| Animal welfare is ever present in the beef producer’s mind when considering the optimal management strategies to maximize the productivity of the calf. One of the most stressful times in a male calf’s life is when he experiences castration. Optimum Castration Timing In regard to the optimum time for the procedure, Kansas State veterinarians Dr. Bob Larson and Dr. Hans Coetzee recommend castrating bull calves in the first few days of life after they’ve taken in the colostrum. “Castrating bulls when they are young reduces stress. It doesn’t make it pain free, but in terms of his growth there is a reduced impact,” says Coetzee, anatomy and physiology department head and interim director of the Nanotechnology Innovation Center and Institute of Computation Comparative Medicine at Kansas State. Another common time is at pasture turnout and branding. “If we castrate him at two to three months of age, it is also recommended to give him a growth implant to replace the hormones that he lost with the removal of the testicles,” Larson says. The experts agree that weaning is the worst time in the cattle cycle for the procedure. “The stress of transportation along with being away from mom and the castration procedure puts a significant risk on those animals for disease,” Coetzee says. Recommended Castration Technique & Pain Management Options Regardless of when the bulls are castrated, ranchers have two technique options – surgical cutting or banding. “With surgical castration there is pain, but the recovery begins soon afterward. Meanwhile, with banding there is a little build up before the calf has much pain, but then he is uncomfortable and it takes longer to heal,” says Dr. Brad White, veterinarian and BCI director. The team agreed that surgical castration is the best option provided the person doing the procedure is skilled and the animals are properly restrained. Also, pain management strategies were discussed. While currently there are no FDA approved drugs labeled for castration. Coetzee says that under the advisement of the veterinarian producers should consider administering Banamine® Transdermal, which has an extra label use for pain management or Meloxicam sold under the brand name Mobic. The second drug is labeled for human use and is an oral medication that has to be mixed into the feed or delivered through a gel bolus. Coetzee says, “As we think of consumer perceptions, we need to be aware of these options.” More on this topic is shared in the second half of the podcast in the link below. |
| BCI Cattle Chat Checklist Tips for Managing Castration, Pain and Stress Castrate the bulls as young as possible. Don’t combine castration and weaning; keep those stressful events separate. Consider using pain management options under the advisement of a veterinarian. Make sure the person doing the procedure is skilled and trained. Cutting is preferred to banding from a pain management standpoint. |
Beef Cattle Institute