How soon can you catch and cut bull calves?

[jerry27150]

old guys claimed if horses had ever been on your place the germ is there

 

[jedstivers]

I used to cut newborns without tetanus, prol still would.
On 5wts I give two test shots. One two weeks before and one the day we cut.
I have some 5wts I'm needing to do now and don't want to cut in the heat and flies. Going to give a shot, wait two weeks, another shot and band. Going to cut a slit in the side so they will drain too.

 

[JMJ Farms]

I used to cut newborns without tetanus, prol still would.
On 5wts I give two test shots. One two weeks before and one the day we cut.
I have some 5wts I'm needing to do now and don't want to cut in the heat and flies. Going to give a shot, wait two weeks, another shot and band. Going to cut a slit in the side so they will drain too.

Jed I band at birth 99% of the time. However sometimes I have to cut some bigger ones I buy in the fall. I've heard people talk about this slit. I've always thought you cut right between his cods, about an inch long, top to bottom. Is this right, wrong, or is there a better way?

 

[Rafter S]

I knife cut at 30 - 90 days old. I've never given tetanus shots and never lost one. Not saying it can't happen, but it hasn't yet.

 

[Lucky_P]

The first case of tetanus I ever saw was in one of my own calves, knife-castrated at about 400 lb. Found him 'saw-horsed' out in the pasture about 2 weeks later.
Most of the bovine tetanus cases I've seen have been associated with banding - and they've been more and more frequent in recent years, due to the advent of folks banding bigger bulls. Have seen some real wrecks, with folks losing 15-20 or more of those big boys... either because no tetanus protection was provided, or they gave a tetanus toxoid at the time of band application, and the bacterium won the race, producing toxin before the calf could produce antibodies.

But - I lost a 4-month old heifer to tetanus a couple of years back, with no idea what her injury/exposure was. Subsequently, all calves here get a dose of Cavalry-9 or other polyvalent Clostridial bacterin containing tetanus toxoid at about 10-14 days, then a booster 3-4 weeks later.

In this case, jerry's old-timers might have actually hit on a nugget of truth, with regard to the connection between tetanus and horses.

 

[jedstivers]

I used to cut newborns without tetanus, prol still would.
On 5wts I give two test shots. One two weeks before and one the day we cut.
I have some 5wts I'm needing to do now and don't want to cut in the heat and flies. Going to give a shot, wait two weeks, another shot and band. Going to cut a slit in the side so they will drain too.

Jed I band at birth 99% of the time. However sometimes I have to cut some bigger ones I buy in the fall. I've heard people talk about this slit. I've always thought you cut right between his cods, about an inch long, top to bottom. Is this right, wrong, or is there a better way?

I haven't ever done them but am going to soon. I hope to get th first round of tetanus in this week then in two weeks band and do the next round.
I have a friend who does at least 500 a year though and I'm going to do just like he does. I'll have to find out but it sounded like he did two slits, one on each side.

 

[kenny thomas]

Jed, if your gonna go as far as 2 slits just go and castrate them and be done with it. But still give the tetanus. Running them on that swamp ground you have they will need it. Every germ from Canada south has the opportunity to end up in your fields.

 

[arkie1]

To ask the opposite of this question, what's "too big" to cut? I've got some 500+ pounders that came with a set of mismanaged cows and I haven't really figured out what to do with them yet.

 

[Stocker Steve]

To ask the opposite of this question, what's "too big" to cut?

When they are too big to fit into the chute.

 

[arkie1]

To ask the opposite of this question, what's "too big" to cut?

When they are too big to fit into the chute.

:lol: fair enough. We band all of ours not long after they hit the ground. These are starting to cause problems because they are beginning to act like bulls.

 

[kenny thomas]

I have knife cut them weighing 800 but you must have someone that really knows how to hold them still. Or an immobilizer.

 

[Alan]

I use to cut at weaning, but for the last few years and years to come (like Dun) I let them hit the ground, nurse and get dry then one of the things they get is a green cheerio. Much easier and it's done.

 

[Kingfisher]

I have knife cut them weighing 800 but you must have someone that really knows how to hold them still. Or an immobilizer.[/quote

You must have been a young buck....

 

[kenny thomas]

It is easier n the person doing the knife cutting to do a big calf that a baby calf. Now the person holding it might have a speck more problem but holding the tail correctly the calf is "out of gear" move so no problem.

 

[jedstivers]

Jed, if your gonna go as far as 2 slits just go and castrate them and be done with it. But still give the tetanus. Running them on that swamp ground you have they will need it. Every germ from Canada south has the opportunity to end up in your fields.

They'll get the tetanus.
I like cutting better, you know then they are done. Hate doing it in the heat and flies. Flies are the worst part of it.