pros and cons of castration

[PATB]

We have tried it both ways at birth and weaning. I think the calves grow better if they are left intact to 3 or 4 months of age then fixed. When we process the cattle sometime during the summer for fly treatment any male calf that is scittish, light footed, hard to work, does not pass the visual test or aggrevates me gets fixed. We also run the calves across the scale during this process and any male calf that is not weighing up gets fixed. If you are not born to a top producing female you will end up as a steer. Our goal is to have 3 or 4 bull calves left out of 20+ at weaning.

 

[shotgun7]

We use a knife at one to two months. Im to cheep to buy bands

dang, how much are the bands???? ...lol

 

[jcissell]

I have noticed at the sale that bulls tend to bring $40 to $60 less than steers.

Josh

 

[greenwillowherefords]

I agree here. No way a purebred breeder is going to band a potential herdsire, unless his mother is a dud.

If his mother is a dud why would she be kept in a purebred herd or any other herd for that matter.

To raise a butcher calf? Purebred breeders still like good beef!

I was reading The High Plains Journal from last December. Implants can have a negative effect on beef quality, according to the study cited. They were saying that you increased the red meat yield and growth by delaying castration. Does anyone else know about the big clamping device that cuts the tubes without breaking the skin? We used this once, no stress.

 

[Ryder]

I agree here. No way a purebred breeder is going to band a potential herdsire, unless his mother is a dud.

If his mother is a dud why would she be kept in a purebred herd or any other herd for that matter.

To raise a butcher calf? Purebred breeders still like good beef!

I was reading The High Plains Journal from last December. Implants can have a negative effect on beef quality, according to the study cited. They were saying that you increased the red meat yield and growth by delaying castration. Does anyone else know about the big clamping device that cuts the tubes without breaking the skin? We used this once, no stress.

Have never used it but have been told that it is easy to miss the cord and not know it. Isn't the name Buzzardo?

 

[Ryder]

Assuming the pros and cons of early vesus late balance out-then the time to cut them is when you can catch them and your knife is sharp.

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

Isn't the name Buzzardo?

I think its Burdizzo. We usually castrate around 5-6 months. We just use a scalpel and cut them. I banded a couple this spring just to see what the difference would be. I think I'll continue to cut them at 5-6 months because the ones I banded look noticeably smaller than the ones I left intact. Could be poor calves to start with but one of them should be bigger according to how that cow has calved in the past. I do think that there is some dockage even when you cut them late, just because they don't look quite so clean as ones that are done young. When they come back with little notes saying male calf instaed of steer, you kinda know.

 

[Beefy]

Buzzardos are what you geto when you dont castrate righto.

 

[txshowmom]

We just use a scalpel and cut them.

I wold not recommend a scapel to ANYONE. They are very dangeours because they are so sharp. I have seen several people cut bad using a scapel to castrate. One of them requires surgery and the other lost most use of his hand. Use a sharp knife insteard. You can still cut yourself but the damage won't be a severe.

 

[Craig-TX]

I agree here. No way a purebred breeder is going to band a potential herdsire, unless his mother is a dud.

If his mother is a dud why would she be kept in a purebred herd or any other herd for that matter.

To raise a butcher calf? Purebred breeders still like good beef!

I was reading The High Plains Journal from last December. Implants can have a negative effect on beef quality, according to the study cited. They were saying that you increased the red meat yield and growth by delaying castration. Does anyone else know about the big clamping device that cuts the tubes without breaking the skin? We used this once, no stress.

Have never used it but have been told that it is easy to miss the cord and not know it. Isn't the name Buzzardo?

It's a Burdizzo. To save re-typing here's the link to a prior discussion with my opinions from back in '02, which combined with fifty cents will get you a cup of coffee.

http://cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic. ... torder=asc

Craig-TX

 

[Beefy]

scalpels are dangerous. i guess it all depends on how you are restraining the calf. if you have a flip table thats one thing. if you are throwing calves and have someone you dont really trust holding them thats a different story. usually i just use the razor blade.

 

[txshowmom]

Same difference. Still very sharp and very dangerous.

 

[Beefy]

i agree but for some reason i feel i have more control over a smaller surface area held by four fingers and a thumb. anyway, i rarely castrate my calves, its not really worth it down here.

 

[txshowmom]

What do you do with them? Take them to the sale barn intact.

 

[Beefy]

yes, they go intact. usually, unless we just have extra time (unlikely). The dock isnt that much, is made up for with quality, and the guys that buy them are going to work them anyway...

 

[Caustic Burno]

i agree but for some reason i feel i have more control over a smaller surface area held by four fingers and a thumb. anyway, i rarely castrate my calves, its not really worth it down here.

Smart cattleman the penny dock is not worth all the stress and injuries.

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

When we use the scalpel, that calf is in the headgate. I have one of my legs wrapped around one of the calfs back legs and I'm pulling the tail straight over the top of his back and hauling him forward as much as he can go. Its pretty rare that I lose my grip. We've castrated at least a couple of hundred calves since we switched over from the burdizzo and my brother has never cut himself yet. I can see, however, if you were working in an area where the calf was less restrained that you could hurt yourself pretty easily.

 

[sidney411]

Well, it is more then a penny dock here. This last spring I hauled several calves to the auction. There was one that I had not cut and he was the same size and same look at the others. I got 7 cents LESS for him then the lowest of the others. At 500 lbs that equates to $35.00! To me that is a lot of money for less then 10 seconds of my time spent cutting a calf.

 

[Ryder]

My first choice is scalpel, second is razor blade.
Last time I used a knife because I had neither of the others available. I thought the knife was sharp until I started cutting.
You have to get it in your mind to be aware of where the edge is no matter what you use.
For me-the sharper, the faster, the safer.

With any type of restraint, if the animal starts to buck about, get your hands out and wait for things to settle back down

To each his own.

 

[Craig-TX]

You folks are more advanced than we ever were. All my growing up days we just used a pocket knife. Very sharp (at least in the morning) but still just a pocket knife.

Craig-TX