Banding or Cutting??????

Kbell · #1 10/04/10, 05:07 PM

Hey everyone, Got a question....I have a couple of calves around 4 months, which procedure should I use to make them steers? Banding them or Cutting them? Thanks in advance, Kim

ksfarmer · #2 10/04/10, 05:33 PM

You will get a lot of different opinions on this. Personally I believe cutting is best. Then I know the job is done, no mistake if you throw 2 seeds in the bucket. Others will say banding is less stress on the calf, but I think banding is best done at a younger age than 4 months.

CrashTestRanch · #3 10/04/10, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ksfarmer

You will get a lot of different opinions on this. Personally I believe cutting is best. Then I know the job is done, no mistake if you throw 2 seeds in the bucket. Others will say banding is less stress on the calf, but I think banding is best done at a younger age than 4 months.

what about "cutting" within a week or so of birth?

Kbell · #4 10/04/10, 05:55 PM

I bought both of these just recently so I didn't have that option.

ksfarmer · #5 10/04/10, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrashTestRanch

what about "cutting" within a week or so of birth?

Personally I prefer cutting at any age, over banding.

francismilker · #6 10/04/10, 06:51 PM

I prefer cutting as others above mentioned. I know they're gone if I cut. One slipped band and one retained nut can leave you in a bind when it matters most. I would say however; no matter what age you cut, make sure to give tetanus shot.

Kbell · #7 10/04/10, 07:02 PM

I was leaning towards cutting. It's done and they are gone. Final

Thanks everyone.

randiliana · #8 10/04/10, 09:00 PM

It's up to you. We prefer to band. Lost 1 calf one year due to an infection he got from being cut. Figure we can buy a heck of a lot of bands for that 1 dead calf. Bands work just fine, as long as you make sure to check them AFTER you put the band on and can count to 2!! We've banded in the neighborhood of 50-100 calves every year for the last 7 or 8 years. the only stags we've had, didn't have both nuts down in the first place.

CrashTestRanch · #9 10/04/10, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randiliana

the only stags we've had, didn't have both nuts down in the first place.

how long before they drop them?

agmantoo · #10 10/04/10, 10:27 PM

Banding is almost problem free for me. Since I calve year round I do not want an open wound for infection and flies. I have far more problems with ear tag sites becoming infected.

Gregg Alexander · #11 10/05/10, 04:14 AM

Case Knife and job is done.

Ronney · #12 10/05/10, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agmantoo

Banding is almost problem free for me. Since I calve year round I do not want an open wound for infection and flies. I have far more problems with ear tag sites becoming infected.

Same here, band every time. I can find enough to give me problems without having to create them! Very few people cut here anymore, I personally don't know of anybody who does and the last cut calf I saw would have been over 30 years ago - and then it got infected.

Cheers,
Ronnie

G3farms · #13 10/05/10, 06:46 AM

I band mine.

If you are going to steer one at birth just be sure bot nuts have dropped or work both of them down into the sac. I now wait and band when I wean them at around six months with a callicrate bander. Give a shot of tetanus toxoid at the same time. Here is a link to the bander I use, kind of pricey but works great.

http://www.nobull.net/bander/SBbenefits.htm

linn · #14 10/05/10, 06:53 AM

DH has started banding all of our calves when very small. This has worked well for us.

randiliana · #15 10/05/10, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrashTestRanch

how long before they drop them?

Well, the ones we have dealt with have never dropped the other one. We have always waited for a few months, hoping they would drop, and have never had one that did. We don't deal with very many of them, maybe 3-4 over the last 10 years.

travlnusa · #16 10/05/10, 08:48 AM

I have always supported banding in the past, but have learned that in my local markets a cut steer that I sell in the #400 range will bring about $.05/lb over banding.

ErinP · #17 10/05/10, 01:19 PM

We always cut. It's done when they're branded, so about 2-4 months of age.
Lop the bottom of the sac off (that way it's harder for any infection to collect), pull the nuts out, cut and spray a little antiseptic and they're good to go. Next!

We've done thousands of calves this way, and every ranch we've ever known or worked on has too.

65284 · #18 10/06/10, 08:52 PM

There is a third option, I use Burdizzos. I've never missed a nut or had any trouble.

G3farms · #19 10/06/10, 09:00 PM

I hate clamping them, almost takes three hands to do it though. Sure made one of my daughters boy friends think twice about anything though :smiley-laughing013: The bad thing about clamping is you really can't tell with out feeling of the mushy nuts if they are a steer or not. It works but last on the list for me.

lonelyfarmgirl · #20 10/10/10, 06:34 PM

we don't band. Its painful, prolongs healing, and invites tetanus.
Tetanus grows in anaerobic environment, meaning a closed wound. A wound left open to dry out will likely not ever have a tetanus issue. We have tetanus in our soil. we tried banding once on one animal to see how it was. He died 3 weeks later from tetanus. It was a terrible, horrible death. We have never had infection from cutting. We do try to put it off until the colder months to avoid a fly problem, though. We have also found, that the babies tend to grow better if we leave them to their hormones until late fall.