The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: Muddy Wellies on May 04, 2020, 12:30:03 pm
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Had a wee bull calf 4 days ago. Due to everyone self isolating, and me having symptoms at the mo, I can't ask a neighbour to come and help me castrate the calf, as I usually do. Never done it single handedly. Any tips?
Aberdeen Angus cross, and quite small (luckily!)
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We have a farmer network here who collected names of people willing to help farmers who had to isolate with Covid. Do you have one? Are you insured with the NFU? They contacted their "vulnerable" farmers at the beginning of this.
Someone could maybe come and do your castration, trim tup's horn etc. They don't need to go anywhere near you.
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That's a really good idea - I'll find out. Thanks!
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If you need someone to help you castrate anyway, you might as well wait till restrictions are lifted. Entire males grow faster than castrated ones so it won't hurt to wait.
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Found myself in a similar situation a few weeks back and I couldn't think of a way to do it safely - for him and for me, and especially how I would cope if something went wrong - so Odin still has his balls and we will either get the vet to castrate him later in the year or, if he behaves and there isn't an unwanted sperm issue ;), live with it until he goes off (which will be November if all goes according to plan.)
We are in the throes of deciding what to do to replace the matriarch Jersey who died :'( and may well end up with someone fertile at just the wrong time.. or might decide to let Odin do the biz anyway as we are only producing eating calves for ourselves. But will that give him "bull taint", does anyone know? Is there such a thing?
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No it doesn't give bull taint Sally. I rarely castrate my bulls, and I sell then entire in the fatstock market where they fetch around the same price/kg as the steers.