Dexter Cattle For Sale Discussion Board

Hi Everyone this is my first post as im new to having cattle with only 4 females and 2 new calves born yesterday.
Can anyone tell when they feel a bull calf should have his castration band put on as the vet says that anything over 3 days is classed as cruel and the lady I purchased them off of says "Rubbish"!!! to disturb them and upset them in the first few days is cruel, you can do them anything up to 3 weeks old and that she does them around 2 weeks old.
Please advise

Rubber rings may only be used to castrate calves during the first 7 days of life.

Only those properly trained should be castrating any calf

Only a vet may castrate calves over 2 months old and an anaesthetic must be used.

Duncan

So now I have 3 different answers. Would anyone else agree with one of the 3 time periods I have?

I would go with our resident vet Duncan!

or to quote defra

"the use of a rubber ring, or other device, to restrict the flow of blood to the scrotum, is only permitted without an anaesthetic if the device is applied during the first week of life."

usually like to wait 36 -48 hrs old and know they are feeding well but if you havent done it before get someone to help usually need 2 of you as dexters are good at wriggling But make sure you get both testicles and be careful when you release/remove castrater pliers as one or both can slip through other wise you will end up with no scrotum but testicles tucked up inside which will mean a vet visit to remove them if they can !!

Thanks everyone. Really helpful

We leave all of ours till they are months old then get the vet to castrate them. We avoid the summer months due to flies. Doing it this way avoids the possibility of getting a rig. But if you do rubber-ring, then make sure you get both testicles without any doubts. Any doubt and leave it for a vet IMO.

Broomcroft wrote:We leave all of ours till they are months old then get the vet to castrate them.

Cutting them or Burdizzo?

Rob R wrote:Cutting them or Burdizzo?

Cuts them out Rob. I only do this because I left a "pro" to ring all our calves one year, and he managed to create a rig. That rig caused mayhem and a lot of cost and trouble. Had to estrumate a load of heifers he'd been with, and had to beef him as a bull, so got a knock down price for him on top of all that. I should have spotted him earlier, but he just didn't look like a rig till his behaviour changed.

We always check & double check there are definitely two balls at the right side of the ring - always a two person job, one to hold the offending articles and the other to apply the ring. Only when we've both checked does the animal get released.

I outdoor calve and i dont think i can ring them in a decent time scale. so we cut tthem all in the spring. i think this is very late but it seems to work for us. the cost is not as bad as you think either.

d