Castration by Banding

Not every bull calf can be allowed to grow into a bull. One bull can easily provide breeding for 25 to 30 cows and some say 50 cows for a bull is no problem.  For this reason female calves are generally more desirable as they can be sold for more money for breeding.  Only one out of 20 to 30 calves is allowed to grow into a bull for the purpose of breeding.  Other bull calves are slaughtered for meat or turned into steers and slaughtered for meat.  A steer is a bull calf that has had it's testicles removed.  I have chosen to do this by use of a bander.  The first time I tried to band a bull calf I was with two of my kids and we caught the calf in front of it's mother and we held it on it's back.  I thought the mother cow was going to kill us (she came at us with head down and horns in front and her sisters surrounded us).  On top of this dangerous beginner error, I was trying to band the calf with a goat bander.   The testicles were way to big on this 3 month old calf to fit through the band.  We retreated ignominiously back behind our side of the fence.  With further research, I bought a larger bander (Tri-Bander by Wadsworth www.cattlebanders.com/Tribander.html).  On my next attempt I trapped the bull calf in my Bry Chute (see blog entry 11/17/15) and I was able to band it with my new Tri-Bander.  Be careful with your arm, if it is a large cow and it kicks and your arm is trapped in the wrong spot, I have no doubt you would have a broken arm.  

There are many opinions about how old the claf should be when banding, see this link for a good article on this topic: http://beefmagazine.com/health/0401-castrate-calves-timing

Tri-Bander by Wadsworth Manufacturing http://cattlebanders.com/Tribander.html

The calf did not show any signs of pain.  I certainly am not suggesting the process is discomfort free.  

​Once the decision has been made to castrate, when is the best time to do it? That is one topic where animal scientists and veterinarians say there is no question: the earlier, the better.  Beef calves can be banded as early as one day after birth but most experts recommend waiting until the calf is one to 3 months old (http://hereford.org/static/files/0208_Castration.pdf). 

Sister offers company to the newly banded bull calf.