# When is a calf to old to to use castrating rings?



## Duramaxgirl (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi everyone!
Well we finally purchased some calves! Yay our first one that was alittle spendy, is a red angus cross that was bottle fed from day one because her mom died in birth. She is such a sweet heart. Her name is breezy and she doesn't have a mean bone in her body. She's about 6 months old. I wanted a hereford..... but the husband decided on her! 

Well our second cow which is just for meat.... my husband didn't want to spend much on him since breezy set us back a bit financially. So we picked up a Holstein bull calf from a dairy farm for $50. He was about 10 days old and full of the devil! He's mean and a wild little Guy. So we want to castrate him and maybe calm him down. I've been told that using the rings after he is a month old will cause him to have an infection. So my question is can we still use the rings on him or should we do the surgical type removal? He will be 5 weeks on thanksgiving day... and he has grown soooooo much! Thanks


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## jhm47 (Nov 22, 2010)

I prefer the cutting method.  The risk of infection with banding is more than I like.  If you have him cut, also have him dehorned.  Horns are dangerous, and even if he is just playing when he gets to 1000 lbs or more, he could hurt you or your family.  Also, when at a feed bunk with other animals, an inadvertant toss of his head could put out the eye of your expensive RA heifer.  Good luck!


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## Duramaxgirl (Nov 22, 2010)

Ok thank you! So we can do both. We have the supplys for both. And my dad says he's castrated a LOT in the past. I'm just hoping it all goes well. Is there a thread on here with info on what we need and how its done. I want to make sure we have everything we need. Its really cold right now here in north Idaho. Is it really a stressful thing on them, and should we wait till it's warmer? . Oh he doesn't have horns which is definitely a plus! The nice thing about him being so mean is that come next year we wont mind having him for dinner. Sometimes he has nice moments and I think my husband has second thoughts about eating him


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## john in wa (Nov 22, 2010)

10 days old? i dont think banding or cutting will help. He still needs to be fixed but i really dont think cutting him will calm him down any at this age.  I would really like to hear more about this little guy.


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## jhm47 (Nov 22, 2010)

John is right about cutting or banding at 10 days not helping.  I would guess that the calf is just playing, and it is being interpreted as being mean.  As to the horns, if he's a Holstein, he's got them, they are just not emerged yet.  I'll bet they are there under the skin.


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## Duramaxgirl (Nov 22, 2010)

He's almost 5 weeks old now I figure he was born on october 21st from what the dairy farmer said. This dairy farm has an excellent reputation around here for healthy calves. So maybe he's just healthy. He had pretty loose stools about a week ago. So I read on here to add an egg to his milk replacer. And now he's fine. What I mean by he's wild is... my husband is a really quiet Guy and loves animals. And most animals take to him right away... but chuckie just trys to kick him. The first night we had him, he nailed dh pretty good.  Any how I was mucking out his stall the other day and he managed to get out.... and oh boy did he run wild! Just kicking up his feet and didn't stop. We finally did get him back in his stall. We have a heat lamp on him because its like 16 out there and getting colder. We feed him a bottle twice a day. He gets calf mana twice a day. And he's really starting to eat alot of hay Which we keep in front of him at all times. Breezy is just so calm compaired to him. You can do anything with her brush her which she gets alot. But chuckie doesn't seem to like people..... unless you have a bottle! I've bottle fed him a few times but the husband built a bottle holder. You really got to make sure you don't get behind him! He's not a good aim at least. Any how we're so new to cows maybe he's just normal... my dad said he was healthy and BIG for his age.


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## john in wa (Nov 22, 2010)

It sounds like you have a healthy, active and normal calf.


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## Duramaxgirl (Nov 22, 2010)

john in wa said:
			
		

> It sounds like you have a healthy, active and normal calf.


Yay thanks! I do worry about the cold and him getting a chill. His in a three sided leanto with a tarp for the 4th side. It is draft free and dry and I try and keep it clean for him.  He is a pill but soo cute to. I'm mainly worried about the kids I've of corse kept them compleatly away from him. But I know he's just gonna get bigger.

So how hard is the surgical castration to do? And should we wait till warmer weather? Also to do the rubber ring it looks like its ok if you keep him dry and clean although I read it was the most painful. 
My sister was a vet tech before she was married and dad of corse had the cattle ranch when he was younger... I think we could do the surgical method with the proper tools.  just want to do what's best for him and least painful. Do you use any pain control, local anaesthetic like lidocaine?


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## Duramaxgirl (Nov 22, 2010)

jhm47 said:
			
		

> John is right about cutting or banding at 10 days not helping.  I would guess that the calf is just playing, and it is being interpreted as being mean.  As to the horns, if he's a Holstein, he's got them, they are just not emerged yet.  I'll bet they are there under the skin.


I asked the dairy farmer where we got him if he had horns and they said he didn't. I was concerned about this so I asked them twice. Once on the phone and once when we where looking at him. Both times they told me he didn't have them... ahhh I sure hope he doesn't because that would be a whole new set of problems! Is there a way we can look or feel if he does? Grrrrr I wanted just herefords.... but the DH calls the shots.


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## Bossroo (Nov 22, 2010)

Dairy bulls are known for having a mean streak, it's in their genes. When they are very rambunktous (as you describe) this young, you can count of them to become quite dangerous when older. Ask the hubby how he likes his veal cooked.


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## aggieterpkatie (Nov 23, 2010)

Duramaxgirl said:
			
		

> jhm47 said:
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At 5 weeks you'd be able to feel horn buds.


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## jhm47 (Nov 23, 2010)

I guess it's possible.  I checked and found out that there are a very few polled Holsteins.


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