Funny Thought About Castration

[Quickdraw Farm]

Yesterday I worked 68 weanling calves. Of the 68, 37 were bull calves, which I castrated with my pocket knife. As I was running them through the squeeze chute I remembered the very first bull calves I castrated, it was a delightful and funny memory. It was 1988 and I was 19 years old. I only had three calves and all three were bulls. I took them to the local sale barn to use the head catch (I didn't have one) on a day there was no sale. The only person I could get to help me at the time was my grandfather. As I ran the calves into the chute and caught them in the head catch my grandfather kept saying over and over "they're going to die, son you don't know what the heck you're doing and you're killing these calves. My, my, what a mess, they're going to die". He was right about one thing, I didn't know what I was doing but I was doing what I figured was best. The calves never missed a beat, they did great, healed up quickly, got fat, and round as a gun barrel. I'll never forget my grandfather helping me castrate my very first calves.

Another great memory: He went with me three years later to the sale barn. There was a bunch of weaning aged, brahma heifers at the sale that day and they were selling cheap. I bought 10 of them. As they were running them through the ring, and I was bidding on them, the heifers were doing what long ears often do, slinging snot, slobber, and pee all over everything, trying to climb the walls, and trying to kill everyone in sight. My grandfather kept saying over and over "I don't know what in the world you want with them crazy things. They ain't going to stay in your pasture 5 minutes. They're going to be scattered from heck to breakfast and you'll never see them again". When I got them home I shut them up in a small lot and fed them every day. After about two weeks he came over and watched me hand feed most of them before turning them into the pasture. All he had to say was "I still wouldn't have them crazy things". Ahh, great memories.

 

[Nesikep]

I've always banded my calves.. so I have no experience cutting them.

Speaking of your grandfather makes me think of some of the old timers around these parts.. One was a bull and bronc rider, and I can't repeat about 75% of the language he used here, but he was a heck of a character.

 

[BRYANT]

I like this post. I have lots of great grand pa memories. I had a good dad that helped me a lot but if it were not for my grand pa I would never have hunted ,fished or ever owned a cow, horse,or mule I loved him a lot and there is lots of times now when I am out in the pasture that I think I sure do wish Poppa ,Grand pa,was here. As for the Brahman heifers poppa didn't think a cow was worth bringing home if she was not part Brahman, so I guess that's why my cows are all Brahman cross today.

 

[wbvs58]

Quickdraw, could you please describe how you restrain the calf for castration and from where you work on it to do the job. I have always tipped them over in a calf cradle to do the job, sounds as though you just do them standing up.
Thanks
Ken

 

[Rafter S]

I don't know about Quickdraw, but the guy that cuts mine does it with them all bunched up standing in the loading chute. He has a helper hold the calf's tail straight up over its back so it can't kick, and he squats down behind it to cut it. When that one is done it's pushed back behind them and they move to the next one.

 

[Quickdraw Farm]

Yes, standing up. I run them through my squeeze chute and catch them in the head catch. I don't squeeze them though because when you do it forces their legs together and makes it really hard to get to the testicles. My chute has the half inch tubing sides you can let down as many or as few as you like for access to the cattle. I actually have someone hold the tail and I let down enough side bars to put my right leg over into the chute so I'm actually straddling the side of the squeeze chute. As long as the tail is held snug and I am close to the calf/yearling, he won't kick me and IF he does kick me I am so close to him it's no big deal at all. Very few kick when "tailed up" correctly. Man I'd love to have one of those calf tables, that's the way to go. Someday I hope to add one.

 

[wbvs58]

OK thanks Rafter and Quickdraw. I don't have one of those tables, just a cradle that catches them and then tips over onto a tire and then a 2nd person holds their top back leg back. Yes a table would be nice, I am getting too old to be working on the ground. I am not castrating a lot these days as I grow about 2/3 out as bulls but those I do castrate are a bit older and a bit big for my calf race so am looking at different options.
Ken

 

[J&D Cattle]

Good stories.

First calf I cut was nicknamed "Mouse" for his color. We caught him in the head gate and a buddy held his tale. He kept trying to lay down in the alley which made my job harder. I took entirely to long and when my buddy opened up the head gate the calf hit the ground. It had choked itself out. We both grabbed hold of the calf and drug it out. Went to pushing around a little bit on its chest and it took a big breath. Prob 10 minutes later we got it up and on its feet. A couple of months later the calf got sick, vet thought diphtheria, and it was the first one I had to put down. Lots of memories made raising cattle, some good and some you'd rather forget.

 

[TexasBred]

I don't know about Quickdraw, but the guy that cuts mine does it with them all bunched up standing in the loading chute. He has a helper hold the calf's tail straight up over its back so it can't kick, and he squats down behind it to cut it. When that one is done it's pushed back behind them and they move to the next one.

That's the way I've always done it. Just make sure the guy holding the tail over the calf's back knows what he's doing and why he's doing it or you'll lose your teeth.

 

[Rafter S]

I don't know about Quickdraw, but the guy that cuts mine does it with them all bunched up standing in the loading chute. He has a helper hold the calf's tail straight up over its back so it can't kick, and he squats down behind it to cut it. When that one is done it's pushed back behind them and they move to the next one.

That's the way I've always done it. Just make sure the guy holding the tail over the calf's back knows what he's doing and why he's doing it or you'll lose your teeth.

Yep. Victor (the guy that cuts mine) says "Hold his tail above his back, so that my jaw will stay intact."

 

[NolanCountyAG]

We've never held a tail up but run all of our calves through a squeeze chute. Take a rope with a snap, drill out the spring so you don't have the closure mechanism on the snap. Open the bottom half of one side of the chute, wrap the rope around the back leg and hook your snap. Pull the leg up and make a wrap or two on the chute and do your business. When I have my next work in a month or two I'll try and to video the job.

 

[Tim/South]

We cut them standing up in the squeeze chute. We do squeeze the calf. Drop a couple of the access panels and bend over to do the deed.
Last year we began using the Newberry knife. Still use the disposable scapulas from Tractor supply if touch up is needed.

My grandfather was a tough old man but he was blood shy and always banded. I learned to knife cut as an adult.