Effects of Method and Time of Castration of Feeder Calves

Abstract

Comparisons of weight gains were made between bulls castrated by a rapid ligation technique using elastrator bands to control postcastration hemorrhage and those castrated by the conventional emasculator method. Time of castration after feedlot arrival was also studied. Castration in trial 1 was performed either on the day of arrival from the sale barn to the feedlot, after 1 week, or 2 weeks after arrival at the feedlot. Trial 2 was made to compare weight gains of bulls castrated by the elastrator-ligation technique and the emasculator method only. Time of castration was not studied as all bulls were castrated on the day of arrival at the feedlot. Calves purchased as steers were used as the control groups in both trials. Average daily gains (ADG) were recorded for a 21-day period on 97 steers and 104 bulls in trial 1. The bulls were randomly alloted to six treatment groups of 17 and 18 head. Trial 2 lasted 14 days and included 38 steers and 85 bulls in two treatment groups. Steers gained faster than bulls castrated by either method in both trials (P<.05). However, bulls castrated on the day of arrival by the elastrator-ligation method had gains comparable to those of the steers and greater than other castrates. Castration on the day of arrival using either method resulted in greater (P<.05) ADG than delayed castration. Calves castrated on the day of arrival to the feedlot had an ADG of .34 kg more than delayed castrates. Calves purchased as steers had fewer health problems than castrated calves. There were fewer calves treated for shipping fever and pneumonia in the elastrator-ligation groups than in the emasculator-treated groups. The greatest percentage death loss occurred in the emasculator-treated groups, but no death losses were due to hemorrhage. However, there was more postcastration hemorrhage from calves castrated by the emasculators than from those castrated by the elastrator-ligation method (P<.01). Copyright © 1979. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1979 by American Society of Animal Science.