Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Castration Safely?  (Read 6840 times)

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Castration Safely?
« Reply #15 on: August 04, 2014, 11:05:16 am »
I would love to be able to dump tackle our calves into the truck... but unfortunately at roughly 70 kilo they are a little large  :roflanim: I remember one year we had a cow that calved out in the field and wouldn't let the calf suck... we had to bring him in in the bucket of the tractor but because he was black he blended in and she couldn't see him (bit ditzy!), so we had to keep lifting him out of it... 2 hours later we got them both into the shed  :rant:

In response to the question ours are castrated and tagged ASAP in the summer because once over about 24 hours old you will never catch them! Luckily the majority of cows calve over winter when they are housed so not a problem to catch and band... there's normally 1 or 2 that get away so the vet castrates when he's here to dehorn or tb test.

Steptoe

  • Joined Aug 2014
  • Co Antrim N Ire
Re: Castration Safely?
« Reply #16 on: August 09, 2014, 02:12:00 pm »
A long time ago, I safely and successfully castrated all of our bull calves, for many years on a small mixed farm.[I also castrated our boar pigs in that same era] One thing I can remember clearly, was being told by my old man to always make sure that there was the space of a thumb width between the testis and the point where the ~Burdizzo castrator jaws were to close on the cord. I was warned that accidentally nipping of the stone was considered to be very serious matter and could lead to the death of the animal. With all the regulation that is in place today I am not even sure that castration, by the farmer is now permitted. It is a skilled job, I believe and should not be attempted by anyone who has not been shown how to do it properly.

 

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