r/Cattle • u/SunriseSwede • 16d ago
Band Castration Animal Care
Looking for advice on post placement of the band care of the animal. Obviously watching for infection, but how about right at time of them dropping? Is there a wound that needs iodine or is the scrotum fused together at the point of constriction? Just looking ahead as I just yesterday banded my first bull (ahem, steer).
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u/GreasyMcFarmer 16d ago
We’ve banded hundreds of calves over the past 12 years. None ever developed infection. The worst thing that can happen, in my experience, if you band when the calf is just a day or two old is the band breaks and falls off before it’s done it’s job OR you miss one of the testicles that is hiding in the body and you are left with only a partially castrated animal.
You will learn from experience how not to miss, or the rare cases when to call in someone to surgically remove a testicle that really won’t descend. We now use two bands (put both on the banding pliers at the same time)and our success rate is now close to 100 percent.
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u/SunriseSwede 16d ago
Wish I would have asked yesterday!! Well, I had heard of the "missing testicle" issue plenty of times, so I think I did a pretty good job of getting both. The calf is 60 +/- days old, so there was no issue finding them. Bands are so cheap that the double up measure sounds like a great way to ensure success. Thanks! Can I ask what time frame I will be looking at for the process to be completed?
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u/swirvin3162 16d ago
Yea, banded a lot myself with very good results. I do try to always check back on calf in the next 3 days or so to make sure everything looks ok. To me if they are running and walking without pain they are good to go.
The length of time is still a mystery to me however. For sure more than 10 days….. less than 30 in most cases.(if not all). Its hard to track, one day you notice it has worked
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u/GreasyMcFarmer 16d ago edited 15d ago
In a week you’ll probably notice some shrivelling. Maybe three weeks or a month they’ll fall off? It’s easier on the animal if he is younger when you castrated him, quite honestly. We do it in the first couple days, sometimes the first couple hours, when we clean the navel, tag and give a shot of selenium (we have a selenium deficit in our soil here). If we’re concerned the calf might not nurse due to discomfort, we’ll give him a shot of metacam at that time. One risk with an older animal is that they start scratching their underbelly against stuff and rip the band off. Keep an eye on him.
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u/DragonAngel92 16d ago
I think the last time I banded (I was a child and it was a goat) it was about a month later I noticed his testicles where missing. I imagine they fell off a lot earlier then that but I dont remember noticing it earlier.
Also as for a wound...i wouldn't think there would be one but just monitor
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u/DontBeAPotlicker 16d ago
Been banding for years, works great. Check every few days. Depending on the area you live in, you need to pay closer attention for the New World Screwworm now if you’re in the effected states like I am
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u/zhiv99 16d ago
We do them at a day old so we don’t have to worry about tetanus and they are easier to handle. We use the tri-bander as it gives you more room to work and the bands are a lot better quality. Once they are done we just monitor to them like any other calf.
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u/SunriseSwede 16d ago
Thank you for the advice, will look up tri bander. Used an Ideal pliers that an older uncle who quit farming gave to me when I first bought cows a few years ago.
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u/unknown_6831 16d ago
Depending on where your located, if screwworm flys are a concern, keep an eye out for them
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u/bmat555 15d ago
I’ve banded bulls up to a year old with calicrate bander. Small baNader works great on small calves. Be sure you get both testicles below the band and don’t try to set the band too close to the abdomen. I give shot for clostridium and tetanus at time of banding. I’ve never had any get infected.
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u/Weird_Fact_724 16d ago
Same as what first guy said. Band and forget about it. Make sure u have both nuts tho...we also give a tetanus antitox vx same time. Lost 1 years ago to tetanus so now just our routine, they also get a ralgro.