Testicles not decended

[Hovey Hollow]

We have an Angus (or Brangus) bull calf that is nearly 4 months old. I have been planning on steering him, but his testicles have not decended. Is this unusual? I'm worried that he will be too big if we wait too long, but right now there is nothing to take off. He is still sweet and easy to handle now, but may not be in a few months. If they don't decend what should I do? How long until he tastes like a bull?

[agmantoo]

He will be OK regardless since you do not intend to use him for breeding. He may exhibit the characteristics of a bull as he grows but he will be sterile most likely if they do not descend. If you are going to process him before he is 18 months to 2 years old I would not concern myself with his dilemma.

[Hovey Hollow]

Hopefully the part about him being sterile is true because I really don't want him to breed my Dexter cow after she calves next April. I will put them in separate pastures then, but I'd rather not have a randy bull on my hands. Would 1 year old be too young to butcher? How soon will my cow come back into heat after she calves?
Sorry about all the newbie cattle questions, but this is our first time around with alot of this.

[Celtic Herritag]

Hmm I think a cow can come back into heat 2 weeks after she's calved. I'd have to check but I think it's 2 weeks, you shouldn't have to worry abiut her bulling though most momma's will fight off a bull even if their in standing heat. Is he a brangus? or just an angus, Branguses are a slow maturing breed so he may not drop them until he's six months old. If you want to castrate him now I'd call a vet out to come and fish 'em out, but if I were you I'd really just leave 'em, they could be tangled i witth the intestines and surgicaly castrating him could be dangerous. I year would be okay, you won't get as much meat though, I usually like to send mine to the works around 18 months, the hiefers go off to the bull and the poor guys don't get to have any fun. He shouldn't really be randy until he's mature, about the only thing he'll know how to do is mount, he won't really get down to buisness until he's over 2. If you do have problems with him trying to get to her, put her out of site, and smell if you have enough land for that. Just give him about another month and a half, if they don't drop by then call the vet, and ask his advice.

[Hovey Hollow]

I'm not sure if he's Angus or Brangus. I bought him at auction at a few days old and his paperwork said "Black calf". He was only 62 lbs when we got him and average Angus newborn is ~85 lbs? So I really wondered if he was Brangus or some other mix. Maybe just a really low birth weight calf? He does have a bit of a dewlap, which also makes me think Brangus. I'll keep an eye on him and get out the Elastrator if I see them!!

[Celtic Herritag]

Black calf I love it well does he have a really long dewlap like a dewlap off of a holstien, or a flap on his under belly, that sort of looks like a long lose sheath, also does he have a polled head or a horn base that'll tell you if he's an angus or a mix? Oh you know another thing you can do is you can make them a crypttorcid. (how you spell that I don't know but any way) He'll be sterile so you won't have to worry about your cow but you will have to eat him when he's about 18 months or else he'l start to get bully.

[agmantoo]

Hovey, I was not going into the details but having read the balance of your posts may I suggest the following. I have a large herd of mostly Angus. I band my calves when they are very small, less than 1 week old, as I can handle them better. Occasionally I will have a bull calf that had not descended. I lasso the calf ( better stated as put a rope around his neck) and then I throw him on his back by grasping the front and rear feet on on side. Usually I can grasp above the scrotum and get the testicles to move into place then I apply the band. Have you attempted to determine if this the situation you are experiencing? I would wager that this is the case! Have your banding tool available and try and see.

[Hovey Hollow]

I haven't tried that yet, as it is the neighbor's banding equipment that I will be using and I was waiting to see if he would drop before I borrowed it. I may have him come over and we can try it and see if that works.
Thanks for the tips!

[Celtic Herritag]

You make him a criptorcid by just cutting/banding the scrotom and pushing the tesitcles which are already up into the body cavity, It's less expensive than having the vet come to fish them out. if he's 4 months old the sack may be to big to fit inside the bands.