I am interested in getting some heifers spayed this spring, but I can't find a vet who has ever done it before or is interested in learning how. There are several other people in the area that have also expressed an interest so there could be quite a few to do. Does anyone have any ideas on this subject? I am in SW Sask. Any help would be appreciated!
Spayed heifers
- Thread starter WHR
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Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
I tried to get my vet to do it the last 2 years. She ordered the Meagher Flute
http://www.spaytool.com/.
She had a devil of a time. We only got a couple done each year so it was a failed attempt. I don't know exactly what she was doing wrong. She would get one right off then not get the next one. She panicked when she punctured a rectum but got it sewed up and the hfrs was fine
Let me know if you have any luck.
Was it Purecountry ran some spayed hfrs.for someone from Consort area.
didn't think they got them all done properly.
http://www.spaytool.com/.
She had a devil of a time. We only got a couple done each year so it was a failed attempt. I don't know exactly what she was doing wrong. She would get one right off then not get the next one. She panicked when she punctured a rectum but got it sewed up and the hfrs was fine
Let me know if you have any luck.
Was it Purecountry ran some spayed hfrs.for someone from Consort area.
didn't think they got them all done properly.
Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
If you happen to get a vet that can use the Meagher flute my vet and I might just drive out and give you a hand. 
gcreekrch
Well-known member
I wonder who does the work for ranches around Kamloops and Merritt? There were a lot of spayed heifers sold in that area last fall.
Lauder's, Devick's, and Frolek's all sold spayed heifers last fall.
Lauder's, Devick's, and Frolek's all sold spayed heifers last fall.
littlejoe
Well-known member
there can't be much to it---I'm thinking our old vet, using 2 chutes, could do 500 or more in a day. but I imagine it'd take an act of congress for him to be able to cross the line.
littlejoe said:
500 day over 10 hr day would equal .83 minutes per animal, that would have to be sustained and with no problems at all... The crew would have to know every step they were taking,,, Those kind of numbers do not seem reasonable at all.
Soapweed
Well-known member
Back in the late 1980's I had a young man helping on the ranch. He had grown up in the South Dakota badlands, and was telling Dad and I about how they spayed heifers up there. It sounded quite interesting, so he volunteered to stay home and feed cattle so Dad and I could attend one of these functions.
The neighbors all congregated with horses on stock trailers like at a branding. After the yearlings were gathered, about twenty heifers would be put into a smaller corral. Then ropers would go in, one at a time. The first roper would heel the heifer by only one hind leg, ideally the right leg. Then another roper would rope that same heifer by the head. The header would drag the heifer out through the ground crew. The heeler's job was to allow the heifer to walk, but also to keep it from going sideways across wrestlers on the ground.
When the heifer was located in the right spot, she would be tailed over with her left side up in the air. The header and heeler stayed attached, and men on the ground helped hold the heifer down. One man's job was to carry around a set of electric clippers, keeping the cord out of the way as good as possible, and clipping the operating area. With this many years having gone by, I don't recall now if any anesthetic was put in place. Regardless, the person doing the spaying would place their left fist on the heifer's side, using it as a guide to make a cut with their right hand. The cut was in a semi-circle, just fist size. After the ovaries were removed, the cut was sewn back together, and the heifer was turned loose. When the heifer was standing again, the cut would look like the bottom half of the circle.
The whole procedure was very efficient, and everyone had a good time. Cowboys and cowgirls had a chance to show off their horses and roping abilities. A great meal and lots of visiting followed the work, and it was a nice mid-winter break before calving and branding season started.
The neighbors all congregated with horses on stock trailers like at a branding. After the yearlings were gathered, about twenty heifers would be put into a smaller corral. Then ropers would go in, one at a time. The first roper would heel the heifer by only one hind leg, ideally the right leg. Then another roper would rope that same heifer by the head. The header would drag the heifer out through the ground crew. The heeler's job was to allow the heifer to walk, but also to keep it from going sideways across wrestlers on the ground.
When the heifer was located in the right spot, she would be tailed over with her left side up in the air. The header and heeler stayed attached, and men on the ground helped hold the heifer down. One man's job was to carry around a set of electric clippers, keeping the cord out of the way as good as possible, and clipping the operating area. With this many years having gone by, I don't recall now if any anesthetic was put in place. Regardless, the person doing the spaying would place their left fist on the heifer's side, using it as a guide to make a cut with their right hand. The cut was in a semi-circle, just fist size. After the ovaries were removed, the cut was sewn back together, and the heifer was turned loose. When the heifer was standing again, the cut would look like the bottom half of the circle.
The whole procedure was very efficient, and everyone had a good time. Cowboys and cowgirls had a chance to show off their horses and roping abilities. A great meal and lots of visiting followed the work, and it was a nice mid-winter break before calving and branding season started.
Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
I remember some hfrs done out Mankota way some years back. They were done through the side. I think they just Hog ringed them back together instead of stitches.When they went to kill many were rejected because of infection. Costly deal. :?
littlejoe
Well-known member
hopalong said:
a tad over a minute an animal by my math--50 per hour----and it does seem uncommonly quick, don't it? I have never seen even one spayed in my life--- I know these guys--two brothers-- would use 2 chutes apiece and had it crewed up and flowing so they stepped from one to the other---but still? I'm gonna ask them, it's got me curious.
On a related--sorta---note--we built a bud box. And went over and watched and talked to our current vet first. One suggestion he made was to run cattle thru it w/o doing anything, said it'd pay off in the future. Yesterday the kid was with me when I went to feed, and about 140 cows were by corral and came right in. We set up a few panels---and experimented. Maybe an hour, hour and a half or so to run them thru---I'd picked up a little stick for encouragement which was hardly used, he had nothing.
With the assorted material I got laying around or salvaged, I was outa pocket about 100$ on this deal-----and when I compare how it works to setup I been using---and neighbors tubs I've worked with, I'm tickled~~
the basics:
box on other side of working alley---@ 90 degree angle to it--they go by working alley to fill box--this is absolutely critical! the whole theory is when they can't proceed, they want to go back the way they came.
12' by 30' or so seems about right.
hang gate that blocks it so hinges are opposite working alley---last daylite they see is by alley.
sheet gate and first panel inside box that adjoins gate on hinge side so they can't see back..
I made box hi and stout----our cattle are gentle, but occasionally you get one on the fight and don't want to lose her at this point.
I got in there with them, just stood on working alley side, about 5' in. gave them maybe 20 seconds to sort it out. they mostly circled around me and went up alley. some times I had to move a couple steps. when I had last draft that was in lead up alley in box and left to get some more, I'd just leave them in the box. some were gone when I got back, some I had to help get started.
We made far end of box a gate. Have already used that twice to load trailers. Next addition will be a little alley coming offa box where I can leave calf table set up.
Also put two man gates in---I'm just about done climbing over fences.....or going 'round.
In the mid 70's I worked for a guy who got about 500 done every year.He used two chutes and the vet from Wms Lake came out. It took two days and I think he charged $2.00 a head. I don't think there was any loss and only a couple of infections. This was of course by flank incision. It sounds way better how they do it now.
I like how Soapweed described how he saw it done. there is no doubt that would make for handy horses and cowboys but I still think we will use the chute when we do it.
I like how Soapweed described how he saw it done. there is no doubt that would make for handy horses and cowboys but I still think we will use the chute when we do it.
Faster horses
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Soapweed said:
That was way interesting. Thanks, Soap.
Lots of people in this area spay heifers...or used to.
One rancher here who leased grass in Wyoming to run about 700 head of stocker yearlings, turned the lease back because the price of cattle, etc made it too risky. He said they filled the pasture with heifers to be bred...
Just Ranchin
Well-known member
There is a vet in meadow lake that does it. How many do you have to do
I hear that Kelly Lightfoot and Shawn Davidson from Assiniboia Vet Clinic spay heifers either the side or the back. I don't know if they use the Meager Flute or not. You probably know about them as it is sort of in your neck of the woods. It is starting to look like there won't be enough heifers over here to make it worth while to pay the mileage for us so I think we'll have to make another plan.Big Muddy rancher said:If you happen to get a vet that can use the Meagher flute my vet and I might just drive out and give you a hand.
Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
WHR said:I hear that Kelly Lightfoot and Shawn Davidson from Assiniboia Vet Clinic spay heifers either the side or the back. I don't know if they use the Meager Flute or not. You probably know about them as it is sort of in your neck of the woods. It is starting to look like there won't be enough heifers over here to make it worth while to pay the mileage for us so I think we'll have to make another plan.Big Muddy rancher said:If you happen to get a vet that can use the Meagher flute my vet and I might just drive out and give you a hand.
I've never used Kelly but Shawn used to work out of deep south clinic in Ogema years ago so I knew him then. They also run the clinic in Scobey MT so are within 30 miles when they turn south.
Back in 1997 we had a vet out Ft, Pierre SD spay 740 hd. of hfr's weighing 500 - 560 lbs and he used the flute, was the first time we ever seen it used, it did take most of two days but we had the hfr's in two different places and had to use and set up panels because of the mud was bad in our corrals! He was fast and did us a good job, had 1 die from shock within 20 minutes after spaying, and the rest were good. Back in the 70's we had a neighbor that spayed calves at branding time in the spring, just took him a minute, small cut in the side, would go in with 2 fingers and work the ovaries out and cut, didn't sew up or use any for disinfection, Some of his family still do it I think, I just have not been in the loop for a few years? Good luck 101