What's The Best Time To Castrate Calves? Vets Agree The Earlier The Better
The key to effective and minimally painful castration is to do it early in life. Here’s a rundown on timing, tools and techniques.
July 4, 2014
While there are several ways to castrate calves and bulls, it’s less stressful to do all of them when calves are young. Randall Raymond, Simplot Livestock’s director of research and veterinary services, is a believer.
He says castration is a necessary procedure, not only for animal performance but also animal health and safety, as well as human safety. In his operation, Raymond says the procedure is performed “as young as we can have access to them. If not castrated at birth, the calves are castrated at branding, when they receive respiratory and clostridial vaccines.”
Cleanliness and technique are paramount, regardless of the method used. Daryl Meyer, a practicing DVM in North Platte, NE, recommends keeping tools in a bucket of water or disinfectant such as chlorhexidine. “It has the broadest spectrum of activity against a wide variety of pathogens and is also non-irritating to the tissues,” he says.
“Making sure the site [scrotum and surrounding area] is clean, the calf’s environment is clean, and tools are clean and in good working order are all crucial for success. The pen or environmental conditions are a factor when choosing methods. It’s hard to beat a green pasture that’s clean and dry,” he says.
“Just because we’ve done something a certain way for years doesn’t mean it’s the best way. The calf deserves the best we have.” --Mark Hilton, DVM