Castrating yound calves with a sheep bander

locky76

Does anyone here castrate bull calves at under 1 week using the small rubber bands used for docking lambs tails?
Any advice on it?
It should take away needless hardship 7 or 8 months down the line....

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manjou

Done it this year and it worked fine did not affect them at all left some entire and you would not know difference in them.When you do it just make sure you get both stones down and they fall off after a while with no ill affects. Doing all this year when they are born.

bbam

Did you give them a shot of anything and up to what age would you do them?

epfff

bbam wrote: »

Did you give them a shot of anything and up to what age would you do them?

DOne stronger calfs last year
Good job
The experts will say to give shot of 8in1 but I did get round to it

satstheway

Do they roar with a higher tone after

KatyMac

My father did it all the time. It worked great. When he got unable to manage I gave it a try, but the first year hadn't a clue what I was doing. Ended up with 3 bull calves sort of half done. The vet had to finish the job a couple of months later. I've improved on the job since. I try and do them at a couple of hours old if I have the help to get the cow away. The calf definitely doesn't notice and anything that makes things easier to manage later is a plus.

Farmer Pudsey

Just make sure to get both stones, It is messy after if sac is gone and one stone is above skin, they are in reality a bull and it need a vet to remove stone.

jomoloney

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Just make sure to get both stones, It is messy after if sac is gone and one stone is above skin, they are in reality a bull and it need a vet to remove stone.

would they be fertile? I doubt if a ram lamb would, don't know about a calf

Farmer Pudsey

jomoloney wrote: »

would they be fertile? I doubt if a ram lamb would, don't know about a calf

Do not know but he will grow and develop like a bull had an AA bullock with one retained he was very bullish after he got to 550kgs.

Capercaille

Would using the burdizzo at a week old not do the job?

Farmer Pudsey

Capercaille wrote: »

Would using the burdizzo at a week old not do the job?

You could still have retained stones. When you castrate at this age stones may not be fully down or can slip above the castration device. Would not be mad about using a burdizzo on that age animal. The rubber rings are fairly easy to use it is only making sure that you have both stones down.

J.O. Farmer

jomoloney wrote: »

would they be fertile? I doubt if a ram lamb would, don't know about a calf

I'm not sure you could say they wouldn't be fertile. While the testicle would probably be kept at a warmer temperature than it's supposed to be I don't know if it would guarantee a lack of fertility.
They certainly develop more male features and put it this way if you didn't want him to be fertile he'll serve everything in the place.
If you made a mistake and wanted him to be fertile he would never fire anything other than blanks. This goes for lambs and calves.

manjou

bbam wrote: »

Did you give them a shot of anything and up to what age would you do them?[/

Did them at under 3 days old and did not give them a shot of anything.

F.D

Is there any lack of thrive in using this method compared to doing them at 6 months old with the burdizzo
Could you do a 3- 6 wk old calf this way or what would be the age limit

O2b

F.D wrote: »

Is there any lack of thrive in using this method compared to doing them at 6 months old with the burdizzo
Could you do a 3- 6 wk old calf this way or what would be the age limit

Bump

manjou

F.D wrote: »

Is there any lack of thrive in using this method compared to doing them at 6 months old with the burdizzo
Could you do a 3- 6 wk old calf this way or what would be the age limit

Had some that were not done and you could not tell difference when they were weaned will know better in spring when sell a few as have weights of last years bulls to compare with.