Possible botched banding

[suitep123]

Hello there:

I've been reading many of these posts for some time now. We finally got calves and are up and running. Of course we have had some issues along the way - but here's one I could use some advice on.

We bought three steer calves from a rancher that banded them on 11/3/07, the day before we picked them up. I had been reading the posts on dry coughs. I called our vet and talked to him about it - and we are following orders. While giving antibiotics we noticed that none of the steers have dropped their testicles - the bands are still there. One of them, there's approx. 2 inches of scrotum below the band that looks pretty shriveled but above the band looks swollen and discolored - white-ish on a black animal.

Looking for advice - shouldn't everything have disappeared by now? I was thinking it all should have been gone in 2 - 3 weeks or so. We've helped band quite a few calves, but not been there to follow up on the process.

Thanks so much. These boards are really very helpful.

Pauline

 

[dun]

Depending on the development of the calf when it's banded it can take a couple of months at times. Never had any lose them in less then a month

 

[suitep123]

Thank you so much - that eases my mind quite a bit. I am still concerned though about the swelling and discoloration of the skin above the band - any thoughts there?[/quote]

 

[angie2]

I am not surprised that they are still there, would be more surprised if they had fallen off. We had several calves run into problems one year as a result of banding gone bad ~ required vet attention, antibiotics ~ what a mess. Does the swollen skin feel hot? Is calf carrying a fever? Is this a change from when you got them ~ for example, they looked fine last week but this week you notice they are swollen?

 

[larryshoat]

I would cut the bag off below the band and inject penicilin into the area above the band. If there is any flesh above the band spray it with iodine.

Larry

 

[suitep123]

We just got our first two calves in September. We got these guys in early November. They were born late May to very early June. We were just discussing last week that we need to get a thermometer - next trip to supply store gets it done! At any rate - we both work day jobs and we were giving second dose of LA200 this afternoon. We will work them again on Saturday.

We just noticed this tonight - I've been watching while they walk around and hadn't noticed anything before tonight; however, we haven't really been in a position to get that close. So to answer your question, we don't really know how long they have looked this way, we just noticed it really doesn't look right tonight.

I have mentioned to the guys to take a looksy at them when we have had them in for shots before, but things get so busy - the looksy part gets forgotten in the excitement. We're really new at working our own cattle. Things are running pretty smoothly. Hubby and I can work the three we have in the corral with the alley and stationery head gate with just the two of us. They all tend to want to get in there together!

 

[angie2]

I would cut the bag off below the band and inject penicilin into the area above the band. If there is any flesh above the band spray it with iodine.

Larry

Really? I would be really hesitant to create an opening if there wasn't one. Closed skin is the best protection against infection. Unless of course there needs to be draining...... I don't know.......
It may just be swollen tissue, I think he/she needs to confirm its infection before they start cutting.... And think twice about it if it is.

 

[larryshoat]

I would cut the bag off below the band and inject penicilin into the area above the band. If there is any flesh above the band spray it with iodine.

Larry

Really? I would be really hesitant to create an opening if there wasn't one. Closed skin is the best protection against infection. Unless of course there needs to be draining...... I don't know.......
It may just be swollen tissue, I think he/she needs to confirm its infection before they start cutting.... And think twice about it if it is.

At this point if done properly the area below the band should be dead. The irritation is probably coming from the band. I suppose the weight or when he lays down doesn't help. I know people that after a period of time bring the steers back in and remove the bag. I don't, but if I have one in for some other reason I will remove it. The real worry comes when there is swelling below the band, indicating the band was not tight enough.

Larry

 

[novatech]

Not to steal the thread but someone on here brought something to mind.
I do not understand why people use any other method than the surgical method. It is relatively painless. When I was young I do not recall ever having infection caused by use of the knife. That is with doing hundreds of calves going into the feedlot.
Nonsurgical methods were developed because of the screw worm problem of the past. The Burdizzo was developed to overcome the problem, but to many cords were missed. Next the banding devise came along and still there are problems. In my opinion these devices are carryovers from the days of the screw worm and are not necessary. Surgical castration is still the best method overall. It's what the vets use.
I believe the only reason people don't do it as much today is only because they don't have the gonads them self.
My apology for being so blunt, and for stealing the thread.

 

[Florida cattle]

I'm with you novatech, my dad tried banding when I was a boy and he had so many problems he went back to the blade, to this day it still amazes me at how fast my dad is with a scapel or knife, and it only produces a couple of drops of blood. I'm 33 and good at it but my 57 year old dad has me beat hands down.

 

[I luv herfrds]

I would get the vet out to take a look.
We band and the swelling is a concern to me.
Did they give them a tetnous (sp?) shot with the band?
I know some guys cut off below the band about a month or more after banding the calf and I know one guy who cut above the band; yes the calf died.
Husband says they might not have gotten the testicles below the band.

 

[Wild Cattle]

I never buy banded cattle, ever...This is a common ploblem, you never know if it was done correctly. I would get someone who knows something (Vet)to look at your calves and tell you if they are ok or not and what to do. If you have 3head and lose 1 thats a 33% death loss...

I work cattle for a living and we use the knife on them all(hundreds every year), young calves drug to the fire to long yearlings in the chute. Death loss is 'nill and they are back on feed in 24 hrs or less.

Good luck,
Paul T

 

[I luv herfrds]

Wild Cattle we band the steer calves within 24-48 hours of birth. If we cannot get it correct or get just one nut dropped we leave them til branding. If still a problem we call the vet in to band them.
My husband has been banding for years, but it still makes me nervous when I have to do it, so he checks my work. ;-)
I'm more afraid of doing damage with a knife then with a bander. JMO.

 

[Wild Cattle]

I'm more afraid of doing damage with a knife then with a bander. JMO.

:lol: practice practice practice

 

[Brad D]

I have used banders before and never had a problem with the bands,I used to get the vet to cut them but it's expensive and time consuming. Just keep them calves full of penicilin and they should be alright.

 

[somn]

I have used banders before and never had a problem with the bands,I used to get the vet to cut them but it's expensive and time consuming. Just keep them calves full of penicilin and they should be alright.

It is difficult to check amount of fat in scrotum when there is no scrotum.

 

[Brad D]

I would assume so, but I don't know.

 

[2/B or not 2/B]

We band bull calves within 24 - 48 hours of birth also. Always count to two and then count again to be sure. Don't understand how this can be a problem for some people... If only one is dropped, you can reach up, find the second and work it down. So far, we haven't had any problems and are satisfied with the ease of it. We don't administer antibiotics or tetanus shots at the time of banding. My understanding is that the younger they're banded, the less stress and chance of tetanus or infection. The older the calf at the time of banding, the riskier it is to use that method. Our calves show no outward signs of stress afterwards. Avoiding the summer heat and flies helps too.

We do watch for any unusual swelling or flies around the area and so far haven't seen any. The sac below the band shrivels, hardens and falls off in about 8 weeks. First thing I would do if there was possibility of infection, restrain the calf, check for heat, pus, swelling, possibly remove band, administer antibiotics and tetanus, call vet for assistance if situation worsens or doesn't improve.

 

[Brad D]

We band bull calves within 24 - 48 hours of birth also. Always count to two and then count again to be sure. Don't understand how this can be a problem for some people... If only one is dropped, you can reach up, find the second and work it down. So far, we haven't had any problems and are satisfied with the ease of it.

We get alot of belly nuts in our feedlot...well alot for us. About 25-35 a year wich is only 1% out of total head. We always checked the ID tags that the calves at birth and the belly nuts are usually from 7-8 different ranchers so it is NOT an accident when they are missed. I guess maybe a little bit better weaning weights!

 

[rockridgecattle]

We always band after birth as well. I do it now while the husband is on the tractor feeding. Always count and re count and when the gun is released, re count. If there is a problem I get "the man"
We did have two that did not get done, one i missed and the other the sack was bottle necked only alowing one nut in. got the vet in and she did a bang up job. Used a local anastetic, scrubbed with an iodine solution, calves recovered nicely.