Working cattle questions

[BC Acres]

Well, I tried to band my new Bull calves early. One of them I got as early as 2 days old. I was giving them their first rounds of vaccines today, and it looks like one of the calves only got 1 banded. The other fell off already, but I can feel a lump up in there that makes me think I missed one. I remember banding it at 2 days old and struggling like crazy to get both nuts in there because they kept slipping up into the abdomen. I've done several that are a few weeks to a couple of months old and not had trouble. I thought I got them, but apparently I can't count to two. Do I need to run him to the vet and have it cut out, or is there something else to do?

Second question, how do you dispose of your vaccination materials (syringes, needles, left over vaccine etc.). Do you take them to the vet and they dispose, trash, or something else? Thanks.

 

[Nesikep]

Some calves are just hard to band... I waited until 1 month on one of mine and it was still impossible to get the second nut... He'll be a stag.. oh well.

For old needles, etc, I bash the ends so they aren't sharp and put them in the household garbage

 

[BC Acres]

Will he get docked at the sale barn for it?

Is injectable wormer (IVOMEC) something you can hold onto or is it a one time deal? I don't see anything about it in the paperwork that is in the box.

 

[M-5]

I reuse syringes and only throw them away after they break or quit working then they just go in the burn pit , I have a coke bottle tied to a piece of wire that I drop needles in by the head gate when its full I "dispose of IT" in a manner consistent with the best practice standards of high order of alibaba

 

[Nesikep]

Ivomec should last a long time, you can hold on to it.. vaccines are far more susceptible to aging though, and often require refrigeration

 

[Nesikep]

Oh, and yes, my stag probably will get docked... depends a little on how he looks if he looks bully or not.. I've had a few go as steers

 

[TCRanch]

Either count on getting docked or take the stag to the vet. It happens - you're definitely not the only one. We now use disposable syringes & needles when we're working cattle (the repeater syringe is reserved for doctoring), remove the needles/hubs & store them in a container, when it's full we take it to the vet (the hospital will also accept them).

 

[jerry27150]

this is why they pay more for knife cut calves

 

[BC]

I have never understood why people like using the be nice little green bands. Those "oops" are a pain in the you know where to fix and requires surgery. When you knife cut, you know you got the job done right because you can see the results in your hand.

Besides, if prepared right calf fries are a delicacy. Fry up some jalapeno slices (we call them "bottle caps") with the calf fries and I could founder myself.

 

[Aaron]

Well, I tried to band my new Bull calves early. One of them I got as early as 2 days old. I was giving them their first rounds of vaccines today, and it looks like one of the calves only got 1 banded. The other fell off already, but I can feel a lump up in there that makes me think I missed one. I remember banding it at 2 days old and struggling like crazy to get both nuts in there because they kept slipping up into the abdomen. I've done several that are a few weeks to a couple of months old and not had trouble. I thought I got them, but apparently I can't count to two. Do I need to run him to the vet and have it cut out, or is there something else to do?

Second question, how do you dispose of your vaccination materials (syringes, needles, left over vaccine etc.). Do you take them to the vet and they dispose, trash, or something else? Thanks.

Be easier for the vet to cut it out now when he is young, rather than getting more age. I always leave nuts until they are at least a couple months old.

Syringes and vaccine go in the trash. Needles go into a small biohazard container and then when it is full, I dump all of them into an empty laundry detergent container and into the trash.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Dont knowingly only do one nut. It gives banding a bad name and is likely to cause more restrictions on its use down the road for everyone.

Either get both and be 100% sure, have them cut out, or leave them in. This is as close to half a$$ing a job as you can get. And there's no benefit to doing it besides getting rid of his sack and maybe trying to trick a buyer.

Plus Im sure it causes more pain to only have one nuts blood supply cut off.

Before you even take the pliers out of your pocket, get both nuts in the sack. The more relaxed the calf is the better, if he struggles you'll lose them. Pull the sack thru and give it a shake as you hold the elastic open so they want to fall in place and then just let go of the pliers. The elastic will close and then use your fingernails to gently pull the plier tips out of the elastic. So get the calf restrained enough to work, get away from a mad cow breathing down your neck, and take the time to do it right.

The number one rule of banding should be - if you can't get both, don't leave a band on there. I still cut them off myself if there's any doubt at all even if I know I have 2 and just don't like the placement, I re do it. And yes, some seem impossible, but that's where doing the right thing comes into play.

Vet should take all your medical waste in terms of medication and vaccines and whatnot. And most locales have some sort of sharp's containers available and rules on how and where to take them.

 

[dun]

I have never understood why people like using the be nice little green bands. Those "oops" are a pain in the you know where to fix and requires surgery. When you knife cut, you know you got the job done right because you can see the results in your hand.

Besides, if prepared right calf fries are a delicacy. Fry up some jalapeno slices (we call them "bottle caps") with the calf fries and I could founder myself.

Multiple reasons why banding is used. The trick, and most people are capable of it is to count to 2 after the band is released. The real magic is, if you don;t count 2, cut the dam band off and start over. That's a little trick I learned almost 60 years ago and it still works.

 

[cowgirl8]

I had one out of 100 i could not get both down...Did not band him. I had a few that were difficult....Trick is, keep the bander ready to grab that slippery one. ...You can squirt that hard one down past the bander and if the bander is slacked off, it wont go back up....or just be quick letting off on the bander, you work the nut down and you can catch it by letting off the handle....if that makes sense...
And unless the buyer specifically ask the seller if the calf is knife cut or banded, they will not know...The calf is cut, period...

 

[hillbilly beef man]

Put your used needles in an empty laundry detergent bottle, duct tape the lid on when finished and write "do not recycle" on it with a sharpie. Then throw it in the trash.

 

[kenny thomas]

And unless the buyer specifically ask the seller if the calf is knife cut or banded, they will not know...The calf is cut, period...[/quote]

Never believe that a good calf buyer can't tell the difference in a banded or knife cut calf. It may not matter but they will know. A banded calf will have no sign of a sac.
The very best way to dispose of needles is to use a 1 liter bottle ,or an empty detergent bottle as hillbilly beef man said, with a screw on lid and when it is full put some quickcrete in it and add water. When done there will be no danger of putting it in the trash. That may seem like overkill but is one of the ways recommended by BQA.

 

[bball]

I have never understood why people like using the be nice little green bands. Those "oops" are a pain in the you know where to fix and requires surgery. When you knife cut, you know you got the job done right because you can see the results in your hand.

Besides, if prepared right calf fries are a delicacy. Fry up some jalapeno slices (we call them "bottle caps") with the calf fries and I could founder myself.

Multiple reasons why banding is used. The trick, and most people are capable of it is to count to 2 after the band is released. The real magic is, if you don;t count 2, cut the dam band off and start over. That's a little trick I learned almost 60 years ago and it still works.

:clap: great post dun!

 

[cowgirl8]

I have never understood why people like using the be nice little green bands. Those "oops" are a pain in the you know where to fix and requires surgery. When you knife cut, you know you got the job done right because you can see the results in your hand.

Besides, if prepared right calf fries are a delicacy. Fry up some jalapeno slices (we call them "bottle caps") with the calf fries and I could founder myself.

Multiple reasons why banding is used. The trick, and most people are capable of it is to count to 2 after the band is released. The real magic is, if you don;t count 2, cut the dam band off and start over. That's a little trick I learned almost 60 years ago and it still works.

:clap: great post dun!

Actually, you dont have to cut the band, even with a big nut, it will roll right off.

 

[True Grit Farms]

:clap: great post dun![/quote]
Actually, you dont have to cut the band, even with a big nut, it will roll right off.[/quote]

I'd like to see a video of a cheerio band being rolled right off.

 

[JMJ Farms]

Me too. They don't even "roll down" easily.

 

[cowgirl8]

If you can get a finger under it, that helps. I've done it many times. Get one in the chute acting a fool, i've had the band come off the forks before i was ready or have a reluctant nut jump back up. I had a set of band forks that got damaged while we were working the cows. No time to get a new set. One of the spines bend and the band kept coming off....just rolled those suckers off. Remember, they were rolled off with just one nut, not two, but i did take one off with 2 once when we decided we wanted to keep a bull...... And i even have gimpy girl hands..