Is it too late to casterate my freezer bull?

[steff bugielski]

I have a Holstein bull that is 5 months old. I totally spaced on banding him. I can no longer use the elastrator he is too big. Can I use vice grips to crush or do I need to have the vet crush?

[Ronney]

Good God Steff, vice grips! Do do want to eat this calf or not?

For the last two years I've been doing things a little differently. In the past the bull calves have always been rung very early in their lives but then a couple of years ago one just didn't get done and at 6 months old I got the vet out. He gave local anaesthetic, used an over-sized elastrator (I can never remember the name of it), an equally oversized ring, and the calf wandered off as happy as Larry with no side effects and no stall in growth. He had already started on the bullish growth and that continued. He was out of a Jersey that always threw crappy calves but this one is going to turn that around - he looks nothing like the steer calves I've had out of her in the past. I have continued to do this and have had much better growth out of my steers. Yes, it does cost but I more than make up for it when it comes time to send them to the works.

So get the vet out, pay the money, do it quickly, cleanly and humanely with minimal risk of infection and less risk of stalled growth then sit back and wait for him to fill your freezer.

Cheers,
Ronnie

[G. Seddon]

Originally Posted by Ronney

So get the vet out, pay the money, do it quickly, cleanly and humanely with minimal risk of infection and less risk of stalled growth then sit back and wait for him to fill your freezer.

Cheers,
Ronnie

Excellent advice!

[springvalley]

I was going to tell you what Ronnie has allready said, > Marc

[Brooks WV]

Originally Posted by steff bugielski

...Can I use vice grips to crush...

OMG!!! I immediatly convulsed at the thought of that happening to me!

[mozarkian]

I bet most of the men here had a shudder run down their spine! When we purchased an emasculatome, my husband was reading the instructions that came with it, where it says that the procedure is "relatively painless"... he swears a mean spirited woman wrote the instructions. LOL

[MO_cows]

What Ronney said. The vet can advise you if it's better to band, crimp or surgically remove at this age/size. And, get the calf a tetanus anti-toxin shot.

[tinknal]

A Burdizo does not crush testicles, it crushes the cord above them. I've seen hundreds castrated this way as weanlings and never any problems. The gonads just shrink away.

[VaFarmer]

vise grips--ouch. Have a vet band the guy, I've had them done at a yr old range before and all went well, had one I never banded and went to slauther as a 3 yr old, tasted the same as all the others.

[steff bugielski]

Originally Posted by tinknal

A Burdizo does not crush testicles, it crushes the cord above them. I've seen hundreds castrated this way as weanlings and never any problems. The gonads just shrink away.

That was the thinking here. i do not have a Burdizo but vise grips do the same thing. I have done this to young goats but never a calf. He is much larger than a 5 month old goat.

[copperhead46]

Can you haul him to the vet? Mine only charges 7 bucks to band one. I always have mine banded when I have them vaccinated. . 5 months is not too old at all, mine are usually around 6 months when we work them.

[tinknal]

My Uncle Walter always ran the Burdizo, He would always cut each cord twice to make sure, never had one stay a bull. As he would say "get their mind off of @ss, and on to grass......"

[topside1]

Uncle Walter and you have made old Topside smile...

[freeholdfarms]

"California Bander"
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