[The Old Crofters]

We have a few Dexter cattle, and we've just had our first bull calf, so need to castrate within the week.  The cow who is skittish already has now gone very protective.  We managed to catch the calf this morning, but only one teste was down, and the cow started to get physical, so had to abandon it.
Any ideas for a calm and safe procedure?
We've only got the field with 3 other yearling heifers in, our other two cows/calves are penned up separately, so no more gates left.  We do have a crush, but if we got her in she wouldn't see her calf as it is facing away, would it be best to turn it around?

[SallyintNorth]

Get her in the crush, do the job swiftly, and let her out.  She'll bellow for the 90 seconds it takes you to do the job

[Rosemary]

You'll have to make sure both balls are down - I'm sure you know that though.

We get the vet to do ours when he comes to PD the cows. It's a personal thing but I prefer bullocks with a ball sack  .

[Ladygrey]

Cows that get physical/rough/protective should not be kept!
even little ones can cause injury and worse!

After its weaned send her away and you wont have the problem next year

If you have a tractor and front loader or jcb, go drop a ring feeder over the calf in the field and then climb through the bars, works really well.

if you dont have any machines then drive a car into the field, have someone in the back seat or back etc, drive right up to the calf even if its running, grab it quickly into the car and drive out, they barely ever notice you have it in the car and end up looking for it in the field whilst you can do whatever to it somewhere else

Or get the cow into the crush and just do it while she bellows away

Dont put yourself at risk with a dodgy cow, its not worth it

[SallyintNorth]

Cows that get physical/rough/protective should not be kept!
even little ones can cause injury and worse!

After its weaned send her away and you wont have the problem next year

Ours are allowed to be protective of a very newborn calf, but should have settled after a day or two.

If you have a tractor and front loader or jcb, go drop a ring feeder over the calf in the field and then climb through the bars, works really well.

I have a mental image of you in the ring feeder with the calf, cow now between ring feeder and tractor door, pawing ground and shaking head.  Not a good plan, IMO.

Not to mention that half a tonne of angry beast is possibly capable of lifting an empty ring feeder and crushing you with it

if you dont have any machines then drive a car into the field, have someone in the back seat or back etc, drive right up to the calf even if its running, grab it quickly into the car and drive out, they barely ever notice you have it in the car and end up looking for it in the field whilst you can do whatever to it somewhere else

Cripes you must have tiny calves!  Some of ours are hard enough to tip over, let alone lift into the back of a car!   I suppose these are Dexters, so will be small. 

Or get the cow into the crush and just do it while she bellows away

Best option.  Only sage option, perhaps.  (I meant to write 'safe' but decided to let the typo stand!  )

Dont put yourself at risk with a dodgy cow, its not worth it

True dat.

And so yes, another option is to leave it entire to about 3 months, big enough to be held in the crush, and have the vet castrate it.  Some say they  grow better this way, but of course there is the risk of not getting them in at the right time and ending up with a fertile bullock.    

I always think there's something rather sad about the teeny tiny walnut of an empty bawbag, but perhaps that's just me!   

[Ladygrey]

Its certainly a technique but you drop the ring over the calf, then park tractor right up close to the ring touching it, then you can climb out of the tractor straight into the ring, tractor also helps hold ring steady, but yes I suppose it might not work if the tractor is parked away from the ring

When finished with the calf post it out through the bars on one side and get into the tractor on the other side, pick it up and drive off

mmm, I know some people who would allow the cow to be protective over the calf for a day or two but I also know many who would not allow that, with dogs yes but not getting "physical" with humans! definitely not

Calves here weigh between 40-60 kilo, if you use a car with door open the calf can easily be tipped into it without picking it up, just grab ears/legs/tail or whatever and tip it  dexter you could probly pick up!!!

To tip a 60kilo calf quickly I lean under grab opposite legs and pull hard and sharp, it lands with a good thud, or young little calf, grab its ear/jaw area and bend round like a ewe and it soon flops, the men carry the calves but I use a long bit of doubled over bailer twine round its neck, then walk behind it and hold tail, use combination of string plus tail to stear it whilst it walks/runs/leaps 

None of our beef calfs are castrated till maybe 3 months, they are then cut or burdizzo'd

[SallyintNorth]

Calves here weigh between 40-60 kilo, if you use a car with door open the calf can easily be tipped into it without picking it up, just grab ears/legs/tail or whatever and tip it 

I'm going to have to believe you on that one, can't see me or BH giving it a go!  lol

[Rosemary]

I always think there's something rather sad about the teeny tiny walnut of an empty bawbag, but perhaps that's just me!   

George's bawbag is the size of a coconut, if that makes you feel any better, Sally 

[SallyintNorth]

I always think there's something rather sad about the teeny tiny walnut of an empty bawbag, but perhaps that's just me!   

George's bawbag is the size of a coconut, if that makes you feel any better, Sally 

I'm worried about what's going on in there now... 

[Rosemary]

I always think there's something rather sad about the teeny tiny walnut of an empty bawbag, but perhaps that's just me!   

George's bawbag is the size of a coconut, if that makes you feel any better, Sally 

I'm worried about what's going on in there now... 

He's good  Only on TAS could this conversation happen 

[Paul Sill]

If you have a tractor and front loader or jcb, go drop a ring feeder over the calf in the field and then climb through the bars, works really well.

I know someone that did this BUT he welded the brackets for his loader on the feeder so it was fixed to the tractor no risk of it being tipped over.

[SallyintNorth]

If you have a tractor and front loader or jcb, go drop a ring feeder over the calf in the field and then climb through the bars, works really well.

I know someone that did this BUT he welded the brackets for his loader on the feeder so it was fixed to the tractor no risk of it being tipped over.

But then he is in the situation of being inside the ring feeder with the angry cow between him and the door of the tractor!

[langfauld easycare]

  why not push the calf into crush and just use it as a wee pen to do the job in you should be safe in there . dropin a ring feeder over a calf is asking for trouble . calf has a wee skip at wrong time or ring falls wrong, end of calf .
i would expect most cows to get a bit het up when newly calfed its nature . aslong as shes not in full attack mode.
caution should be taken with even the quietest of cows when freshly calved.i have seen cows that were good as gold 3 or 4 calfs then suddenly get a bit funny  [size=78%]. or ones that are over protective with one calf but fine with next . [/size]
[/size][size=78%]why dont they just stick to the rule book [/size]

[The Old Crofters]

All done successfully, and tagged to boot.  We had a small bit of a pen where 2 fields meet, and had another cow with calf in.  Got our cow and calf in there with some feed.  Had 4x4 running, and partner grabbed the calf, and put in cab, left the pen open.  Did the business out of the field, then brought back in.  Ran smoothly and everyone safe.  Thanks for everyone comments.

[Paul Sill]

If you have a tractor and front loader or jcb, go drop a ring feeder over the calf in the field and then climb through the bars, works really well.

I know someone that did this BUT he welded the brackets for his loader on the feeder so it was fixed to the tractor no risk of it being tipped over.

But then he is in the situation of being inside the ring feeder with the angry cow between him and the door of the tractor!

Old tractor, no front window. Although if one of our cows went like it they would end up on the butchers hook.