band with a big bander at 5-6 months

 

[jcarkie]

i band early, easier to handle and less stress on everyone. no blood,no flies,no setbacks. just make sure you count two and don't go to high or it will make a sore. like anything else practice makes perfect.

 

[SF]

I band. I wait until they are older. Bulls that I'm sure won't make it as breeding stock get banded at about 5 months, if I'm not sure yet, they may wait until 8 months or so.

 

[Victoria]

We usually calve February/March and burdizzo at the end of May. Any calves that are very late and may die from stress from running through the chute with everyone else gets done early fall.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Like jcarkie, I band early, 1-3 days old, for same reasons no blood, no flies, less stress. They seem to be more bothered about being tagged than being banded.

Katherine

 

[endebt]

we cut everything that has any color. we tag , cut, vac. and worm at about 1 month. we also weight them . having a calf table really helps. no one gets hurt and the calves seem to learn about an alleyway and sorting sticks. we bring the calves back in abought 60 days before weaning and weigh and worm and vac again. seems to put weight on and see who is doing agood job as a mother. another tool for culling.

 

[franseen]

We use a burdizzo at seven to nine months. Seems like they grow better if they aren't cut. When you use a burdizzo it should be one cord at a time and be careful. If you go to high you can crimp the urethra and then you have a dead animal.

 

[river]

late march to late may calfers, everything knife cyt by middle of june. know feeders who won't by banded calves unless they have to. to many not done proprly and by the time they get them the fix job knocks them back on gain.one nutters,scar tisuue and the like.

 

[Cody]

We usally band the calves when we work them to be put on grass or the first time we run them throught the chute.

 

[ga. prime]

Band mine on the day they're born. Been doing it for years, never had a problem.