Castrating a bull

[levimh]

I bet that subject caught everyone's attention? Haha! I was watching TV just now and this guy needed to castrate a bull cow. They got him in this cage, with his head sticking out and then the guy came behind him. He washed off...the area and then got the scalpel and..began. They didn't seem to give the bull any needles or anything and I was just wondering if that doesn't hurt them or what?! Just curious.

[Jackie467]

yes it does hurt. Unfortunetly many farm animals are castrated without any anestetic. my stepdad told me a story about when he was young, he went to a friends farm and saw them castrate a goat. He said it was horrible, they held the goat down and just hacked the testicals off. He said the goat was in a ton of pain not to mention scared to death. animals on farms are often seen as having no feeling and no value beyond what they can get for them on the market. I'm glad to say not all farmers are like this, but some are. It's just the way these people were taught and they honestly don't believe that it hurts the animal, or that it doesn't matter if it hurts the animal because it is only a product they are using or trying to sell.

[Prin]

BOOOOOOOOOOO I heard that they put an elastic around them and the circulation is cut off, andl they eventually fall off... Not humane. People suck sometimes.... (often) :sad:

[Karin]

Originally Posted by Prin

BOOOOOOOOOOO I heard that they put an elastic around them and the circulation is cut off, andl they eventually fall off... Not humane. People suck sometimes.... (often) :sad:

Banding is used sometimes on very young kids or calfs. I have used them before but I prefer to cut and pull. On kids we use a kid box, these boxes hold a kid tight with an opening for their head, after burning the horn buds I quickly take the kid out, cut the sac and take the testicles out. (all after ..04 cc of xylaxine i.v.) With 3 people assembly line style we could do 20 kids in 30 minutes.
Calfs take a little longer and kick harder. The cage referred to was a squeeze.

[Karin]

Originally Posted by levimh

I bet that subject caught everyone's attention? Haha! I was watching TV just now and this guy needed to castrate a bull cow. They got him in this cage, with his head sticking out and then the guy came behind him. He washed off...the area and then got the scalpel and..began. They didn't seem to give the bull any needles or anything and I was just wondering if that doesn't hurt them or what?! Just curious.

Standing castration. Once a bull, not always a bull. If a bull is injured or for some other reason, usually the only other option is the slaughter house, they have to be castrated. Horses were once castrated this way all the time.
Using anesthesia on a bull is very dangerous. On any ruminent it carries a high risk. Castrating a bovine is always better when they are young. (steer)

[levimh]

Well, I learned something new. lol.