Too old to Castrate?

[Jason the Canuck]

How old is too old to castrate bull calf?

 

[Jill]

You can band them at any age.

 

[loveRedcows]

We usually don't cut our bulls until after weaning so we can look at the performance data, & some have been well over 600 lbs.  We've never had a problem with them even at these weights.

 

[CM Cattle]

Dad has casterated them at any age, and they have always turned out fine. Ill never band one agion. I tried that on steers I had baught with a fsa loan, and half of them turned out to be bulls and we had to casturate them later. I may have not got the bands on tight enough, but when you casturate one you know you get the job done.

 

[Freddy]

You guys sound like me , I had castarared calves with knife or newberry 45 years thought there was no trick to this ,.
Showed many hired men how to ,never had any trouble , showed the guy that works for me, did part of them myself , lost two head , one was one I did , talked to vet , says it is normal , different things that happen or feeds can cause this ....I've heard of the vets losing some pretty valuuable ones ....I always thought a steer looked better with a bag , but if you have good bands the caltrate system banding always works, give a Tetanus shot ....

 

[farmboy]

We have never had any trouble banding bulls and getting an escaped nut. just put em down and put it on and your done.

 

[nck21]

We band the commercial calves on day 1 but this year is our first calving out "club calves" so I think we will probably keep banding but wait til they are 3 or 4 months old.

You can castrate at any age, I think banding is easier on them than cutting when they get age on them.

 

[Jill]

We castrate calves, but for the big boys, we use a caltrate bander.

 

[GoWyo]

Isn't it a Calicrate bander?  I think I saw something similar called a California bander too that was cheaper.  All use surgical tubing to put the squeeze on.

 

[farmboy]

Its caltrate or calicrate. it uses the little tiny green bands. it takes some muscle to pull them open on the tool its self and it snaps on there really tight.

 

[Downtown Pete]

When the calves are older, (400LBS. and up) banding would be my advise.  It is not as hard on the calves and they stay on feed better.  Just less stress for a larger calf to go through, escpecially if they are getting fed alot, they won't spend a couple of days laying around being sore. However, you can cut them pretty much anytime if that is the way you want to do it. Just my opinion. 

 

[Jason the Canuck]

Thanks for the many responses.  Found a late May/June shorthorn that is too cheap to pass up for October county fair.  Just worried he may be too old to cut.

 

[Bulldaddy]

Banding is the way to go on that shorthorn calf.  Be sure to vacinate for tetanus since the banding process creates a "wound" that is very susceptible to picking  up tetanus.

 

[WWS]

Everything gets cut when it gets castrated around here. Cut the bag and use a cordless drill and this little tool to twist the nut off and spray with iodine and give a tetanus shot as well. Have did males up to 800lbs with no problems, wont go back to banding unless its a real big bull. the calves that are cut always seem to get back going faster cause if we get one in thats already 6-700 lbs it only takes a week or two and they can be shipped out versus we have had it take up to a month before on some bulls to completely lose their bag

 

[Jill]

The little green bands are for young calves, the one for big calves uses the surgical tubing.

 

[jackpotcattle]

I personally think banding is more stress on the calves. I have seen calves restless for 3 days with the uncomforable band on. I look at it this way neither one is done pain free but I know I like my band aid ripped off fast not slow. JMO

 

[SPL]

I prefer to cut as well.  Especially if you are eve considering raising a bull.  If you band them the first couple days after birth, you always wind up saying, man I wish I had left him a bull.  If you wait, it gives you a chance to see how he develops.  You can always cut him later.  We have cut calves up to 7-800 pounds before.

 

[CJC]

I personally think banding is more stress on the calves. I have seen calves restless for 3 days with the uncomfortable band on. I look at it this way neither one is done pain free but I know I like my band aid ripped off fast not slow. JMO

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