Cutting bull calfs

[Hook]

I haven't cut many, mainly sold them intact or banded. But the ones I've cut I've done with a newberry knife. That leaves a membrane around the nut I have to open with my pocket knife. Grab one, slit again, strip and pull. Repeat.
Is there a quicker/easier way?

 

[M5farm]

I use a hook scalple. Grab the sack up next to body with thumb and pointer around it. The nut will rest in palm of hand. They should hang down below bottom of palm. Stick knife in below finger and slit down to bottom of sack. slit both sides . Then lay down of put knife in teeth. You csn then squeeze the nuts out and pull the cord all the way out . Takes about 10 sec start to finish.

 

[Hook]

The newberry does the same. Slits downward. But only start about 2/3 of the way up. Maybe that's it

 

[Alan]

Last spring was my first year banding with the first 24 hrs, always used a pocket knife and emasculators before that when they were older. I be banding from now on, just way to quick and simple.

 

[kenny thomas]

Cut the bottom of the sac and it dont matter. I still do it the old fashion way. Cut the bottom 1/4 to 1/3 off and then take each nut and slice the membrane around it and peal it out. Them pull gently getting as much of the cord as I can with the nut.

 

[Hook]

So the membrane has to be dealt with seperatly either way?

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Cut the bottom of the sack off and pull them out. All that extra is just a waste of time.

 

[kenny thomas]

Cut the bottom of the sack off and pull them out. All that extra is just a waste of time.

You are correct, but it is hard to stop old ways of doing things. It takes me maybe 1 1/2 minutes verses 1 minute to just pull them out.
I even band a few lately and slit the bottom of the sac and let the nuts hang. They probably done better that the other ways but I still didnt like the looks of them hanging down for several days.

 

[jerry27150]

red bull has it, son uses newberry, but it gets dull quickly. I use a scalpel to cut end of sack off. just be careful not to cut leg

 

[Bigfoot]

I cut the bottom of the scrotum, that way it can drain if need be. Get a scalpel, and some extra blades. I don't like my hand right near the blade, so welded two pieces of cold roll on to some slip joint pliers. Holds the bottom of the scrotum good, and your hand is free. I want a calf table so bad, I can't stand it. I've got a stiff back, and it's a lot on me to cut calves these days.

 

[skyhightree1]

Last spring was my first year banding with the first 24 hrs, always used a pocket knife and emasculators before that when they were older. I be banding from now on, just way to quick and simple.

I have never cut and don't plan on starting.. Bands are way to cheap and quick to fool with cutting IMO I band asap when born and or shortly thereafter I have a calf now that I bought that's intact and he will be sold as suck that loss of about 50 bucks is worth not having to deal with cutting to me.

 

[kenny thomas]

Last spring was my first year banding with the first 24 hrs, always used a pocket knife and emasculators before that when they were older. I be banding from now on, just way to quick and simple.

I have never cut and don't plan on starting.. Bands are way to cheap and quick to fool with cutting IMO I band asap when born and or shortly thereafter I have a calf now that I bought that's intact and he will be sold as suck that loss of about 50 bucks is worth not having to deal with cutting to me.

Sky, that $50 that you and many others don't want is what I am after. I buy the real thin bull calves mostly and they sell back as weaned, vaccinated, castrated, well fleshed steers.

 

[M5farm]

Cutting is simple and easy. I have banded within first week ,I have not banded or cut and with calf prices the return has been better if I cut them at 300 to 400 # and I sell at 500+#. I can see where and emasculator might be a good way to go but I don't have one so I just cut. I think alot of people don't like it because they are not comfortable doing it.

 

[skyhightree1]

Last spring was my first year banding with the first 24 hrs, always used a pocket knife and emasculators before that when they were older. I be banding from now on, just way to quick and simple.

I have never cut and don't plan on starting.. Bands are way to cheap and quick to fool with cutting IMO I band asap when born and or shortly thereafter I have a calf now that I bought that's intact and he will be sold as suck that loss of about 50 bucks is worth not having to deal with cutting to me.

Sky, that $50 that you and many others don't want is what I am after. I buy the real thin bull calves mostly and they sell back as weaned, vaccinated, castrated, well fleshed steers.

Yea, If I can't band it he stays intact I am not comfortable with cutting as m5 spoke on. I too do not want my calves to get over 500lbs before I sell them.

 

[talltimber]

Cut the bottom of the sack off and pull them out. All that extra is just a waste of time.

That's the way I was taught about 35 yrs ago by my grandpa. After I had bought mine last fall, and the calves were getting big, I researched procedures and talked to my vet about it. I was just curious if, in fact, I was doing it the safest and most efficient way. There are a couple of different methods, like stated here, but I stuck with what I knew for the most part. What I did change/start doing was to drop my knife in an iodine bucket between procedures; use a dull knife to ABRADE (to make an irregular "cut" on the remaining cord to facilitate a faster blood stop) the cord in two; inspect the bag before cutting and washing with a antiseptic solution if dirty; spray with screworm/blue lotion and pour a cone of bloodstop in my palm and press and hold up in the bag afterwards for about 20-30 seconds; prevac with covexin 8 4-6 weeks prior with the followup booster the day of cutting; AND, just to keep close to my roots and the oldtimers that have passed...

sign in the secrets or lower and falling when possible.

 

[Toad]

I've both cut and used bands and I would much rather band. I normally catch bull calves when they get up to around 300 or 400lb and throw a band on them. Leaving them as bulls up to that point seems to get them going quicker.

 

[Big Cheese]

Ive always wondered this.....why do some of yall cut the bull calves instead of just banding? You can band them even when they get up in the age you would usually cut. Is there a benefit from it? I'm just wondering. We have always banded or just sold them as bull calves.

 

[Angus Cowman]

I hate it when guys band as newborns I have seen to many that has a nut left in them and those producers always SWEARS they always gets both nuts
That is BS

Either cut em when they are small or band or cut when they get bigger

I had a guy swear he never missed a nut when he was banding and I was looking at his "steers" one seemed awful bullish looking ran him thru the chute and sure enough he had a nut laying up in his belly
I have one out here now that has one found it last week when I was castrating
He still has it because it is too hard on them to cut them out since you have to cut their abdomen to get them since no sack is left after banding

 

[Big Cheese]

I hate it when guys band as newborns I have seen to many that has a nut left in them and those producers always SWEARS they always gets both nuts
That is BS

Either cut em when they are small or band or cut when they get bigger

I had a guy swear he never missed a nut when he was banding and I was looking at his "steers" one seemed awful bullish looking ran him thru the chute and sure enough he had a nut laying up in his belly
I have one out here now that has one found it last week when I was castrating
He still has it because it is too hard on them to cut them out since you have to cut their abdomen to get them since no sack is left after banding

I understand that predicament but wouldnt it be easier to band the bull calves when you would usually cut on them? I would think it would be safer and easier. What I'm asking is why cut on em when you can band.

 

[LRTX1]

I normally band the first week. I count to two, and for the most part I'm fairly accurate counting. If I do cut, I use a ear tag removal tool to cut the bottom of the sack off and pull them out.