pros and cons of castration
- Thread starter kaykay
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
CattleAnnie
Well-known member
We usually band the calves within three days of birth and those steers grow well. You don't want to wait too long to castrate them up here, as the buyers can pick out a "stag" looking animal at 100ft and will discount them for it.
Personally, the sooner the better.
Take care.
Personally, the sooner the better.
Take care.
jgn
Well-known member
I also band all my bulls as soon as their born if possible, usually 1-3 days after birth while I can still find them laying and hiding and I can still walk up to them without them getting straight up and running away before I get to them.
Early castration have proponents but late castration does do. Early castration is supposed to decrease growth by elimination of hormones but not cause the stress that will set them back. Late castration is considered a shock/stress that slows growth and sets them back for a period of time following castration.
In the past we castrateed at weaning, now we band at a month or so during spring work up. Calves are any where from a couple of weeks to maybe a month to month and half old.
Like so many things in raising cattle, both sides sound perfectly logical.. We've alwasy viewed it as a wash. The reason we do it young is convenience, ease, and simplicity.
Pretty much you pays your money and takes your chances.
dun
In the past we castrateed at weaning, now we band at a month or so during spring work up. Calves are any where from a couple of weeks to maybe a month to month and half old.
Like so many things in raising cattle, both sides sound perfectly logical.. We've alwasy viewed it as a wash. The reason we do it young is convenience, ease, and simplicity.
Pretty much you pays your money and takes your chances.
dun
We don't band our bulls untill they are 4-6 months old. We want to give them a chance to see what kind of a bull or possibly a show steer they would make. If we were strickly a commercial operation I would cut them all at birth.
greenwillowherefords
Well-known member
I agree here. No way a purebred breeder is going to band a potential herdsire, unless his mother is a dud.txshowmom":2ynrnmkf said:
Texan
Well-known member
Maybe you Registered guys should try to develop a new exaggerated progeny diversion. The epd for NB could accurately predict the bull calves that need banding at birth so you don't have to wait. Pretty cool, huh? Shows I've been paying attention, right? :lol:greenwillowherefords":2gpnjh14 said:
greenwillowherefords
Well-known member
Texan":2tvxno4n said:
Deep down, I'm not that high on EPDs, but I'm impressed by Txag and Frankie's ability to discuss them knowledgably.
Keep in mind I am new to this, so if I sound stupid then you know why. It just seems to me that if if you castrate then their is only one option for the little fellar, but if I leave him intact maybe someone would want him as a bull.Does castrating seem to affect your growth? I too have heard what Dun said that their is a hormone they lose at castration that affects their growth. At the sale barn what effect does leaving as a bull have on the price?? We have sold a couple and they brought real good and they were not cut.
Texan
Well-known member
I used to be too, until I started having my own ideas. Don't be jealous. It'll come to you one of these days like it has me and tech zag and Frankie! ;-)greenwillowherefords":32kbbyxj said:......I'm impressed by Txag and Frankie's ability to discuss them knowledgably.
greenwillowherefords
Well-known member
Texan":1vrjw903 said:I used to be too, until I started having my own ideas. Don't be jealous. It'll come to you one of these days like it has me and tech zag and Frankie! ;-)greenwillowherefords":1vrjw903 said:......I'm impressed by Txag and Frankie's ability to discuss them knowledgably.
Tell me what your ideas are about my herd bull pictured on the breeds board, Texan. Should I expect an honest opinion, or fun-poking? :lol:
kaykay":2v59y060 said:
Bulls are generally docked as are horns. I've read somewhere how much but don't recall how much.
The problem I see with the whole castrate and loose growth or leave intact and get docked is that I don't think there is a definitive way of telling how much growth is lost or how much the dock is. Is it a wash, or is the dock more severe then the the potential weight loss?
dun
shorty
Well-known member
We use a big bander at weaning (6-7 months) We always give tetnus shots whether we need it or not
Leaving bull calves intact vs. early castration is supposedly supposed to make like a 25-35 lb. difference at weaning; which translates to 25-35/hd. Another alternative to maximize weaning weights would be to castrate and implant.
As far as cattle getting docked at the sale barn; horns are "docked .10, intact bulls are docked .05, herefords are docked .15, too fleshy are docked .10, no preconditioning gets you docked .20, etc., etc. If you add all the things that supposedly get you docked or get you a premium, some of these 500 lb. calves would be going for $2.00 and some would be selling for $0.25. I guess I never really see the premiums or docking that I always hear about. A nice group of horned hereford bull calves straight off the cow will bring more than a sorry group of black preconditioned calves. I'm not saying there is a difference in price on steers vs. bulls of the same quality, but it's not nearly as big as some would have you believe. Just my opinion.
As far as cattle getting docked at the sale barn; horns are "docked .10, intact bulls are docked .05, herefords are docked .15, too fleshy are docked .10, no preconditioning gets you docked .20, etc., etc. If you add all the things that supposedly get you docked or get you a premium, some of these 500 lb. calves would be going for $2.00 and some would be selling for $0.25. I guess I never really see the premiums or docking that I always hear about. A nice group of horned hereford bull calves straight off the cow will bring more than a sorry group of black preconditioned calves. I'm not saying there is a difference in price on steers vs. bulls of the same quality, but it's not nearly as big as some would have you believe. Just my opinion.
hillbilly
Well-known member
It may be a wash as far as money is concerned but I cut my calves so they don't breed one of my heifers.
I keep calves untill they are around 9 to 10 months old. steers and heifers together untill that time.
One year I left one calf a bull [lazy]. That year I retained 5 heifers.
When I took them for their yearling workup at the vet 2 of them were bred.
Wasnt a herd bull...It was that sneaky brother.
Now I cut everything by 3 months.
Hillbilly
I keep calves untill they are around 9 to 10 months old. steers and heifers together untill that time.
One year I left one calf a bull [lazy]. That year I retained 5 heifers.
When I took them for their yearling workup at the vet 2 of them were bred.
Wasnt a herd bull...It was that sneaky brother.
Now I cut everything by 3 months.
Hillbilly
Craig-TX
Well-known member
Don’t know about getting docked for lack of preconditioning. That’s really more of a different price for a different product. As far as being docked for too fleshy, never had that problem. While a creep fed calf might be too fat, a calf that’s been on milk and grass won’t bee too fleshy. If you take these numbers for horns and bulls and put them to a 600# calf you’re looking at a $60 dock for bulls and a $30 dock for horns. That means castrating and dehorning is some of the fastest easiest money a cowman can make.
Craig-TX
Craig-TX
