Burdizzo

Muckit

Have lads any tips or handy ways around castration? It's not a job I like doing, still left to the father who's getting on.

Is there a handy and safe way of squeezing young weanling bulls?

I notice alot of lads/lassies on here have sucklers or into dairy, so there mightn't be many who have first hand experience

greysides

Muckit wrote: »

Have lads any tips or handy ways around castration?

Ring them as young calves.

Is there a handy and safe way of squeezing young weanling bulls?

Get a neighbour to do them......


The trick is in the tail. Get someone who knows what he's doing to show you. Most calves will lift a leg, a few will make a poor attempt at a kick and a very few will get a decent kick in.

Stay directly behind or slightly away from the side that's being squeezed as most kicks aren't straight back but more of an out-and-back.

Close the burdizzo slowly to ameliorate the response.

Bizzum

Get your father to show you how it's done. It's no job for a man getting on in years!

A good man on the tail is essentail, nice bit of pressure on the spine is vital.
A crush with tubes/bars both sides, as opposed to one along a wall, is a far better job. You can stand up on the lower bar,or even the middle bar if required.
I usually close the Burdizzo twice on each side.
If you meet a complete lunatic, you may have to consider tying him up, and finally NEVER miss an opportunity, if the lunatic falls or kneels down, sometimes I'd have him done before he realises what hit him!

gerico

holding the tail correctly will immobilise them no prob, they usually give a better effort at kicking on the other side as they've copped on to the pain. ouch

aidanki

start on a good strong lad so you make sure you can find what you are looking for not some weak fellow that is 6wks old.

you are supposed to keep down rather towards top of testicle rather than up, and don't squeeze the centre as there is a tube there through which the water passes (stand to be corrected here)

aidanki

Bizzum wrote: »

Get your father to show you how it's done. It's no job for a man getting on in years!

+1 here hope he is a patient type rather than someone who only wants to shout

father used never do the job so when he bought a burdizzo we both learned together

if you have a few repeats what about it

kay 9

Alot of fellas are using castration bands now and the whole scrotum falls off eventually. Seen the finest of beef cattle that had been done this way and in no way was it any more severe. Worth looking into if you have many. Just look out for tetanus with the banding method;) Will try find the link I seen about the tetanus.http://www.farmersjournal.ie/2008/0322/farmmanagement/beef/feature.shtml

tismesoitis

aidanki wrote: »

start on a good strong lad so you make sure you can find what you are looking for not some weak fellow that is 6wks old.

you are supposed to keep down rather towards top of testicle rather than up, and don't squeeze the centre as there is a tube there through which the water passes (stand to be corrected here)

No tube there squeeze away!!!

greysides

tismesoitis wrote: »

No tube there squeeze away!!!

The tube you're concerned about is the urethra, located in the cleft between hindlegs, coming down from beneath the anus and running forward along the bottom of the belly. It's at the top of the sac. Find it, identify it and then stay away from it. It shouldn't really be a problem unless you're completely cack-handed.

Avns1s

tismesoitis wrote: »

No tube there squeeze away!!!

Well if u squeeze across the middle, the whole thing will fall off.

Its quite simple to do properly and if done properly will minimise the effect on the animal.

Tail holding for stopping the kicks is important too.

Move the tube to the testicle to the side of the sac and squeeze just clear of the testicle. This will leave you with a mark just fractionally wider than the flattened tube, which will obviously vary with the maturity of the animal. hod the tube out with one hand while you tighten the burdizzo with the other and your knee. THen you can get both hands on the burdizzo to close it fully.

Get someone to show you once if uncertain. Its quite simple to do it right.

Sam Kade

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/beef/facts/07-029.htm#choice

reilig

greysides wrote: »

Ring them as young calves.

Can you do this in the SCWS??

Muckit

Hi Lads

Thanks for all the replies. Sure I've seen it done loads of times, it's just i'm usually the one holding the tail and not behind doing the job!!:D

I've seen the quite ones and the wild ones, hence my hesitation to go doing it myself!!:D:D

The ringing sounds a good idea, I'm not in the SCWS so it could be a good option, it's common over in the states, and since I do all the tagging and dehorning, I wouldn't mind doing it at this stage. We usually keep all our bull weanlings and sell them as bullocks

Dunedin

reilig wrote: »

Can you do this in the SCWS??

yes, you can do it when in the scheme. 100% sure of this

reilig

Dunedin wrote: »

yes, you can do it when in the scheme. 100% sure of this

Castrating
Where calves are going to be castrated, the proceduremust be carried out at least four
weeks before weaning or at least two weeks after weaning. If you are castrating
animals, you need to record the date of castrating on the pre-weaning form. It is now
illegal to castrate an animal over six months of age without veterinary involvement.
Where calves over six months of age have been castrated, you may be required to
provide evidence that this task was completed by a vet.

Looks like you're right

Muckit

Anyone use any anti kick aids, or are there such a thing? Ye all take out the bar/stake behind I assume in case it flys?

An uncle of mine (he's good with the welder) installed a table in the bottom of his crush. The animal with his head in the headgate, has his back legs on the table. When you pull a pin, the table can swivel like a see-saw from left to right by about 2-3". The animal is then forced then to balance on it! If he lifts a leg to kick, he's thrown off balance;) I never seen it in action, but it looked good!

Feargal as Luimneach

When castrating cattle, always have the man on the tail in the crush with you. He's more likely to hold the tail better if there's a danger of him getting kicked;).

Never castrate a beast who's on his own (ie a beast in the crush gate), he will be more nervous and more likely to kick. Always have a beast infront of the lad you are castrating. Cattle feel more secure when there behind other cattle and are less likely to kick.

If the cattle are mad, a little sedation (xylazine) will make the job alot safer. The cattle will feel it less. Most vets will not give it out though.

sue_

I've done it both ways i.e with the burdizzo and the bander. Bander is much easier on big hardy fellas and you can be sure of it working!
A few notes on the burdizzo
most important thing is to have a good man on tail, maybe not your father if he is getting on in years, or else have 2 of them on it.
Yes you can damage the urethra if you cut across middle and up too high-I've seen them die from it, but it is very hard to do it, you'd have to be very unlucky.
I generally grab the testicle and pull it down below the teats, that you will find on the upper aspect of the testicle and place the burdizzo between the teats and tip of testicle-you will never damage waterworks if you do this.
Always stand in close, if you are unfortunate to get kicked it'll be a bruise versus broken leg or jaw.
The bull will pretty much always lift leg on side you are castrating, so stand the other side.
If he's complete lunatic he may let fly with both but a good rope will sort that and you'll know he's nuts long before you get in behind him.
Hope this is some help

Muckit

Wouldn't you think some lad would have by now come up with something to make the job alot safer? Seriously, it's a potentially dangerous job even for a seasoned and experienced farmer/vet. And they reckon anesthetic does little to calm animal. I wonder what the HSA think of it?:D

I think there would be a market for it. Some kind of back 'gate' with a cutout to still be able to get in the burdizzo/bander.

The head scoop was a long time coming, perhaps something for castrating is just around the corner?

pakalasa

There was a device on the Journal a while back, a DIY invention. It a was like a 'L' shape where the person stood on the lower plate and the vertical side had a cut out to put the burdizzo through. There was also an adjustable bar that could be moved up and down, that went in between the legs of the bull to stop him dropping down.
It looked like a great idea. Offered the person protection from a kick.

kay 9

Muckit wrote: »

Anyone use any anti kick aids, or are there such a thing? Ye all take out the bar/stake behind I assume in case it flys?

An uncle of mine (he's good with the welder) installed a table in the bottom of his crush. The animal with his head in the headgate, has his back legs on the table. When you pull a pin, the table can swivel like a see-saw from left to right by about 2-3". The animal is then forced then to balance on it! If he lifts a leg to kick, he's thrown off balance;) I never seen it in action, but it looked good!

We have a U-shaped mechanism that we from time to time on wilder cows when treating them after weaning. It's adjustable and works on cows, but don't know about bulls, never tried it on one. Will defo stop them kicking but you still need someone on the tail;)

Muckit

Resurrected this thread only cos had a few lads to do last weekend.

I'm ashamed to say it, but after trying to pulk up the courage to do the h*ors, I chickened out and had the oul lad get in behind. I was on the tail.

He did one side of the first lad, just couldn't close on the other side. I kinda got frustrated as to why it was taking so long. 'I'm getting old' came the reply... I never felt such a useless pri*k.

It took me the guts of 2hours to try locate a lad to do them. Years ago there'd be a lad in every village. My oul lad always did ours. He did them at every age and size and never had one miss.

I'm determined this year that I'I do this year's calves myself. I'm thinking before they're off the cow might be as good a time as any. That or I have it my head to look into getting a bander and doing them as calves... anyone any experience with banding calves?

munkus

Hi Muck,

I share the burdizzo duties in this regard with the auld lad for the last few years. Find it awkward as hell, but first year doing it only missed half of one bull out of 20. you need to learn to be ambidextrous! Like Sue said, you need to get in close and lose the fear of getting a kick, which has never happened me. We always tie his back left leg forward (Bull, not auld lad) and have someone on the tail.

Father said that in the 80's he used the bands on the calves but he claimed that when older they had heifer's heads if you know what I mean. Probably need the hormones for the first few months.

Munkus.

Butcher Boy

A small bale of straw behind the calf is a mighty job.at least you will walk away with your own family jewels intact :D:eek::eek:

johngalway

Muckit wrote: »

'I'm getting old' came the reply...

Ouch

patjack

Completely agree with regards good man on the tail, if your good on the tail yourself, the man doing the job is given reasonable assurance of not getting a kick, my advice is that if your anyway wary of doing the castrating job don't do it, I used to do the castrating with another guy, I'd be on the tail, he'd be on the castrating, neither of us were ever hurt or nearly hurt. There is a knack of holding the tail, I find one hand about 4-5 inches from the base of the tail holding the tail as upright as possible, the second further along the tail holding the tail down towards the animals back, keeping the base straight is important, people who are experienced will know that if the tail kind of goes either side at the base or there isn't enough pressure being exerted, the animal may be allowed some power to release a kick.

Basically what I'm saying is you need to have confidence in the guy holding the tail, and even if you but still find yourself wary, don't do it.

Bodacious

Muckit wrote: »

Resurrected this thread only cos had a few lads to do last weekend.

I'm ashamed to say it, but after trying to pulk up the courage to do the h*ors, I chickened out and had the oul lad get in behind. I was on the tail.

He did one side of the first lad, just couldn't close on the other side. I kinda got frustrated as to why it was taking so long. 'I'm getting old' came the reply... I never felt such a useless pri*k.

It took me the guts of 2hours to try locate a lad to do them. Years ago there'd be a lad in every village. My oul lad always did ours. He did them at every age and size and never had one miss.

I'm determined this year that I'I do this year's calves myself. I'm thinking before they're off the cow might be as good a time as any. That or I have it my head to look into getting a bander and doing them as calves... anyone any experience with banding calves?

Hi Muckit,

I do a good few of them for others etc but what you should do next year do is do your own as weanlings 2 weeks before you wean them and its good to start on softer lads, big strong char yearlings is no place to start, as sue says keep in close, good man on tail (your dad) and take your time have a good feel around the stones and feed the string into the jaws of the machine to the outside edge of the bag with one handle on your knee and close slowly you'll feel the crunching then leave it closed for at least ten seconds, if unhappy move down a bit and re squeeze.

this time next year you'll be a dab hand at it:)

Muckit

Thanks guys for all the help and replies

I'm defintely going to try 'grow a pair of balls' and get stuck in this backend:D

Alot of farming jobs i've come to realise revolve around having CONFIDENCE.

Burdizzo seems to be the safest and easiest method to do the job on the animal........... hopefully It will be on me too once I gain the knack!

moy83

Once you have one or two done you will be sound .Its like alot of things thinking about it is worse than actually getting stuck in . My father is sixty and getting a bit slower but woudn't dream of letting me in even though i have been doing a few for neighbours since i was fifteen . A good kick might eventually knock the stubborness out of him !:D:D:D

redzerologhlen

Never castrate a beast who's on his own (ie a beast in the crush gate), he will be more nervous and more likely to kick. Always have a beast infront of the lad you are castrating. Cattle feel more secure when there behind other cattle and are less likely to kick.

+1, The auld lad used to do it for all the neighbours, He always told me that.

Bodacious

Muckit wrote: »

Thanks guys for all the help and replies

I'm defintely going to try 'grow a pair of balls' and get stuck in this backend:D

Alot of farming jobs i've come to realise revolve around having CONFIDENCE.

Burdizzo seems to be the safest and easiest method to do the job on the animal........... hopefully It will be on me too once I gain the knack!

I looked into the callicrate bander yoke and it does seem like a good machine although any of the stress tests/studies seem to bring the burdizzo when used corectly out as same or on top for me anyway its an expensive machine, the replacement bands themselves are expensive also and you also have to give a tetanus shot ideally 4 weeks before and another on day of castration.

This is really what put me off .. 2 visits and fellas wont pay you for all of that when they have had them done for years with the burdizzo with no problems.

http://www.farmersjournal.ie/2008/0322/farmmanagement/beef/feature.shtml