Keep an eye on calves after banding. Problems at this age are rare. Once in awhile, there may be a hernia. Infections in small calves are almost unheard of. Be sure of no swelling and that the calf is acting normal,” says Whittier. He adds, “the calf will lay around for 10 to 15 minutes. This should be over in half an hour. Give the calf attention if it continues to remain uncomfortable.” Intermediate banders It’s all up to your individual program and personal preference, though,” Hendrix says. “Everyone’s program is different.” Best practice in the industry

The tension is high, so you need to put less stress on your cattle. Thanks to this sturdy construction, you will need around 15-30 seconds to band one cow. To prevent this, Larson says the best practice is to confirm both testicles are below the band, ensure it’s tight and give the calf a tetanus vaccine.Physical techniques are the most popular due to their simplicity and relative affordability compared to chemical or hormonal castration treatments. It involves surgically removing the testicles or killing them by obstructing the blood flow into the testicles. When you start your search for an appropriate calf bander, there are some factors to consider. You need to think about the weights and ages of the calves you intend to band, alternative methods of castration if banding is not a realistic option, and consider the elasticity and strength of the bands you’ll be using and how well they work with your bander. Weight and Age of the Calf So – no halters on calves at our place. If we want to lead train them or work with them we will sometimes put a halter on briefly. We take the halter off when we’re done. The Burdizzo emasculatome also crushes the cord without cutting the skin. With this technique, the testicles atrophy but the scrotum does not slough. The clamp is placed on each cord individually and at different levels. The staggered crush saves blood supply to the skin while still damaging the cord to each testicle. The crush should be held for ~10 seconds on each side. The Burdizzo is used on calves with slightly larger cords that can be readily palpated and identified. Burdizzo

He continues, “When you have an open wound from surgical castration, you encounter more problems when there are muddy conditions or flies present. The calf that has been banded will incur less pain, and you have less risk of developing tetanus.”

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However, injections have to be renewed once every 6 months, which can be costly. This is why hormonal castration has become a lot less popular than the tried-and-true physical castration methods. Castration Age The American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) recommends bull calves be castrated by 120 days old. The association recommends both the elastrator and surgical methods – and doesn’t suggest one over the other. Any time you’re creating a wound, you have potential for tetanus, and it appears as a much greater risk with banding than knife-cut,” Larson says. “You’re still going to get some dead tissue where the organisms can invade.” Since I have done this – I’m pretty sure anyone can. Banding calves falls into the category of “things I never thought I’d ever do” and on the other hand is totally righteous that I know how to do it. I’m amazing. PHOTO 2 & 3: An elastrator uses a “donut” band most suitable for calves up to 6 weeks of age, when testicles are the size of your thumb.

The later you wait in life, the more stress your cattle will have to experience. S&J XL bander is a fantastic solution to make their delayed castration less painful. This large bander for cattle can handle various kinds of animals ranging from 250 to 750lbs, from sheep, goats, cows, pigs, and so on. The bander is made of aluminum and steel for better durability, features an extra-large opening, and is lightweight to make it easy to handle. While the method sounds painful, the pain level is actually lower than surgical and elastic band castration when it’s done in concert with local anesthesia. Usually, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug is applied to alleviate pain further, too. Although the risk of developing tetanus is less when banding smaller calves, it is still recommended the calf be vaccinated for tetanus. Another precaution to avoid tetanus is to “make sure you have a clean, dry place to band – avoid all muddy conditions,” says Eversole. This bander is very simple to use, so long as you have an extra pair of hands or more to help you secure and stabilize the animal you’re trying to band. This helps to avoid undue injuries.

Dr. Robert Larson, a professor in the college of veterinary medicine at Kansas State University, says people band to avoid making the calf bleed. But even though there is less risk of bleeding, there is still the risk of infection when the band cuts into the first layer of skin. Recent studies have shown that this is most likely not the case. There’s no real impact on waiting until the calf begins to wean. As a matter of fact, waiting can negatively impact the performance of the calf by making them more vulnerable to illnesses.

A professional is usually needed to perform the operation. Because this is a more hands-on approach than either the elastic band or Burdizzo clamp method, good restraint is necessary. If not, the animal and the surgeon could both be injured. Chemical Technique The high-tension bander uses rubber tubing secured with a clip. As with other banders, “make sure both testicles are placed through the band and remain below it prior to completion.” Elastic band castration works by cutting off the blood supply to the testicles, eventually causing the testicles to “die”. Therefore, we recommend castrating the calf when they’re as young as possible (less than 3 months). It will be better for their overall welfare and performance. Castration PainBanding is most definitely a painful and stressful experience for the animal. Many studies suggest that out of the three popular physical castration techniques, banding may be the most painful for the bull. The concentration of “pain chemicals” in the animal is a lot higher after banding than after either Burdizzo or surgical castration. Emasculators are typically used alongside the knife technique. They’re used to crush the spermatic cord and blood vessels following testicle removal. This helps to control blood flow. Henderson Tool Generally producers and owners castrate their calves. Rarely would a vet be called to perform routine castration but vets may be asked to train new owners or to work with rescue groups. General types of castrations and tools are bloodless (burdizzos, banding) or open (blades). Open castration Newbury knife The elastrator uses “green bands that look like a little green donut,” says Whittier. Elastrators typically can be found as having either three or four prongs over which you will place the band. Elastrators are to be used on smaller calves.