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Castrating male calves

Well most in here will tell you at a month of age and with a knife. However if done properly you can do them with the little green rings at birth or shortly after. Just make sure you have both testicles in the ring. If you have older cattle to do look up Wadsworth Manufacturing for their bander.
 
I use the Callicrate Smart Bander at branding. I've also delayed banding, to use the critters' natural hormones, and banded in the fall. Never had any problems even with 600 lb calves, but always give a CD/T (Tetanus) shot.

http://www.nobull.net/bander/SBbenefits.htm
 
So when you band at birth, do you try to place the band close to the abdomen or pull it down tighter to the testicles? I'm not sure which is best but we have only had one or two staggy calves over the years.
 
I've used the tiny ring gizmo on two male calves and had excellent results.

In both cases the rings were applied within about 3 days of birth and in both cases at about 3 weeks the dried scrotum dropped without incidence.

And yes, I made sure to pull both testicles down into the scrotum and place the ring band as close to the testicles as possible (according to the instructions).

My question originated because somewhere on here I saw someone contemplating whether or not to keep a certain male calf (looked to be 5 or 6 months of age) as a bull for the following year. I assumed the alternative was to castrate him and sell him as a steer.

Interestingly, down here, steers are virtually unheard of. Male calves are allowed to develop with testicles and sold for meat with the all their equipment in place.
 
we use the green band on the commercials when we brand, on the purebred calves we use the caltrate bander when we precondition if they need de-nutted
 
I band at birth and have had no problems. I've done it within minutes sometimes, but it's usually easier after they're dried off. I've never really paid attention to whether the band is pulled down close to the testicles or not, as long as I had them both captured. I've never seen directions on how to do it.

I borrowed a Callicrate Bander once for a larger animal. They work good, but I can't afford one!
 
Are those of us that band at birth called birthers? :???: That is when we verify documents as well. :? It sure is hard when they are still wet and slippery. I prefer to wait until they have had their breakfast. Since moving to Angus that is about 20 minutes. :wink:
 
not too keen on getting near our cows or trying to rope calves when we are calving. We use a scalpel at around 6 weeks and two fingers to keep score.
We have used the calicrate bander on bigger calves and it worked fairly well. We still prefer to do even the bigger calves with a knife. We do them standing up in a headgate. One person holds their tail straight over their back and the other comes in and castrates from behind.
 
RSL said:
not too keen on getting near our cows or trying to rope calves when we are calving. We use a scalpel at around 6 weeks and two fingers to keep score.
We have used the calicrate bander on bigger calves and it worked fairly well. We still prefer to do even the bigger calves with a knife. We do them standing up in a headgate. One person holds their tail straight over their back and the other comes in and castrates from behind.
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I'm thinking the average calf would probably prefer a band at 3 days of age. :D
 
The best way we have found is to band them the day of birth when tagged.

We try to get them as soon as they hit the ground.
 
We use a pocket knife at birth... well, as soon as the sac is dry enough to get a grip on. takes about 5 seconds and it's bloodless. I prefer the look of knife cut calves, and it seems that some buyers still do too.
 
this is my third year banding the bull calves in the fall. so far, i haven't seen any reason to go back to using a knife at branding. seems to put a few more pounds on the calves, as it should, its like a natural implant. after about 5 minutes or so most of the calves just banded are walking around as if nothing happened. once in a while you'll see one laying down thinking he is going to die, but once he realizes he isn't dead yet, he's off and running. plus i usually keep a few bull calves, this way you get to watch them all summer and then decided who you want breeding cows. i was told once its easy to take the nuts out, but dam tuff to put them back. :wink:
 
Here, the guys castrate at branding time when calves are about six wks old. Strictly with a knife, and there is minimal bleeding. Think they use a disinfectant rinse, and there seems to be minimal effect on the calves. Steers act no differently after they are back with the cows than the hiefers do. They are restrained by a rope on the heels and the head in a Nordfork. Cows are waiting outside the branding corral, which is on native grass, so little dust or anything else to contaminate the altered calf. They stay in same pasture as before branding, and immediately when a calf is released, the cow takes it away, as there is room for them to spread out good. Calves appear to be fully recovered within a day or two after their vac., brand, castrate, and dehorning in rare cases. They are tagged, dated, ID'd at birth in the pasture. Think we have castrated soon after calving in the past, but doesn't work out as well as at branding. We trade work with neighbors and have good help for each job at branding. No chutes needed.

mrj

mrj
 
Cut them as soon as they suck the cow good. Don't stress them more than you have to or you might kill one, but I suspect castrating a baby calf is the least stressful way of castrating.
 
Feedlot guys want knife cut calves due to the fact too many guys miss nuts with the bands. Some actually tuck a nut or two up then put the band on the sack to make it look like a steer. My neighbours that have feedlots refer to that as a "saskatchewan ralgro". It is very costly in both time and weight/death loss to dig out those testicles missed by the banders. The calicrate tool works excellant if the scrotum is still intact but those bands are over $4 a piece at our local co-op.
 
Most everyone in this area knife cuts calves at branding ( age range from 10 days old to 90 or so days) . The only problems I've ever seen are when someone does not do a good job of stretching the cords. I know people that band at birth also that get along fine. I think that the major factor is time and labor. If you get 30 plus calves a day and you are by yourself to tag and band it is a lot of work. If you have help and you only get 15 or 20 a day it is probably not a big deal. I am not sure that there is any difference in calves castrated in the chute. I am way faster with a knife but I know guys that can band just as fast.
 
elwapo said:
Feedlot guys want knife cut calves due to the fact too many guys miss nuts with the bands. Some actually tuck a nut or two up then put the band on the sack to make it look like a steer. My neighbours that have feedlots refer to that as a "saskatchewan ralgro". It is very costly in both time and weight/death loss to dig out those testicles missed by the banders. The calicrate tool works excellant if the scrotum is still intact but those bands are over $4 a piece at our local co-op.
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they are $3.75 ish here
 

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