Castration

[Anonymous]

Is it better to cut calves iwthin the first couple of weeks or wait until they have grown more.
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[Anonymous]

: Is it better to cut calves iwthin the first couple of weeks or wait until they have grown more.<p><br>In a seminar, I heard a vet professor from Texas A&M say very clearly that if you can find both testicals, you can castrate a calf the day he is born. They will come down in two to four week so they are easier to find. As a convenienc, mine are all castrated at weaning time, which will be between 5 and 7 months old. That is when all calves are weaned, get all of their shots, branded, bulls castrated and the heifers get their CV bangs shot. Hope this helps, best of luck,<p>Mack<p>

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[Anonymous]

The sooner you cut them the less stressful it is on the calf. If you have a problem finding them rub him to relax him and they will drop.<p>
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[tg]

Sooner the better, if you can't find them just push on his stomach just above the sack and they will drop best to do it when weather is cool before flies are to bad

 

[Gayle Hilgeman]

I do ours at a day old and I knife cut them because when I learned
to do it the vet told me the feedlots perfered it this way because
they know both are gone and they are less likely to rupture. He also
said when you do it in the first couple of days there easier to find
because the calf can`t pull them up yet. (still to be determined)

 

[Medic24]

Suspect there is no real right or wrong answer on this. Alot of folks want to see some tostesterone flowing for a few months to make a more bull like appearence, muscles and all that,some don't care.

The beef breeds we usually band or cut within a few days after birth, as they are in the fields and will be harder to catch later on.. The dairy breeds that we bottle feed, we wait a while to get some muscling going, especially the Jersey breeds, as they are very small framed to begin with.

One simple needs to pick what works best for them is all. There are certain trade offs for both, just as there is for leaving them intact. :cboy:

 

[4-H fanatic]

I fix mine at weaning time. everything at once then they get over it faster

 

[kaneranch]

I have to disagree with 4-H fanatic. WHen you do everything at weaning the calfs have a better chance of dieing. They are but under quite a bit of stress any way from leaving there monthers. When you casturate them at the same time it just ads one more thing into the equation. Calves immune system is the worst during weaning and can cause unnecissary infection and illnesses.

 

[4-H fanatic]

Ture but we have been doing it that way for years and haven't lost one yet.

 

[preston39]

4-H,
You may wish to consider further what Kaneranch is saying.

Just because you have not lost one doesn't mean that double stress on the animal is ok. Weaning is stressful...pain is an additional stress which could cause the animal to slow in development....which could cause a price to be paid....health problems...weight gain/growth. They should be seperated in occurence.

 

[4-H fanatic]

i guess