Casteration Method and Age

[Ben H]

At what age and with what method are people casterating bulls.
From what I understand there has been a trend to do it a little later and take advantage of the higher growth rate with bulls. My Vet has a device that bands with surgical tubing, crimps the tubing and cuts the excess tubing off.
Then I was listening to a speaker that said research has shown for a long time that yes, bulls will grow faster then steers but once you casterate them their rate of gain decreases for a little while due to the stress. Casterating early may result in a little lag behind the bulls but once the bulls get casterated later the steers pass them leaving them in the dust.

 

[Anonymous]

Ben H- I try to band mine right after they are born when I tag them...Miss a few once in awhile with an upset momma that trys to eat me- band or cut them at branding depending on their size.....So far this year I've missed only one that kicked loose while his momma went around and around me with her nose in my ear bellering full blast-- decided discretion was the better part of valor or I may end up with her footprints on me...

 

[Faster horses]

We have banded at birth, but quit because of exactly what OT mentioned. And our buyer prefers them knife cut. They use the cod to visually tell how fat they are in the feedlot; or did use it for that. With all the ultrasound and such, perhaps that isn't as important as it was. But no one has said that for a fact.

 

[Kato]

We band at birth, but use a knife to do any that may be missed when we wean. That's usually the late pasture born calves. The big elastics used on older steers can work, but if it's not put on tight enough, you can have quite a mess to deal with. :?

 

[Soapweed]

We use a jack-knife, and castrate at branding time, when they are approximately one month to two-and-a-half months of age. Split the bag, it works like a charm, and is a cheap fool-proof method of accomplishing the task.

 

[CattleRMe]

We casterate with the knife method too when they are around two months of age.

 

[Silver]

We casterate with the jack-knife as soon as the bag is dry enough to get a grip on. Little boogers more often than not just jump right up like nothing ever happened. Seems like less infection (as in I can't remember the last infected one) when done in the cool weather of calving time.

 

[Denny]

W e cut them at branding but I cut the bottom of the sack off.I think it drains better than the split sack.I will cut them clear up to yearlings.I just pull until the cord breaks I think the cord gets thin and seals up when it breaks.kind of like streching rubber till it breaks it get's thin and twist's up in a knotted ball.

 

[Jinglebob]

We cut them at branding time. I don't like to cut the bag off as when that steer is a yearling, that bag probably weighs a half a pound. On 100 head, that 50 more pounds I get to sell!

I know in our drier climate, we can do things that those in the east in a wetter climate cant get away with.

Only wrong way to cut one is to not get two nuts! :wink:

 

[mtrancher]

It looks like I'm the odd man out in this discussion, we banded the calves at branding, 1-2 months of age. Have used the calf bands for years on thousands of calves and have never very many problems, less than with cutting I'll argue any day. They are much quicker to apply than cutting and I don't see any benefit from the knife unless you are looking for the oysters.

 

[Denny]

It looks like I'm the odd man out in this discussion, we banded the calves at branding, 1-2 months of age. Have used the calf bands for years on thousands of calves and have never very many problems, less than with cutting I'll argue any day. They are much quicker to apply than cutting and I don't see any benefit from the knife unless you are looking for the oysters.

When you cut them it's for sure 2 nuts and their a steer not a 1 nutted bull as happens all to often.

 

[cowboyup]

We use a knife at branding time.

 

[Shelly]

We band them a few days after they're born. Branding day is a whole lot faster operation when you don't have to stop and castrate each bull calf. Just a needle and a brand for everyone!

 

[HAY MAKER]

It's a fact bulls gain faster than steers,TX A&M has proven this more than once in pen to pen side by side tests.
banding done right is fast and simple,hell I believe even Denny can count to two ?
I band all my calves at about 7 weight background em till 8 weight then to the sale barn,and there are too many good implants for earlier cut steers to ever catch a late banded bull calf on growth,altho I will admit new born calves are easier to handle.
...........good luck
PS I have banded every thang from bandy roosters ta canuckle heads course most canuckle heads come prebanded

 

[jigs]

I have done both, but prefere to band later, just works out better for my schedule.

slightly off topic but in a related subject..... 5 years ago I had a vasectomy. this winter while visiting with my father in law, we were discussing his age, and how he is losing his sex drive as he hits 70 years old, and he asked me if I lost my drive after they made a steer out of me......well I said no, and he immediately says, but with no nuts, what drives you to want sex?

I told him the procedure, that I still was "intact" just tied off the plumbing....

he gets this dumbfounded look on his face and told me how for 5 years he thought I was a big fool to volunteer to go to the doctor and get casterated !!!!!

even after discussing the procedure, I thought I was going to have to drop my fruit of the looms and show him they were still there!

 

[Denny]

It's a fact bulls gain faster than steers,TX A&M has proven this more than once in pen to pen side by side tests.
banding done right is fast and simple,hell I believe even Denny can count to two ?
I band all my calves at about 7 weight background em till 8 weight then to the sale barn,and there are too many good implants for earlier cut steers to ever catch a late banded bull calf on growth,altho I will admit new born calves are easier to handle.
...........good luck
PS I have banded every thang from bandy roosters ta canuckle heads course most canuckle heads come prebanded

There was this 90 year old Granny down in texas.Her car broke down and as she was looking under the hood the wind blew it shut on her.About then old Haymaker come along and helped himself.A little later a police man came along and freed the poor gal.She was mad hollering I've been raped I've been raped by Haymaker.The officer asked her how do you know it was him she said well he had a Belt Buckle as big as a coffee can lid and a 2 inch stem of HAY,MAKER, So we know you can count to 2.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't like to cut the bag off as when that steer is a yearling, that bag probably weighs a half a pound. On 100 head, that 50 more pounds I get to sell!

:

Now I've heard of tightwads before- but that one about takes the cake for pinching a penny :lol: :lol:

 

[HAY MAKER]

It's a fact bulls gain faster than steers,TX A&M has proven this more than once in pen to pen side by side tests.
banding done right is fast and simple,hell I believe even Denny can count to two ?
I band all my calves at about 7 weight background em till 8 weight then to the sale barn,and there are too many good implants for earlier cut steers to ever catch a late banded bull calf on growth,altho I will admit new born calves are easier to handle.
...........good luck
PS I have banded every thang from bandy roosters ta canuckle heads course most canuckle heads come prebanded

There was this 90 year old Granny down in texas.Her car broke down and as she was looking under the hood the wind blew it shut on her.About then old Haymaker come along and helped himself.A little later a police man came along and freed the poor gal.She was mad hollering I've been raped I've been raped by Haymaker.The officer asked her how do you know it was him she said well he had a Belt Buckle as big as a coffee can lid and a 2 inch stem of HAY,MAKER, So we know you can count to 2.

And so,the man hunt is on,where is this ole ruffian called Hay maker,the long arm of the law finally corralls him along Darmstadt creek workin as usual cuttin brush patchin fence,nope no tin can sized buckle holdin ole Hay makers britches up,and after he drops em its obvious he aint no two inches!!nope we got the wrong man,so the law starts back tracking,aint long before they see tractor tracks ! they lead right up ta Denny's place,those tracks from that roooskie tractor are the same as at the crime scene,come on out here boy!!loosen that big ole buckle and lets hava look at ya,yup bout two inches there abouts............the law always gets their man or in this case,roooskie tractor drivin two inched granny molester .............good luck

 

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

lol is this Redneck CSI or what?

 

[Manitoba_Rancher]

We band our bulls at around 700 lbs then finish them out. They dont seem to take any set backs and usually never quit eating. We make sure they get all their shots to prevent infection. Using the big Calicrate bands on the bigger bull calves you know when youve got two nuts inside the band so tighten away. Havent had any problems yet and we ve done lots of them.

As for the small bands applied just after birth, I think someday they will be a thing of the past in a few years. Some people take advantage of pushing one nut up and only putting the band around one nut in the sack. :x Then they market those calves and they start to get bullish features after you buy them and put them in the feedlot. Its not fun to try and get that nut out. The people who band this way are ruining it for the people who do it right.