What to do with calves now?

[gabby]

I need some advice. I have about 40 head of 4 to 6 wt heifers and bulls. I don't want to give them away in today's depressed market so I'm trying to figure out how to keep them and come out ahead if the market rallies.

Shouldn't I wean 'em all and steer the bulls? How can I get them castrated at this age? I have a good pen and head gate, but shouldn't I get somebody to bring a squeeze and cut 'em? I've never been involved with castrating big calves.

I'm buying peanut hay and that's what I'll feed 'em. Plus, if it ever rains I will have ryegrass for grazing.
Thanks!
gabby

 

[Hippie Rancher]

a good pair of team ropers could catch 'em and lay 'em out for you.

 

[Howdyjabo]

It will improve some when the fall rush is over-- but the good old days are over till corn and oil come down.
Or the finished product goes up(I wouldn't hold my breath).

If they were mine I'd
Calculate if I can winter them and come out positive in the spring for about the same $/lb(as they get bigger the $/lb drops so you won't see the spring increase in $/lb but in selling more weight)--- if not I'd sell them now.

Cutting with a headgate is easy if you tail them- or you can just slap a band on them.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I need some advice. I have about 40 head of 4 to 6 wt heifers and bulls. I don't want to give them away in today's depressed market so I'm trying to figure out how to keep them and come out ahead if the market rallies.

Shouldn't I wean 'em all and steer the bulls? How can I get them castrated at this age? I have a good pen and head gate, but shouldn't I get somebody to bring a squeeze and cut 'em? I've never been involved with castrating big calves.

I'm buying peanut hay and that's what I'll feed 'em. Plus, if it ever rains I will have ryegrass for grazing.
Thanks!
gabby

don't casterate/ band at that age without a tetanus shot

 

[Hippie Rancher]

Don't band at any age without a tetanus shot!

 

[rockridgecattle]

Prices are really low here. We had a couple with frozen ears and males that we kept back. They would have been highly discounted so we are taking the gamble. We are feeding just hay and mineral. We did well on our heiffers last year with just hay and mineral.
When the vet came and preg checked them this fall she thought they were cows. She was stunned when i told her "no, heifers". :shock:
Any how cause she was here we got her to do the bulls. Usually we higher a farmer from down the road to do the odd one. We don't know how to cut becasue we use the elastic at birth. the farmer just cuts, gives LA200 and sends them on their way.
the vet, however, washed the bulls with bedadine solution, local anasthetic, cut, and used that tool, iodined the cut and LA200. the calves seemed to recover very well. I'm impressed. Don't ask me how much she charged cause i haven't gotten the bill yet. but seeing how she gave them a local i'm happy.

 

[hillsdown]

RR I had Dr.U do a bull calf last year that was 8 months old that I decided to pass on.He did the same as your vet and I was charged 40 dollars for it.

I would not want to do a lot of calves for that price.However the calve did very well and I got $1.47 a pound for him.Prices were much better last year.

 

[BusterBrown]

RR I had Dr.U do a bull calf last year that was 8 months old that I decided to pass on.He did the same as your vet and I was charged 40 dollars for it.

I would not want to do a lot of calves for that price.However the calve did very well and I got $1.47 a pound for him.Prices were much better last year.

I always rope them and throw them down, cut them and sometimes I (modern times) spray some of that purple med. on the site and turn 'um loose. Works for me..............and them.
:cboy:

 

[Stocker Steve]

I need some advice. I have about 40 head of 4 to 6 wt heifers and bulls. I don't want to give them away in today's depressed market so I'm trying to figure out how to keep them and come out ahead if the market rallies.

Shouldn't I wean 'em all and steer the bulls? How can I get them castrated at this age? I have a good pen and head gate, but shouldn't I get somebody to bring a squeeze and cut 'em? I've never been involved with castrating big calves.

I'm buying peanut hay and that's what I'll feed 'em. Plus, if it ever rains I will have ryegrass for grazing.
Thanks!
gabby

Sell the heifers now unless they are replacement quality.
Band or cut the bull.
Sell the "bulls" once they heal up.
Buy back what fits with your operation.

 

[tryinhard]

You will need a friend or neighbor to help. Get them in headgate n one of you walk up sideways, {protecting from the kick to the crotch} grab tail, pull toward head, and whichever is cutting go for it. It would be something I wouldn't try by self at the size. n don't cut back on the meds, as was stated. Good luck. My son said he would only sell calves now unless he just had to, prices here are bad low.


tryinhard

 

[grannysoo]

And don't keep them on a diet of nothing but peanut hay. They will need some grass in that diet or you're going to have some "explosive" things happening out the rear end of them cows.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

We castrate calves at that weight all the time. (cutting)
As mentioned, just put them in your chute (I don't have a squeeze chute either), and have someone tail them. And the other poster said pull tail toward head, actually, you want to lift the tail up & put pressure at the bottom base of the tail towards the head - lots of pressure! This "paralizes" their legs so they can't kick. I tail them while my hubby cuts.

 

[ArrowHBrand]

Don't band at any age without a tetanus shot!

We band after the calves are about three days old and have never given them tetanus shots and have never had a problem. However, I feel that the larger the calf is when they are castrated the more problems there is going to be.

 

[Howdyjabo]

If the cows were vaccinated for Tet.- they will pass the immunity on to the young ones MOST of the time.
So if you do it soon after birth its not that big of an issue.

Tet. is one of those problems that you can go for years and not have any issues- then it will jump up and bite you in the butt.
Not worth the risk when the shots are so effective/cheap.

 

[gabby]

Thanks for all the replies. I haven't made a move yet but I've got a better handle on the situation now. Sounds like I can do just fine with my head gate, but I'll definitely have to get somebody else to do the cutting 'cause knives and blood and me don't get along.

New question - When I ask around locally about sellling 5 to 6 wt. bulls vs. steers, I'm hearing price differentials of 5 cents to 20 cents per lb. What are y'all seeing?
gabby

 

[msscamp]

How can I get them castrated at this age? I have a good pen and head gate, but shouldn't I get somebody to bring a squeeze and cut 'em? I've never been involved with castrating big calves.

gabby

Not necessarily. We've routinely cut or banded 5-600 lb (and larger) calves using only a regular chute, and had no problems.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

BTW, we keep a bucket of disinfectant for rinsing "sac", scaple, & hands, then spray with "BluKote". Keep things CLEAN!