# Bull castration question With pics (not graphic)



## Cooper13 (Jun 25, 2015)

Hello, I recently purchased a longhorn “steer”. To the best of my knowledge he’s around 6 months old. Probably around 450 lbs. his back is about waist high...just to give you the idea of his size.

When I went to check him out, he looked good, so I paid for him and came back with the trailer to pick him up.

I never really saw him from the back until I unloaded him at home. It looks to me that he is still intact. When I try to contact the seller to find out, he is ignoring me - won’t respond to texts or calls.

I have only dealt with banded bulls so I am ignorant to what it would look like had it been crimped or castrated with a knife. With a banded bull, everything falls off so it’s obvious. With this one, he still has something going on down there.

I have attached pics. These are the best ones I have right now. I can take more this evening if need be. Am I dealing with an intact bull? Or is this just an empty sack that hasn’t shriveled up yet?

I thought about feeling them to see if there was anything in there but thought I’d ask a group of pros first before I went that route. I figured that, if he is still intact, I would just band him myself but I wanted to get him a little more used to me and his new home to make sure he’s as calm as possible since I’ll be doing it by myself.

Sorry for the dumb question but I am relatively new to this. We raise about two heifers or steers per year for freezer beef and have never dealt with actual castration before.

thanks!


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## Wanda (Dec 19, 2002)

If it was me I would squeeze the scrotum and check for intact testicles. Dd they indicate what process they used to make him a steer? If they ''clamped'' him it could take some time for the testicles to atrophy.


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## ShannonR (Nov 28, 2012)

Also check the scrotum for incisions. There would either be one incision for each teste or (my preferred method) the bottom third of the scrotum missing and testes removed that way. He could very well be a steer from what I am seeing though...looks like one of my jobs but the calf is a little small to be sure of that by looking at pics.


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## Cooper13 (Jun 25, 2015)

Wanda said:


> If it was me I would squeeze the scrotum and check for intact testicles. Dd they indicate what process they used to make him a steer? If they ''clamped'' him it could take some time for the testicles to atrophy.


Yeah I think that will be my next step, is actually feeling to see if there’s anything in there. And no, he did not tell me the method he used. Only that it was a steer but when I noticed this, I texted him and called him but he has not responded to either. Thanks for the help! I will do that when I get home from work this evening.


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## Cooper13 (Jun 25, 2015)

ShannonR said:


> Also check the scrotum for incisions. There would either be one incision for each teste or (my preferred method) the bottom third of the scrotum missing and testes removed that way. He could very well be a steer from what I am seeing though...looks like one of my jobs but the calf is a little small to be sure of that by looking at pics.


I did not see incisions but I could look closer. That was my first thought as well was to look for a band or an incision and did not see either. Another user suggested that I just get in there and feel around which I think is what I’ll do when I get home. Thanks for the advice!


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## Cooper13 (Jun 25, 2015)

Ok so I was finally able to get ahold of the seller. He said that the calf was banded and that it’s possible that the band broke. I’m not sure if that is just his excuse or if it is the truth but either way, he will need to be re-banded. I will double check to make sure that I did not overlook the band but I’m about 90% sure that there is not one in place. Thanks for your help and suggestions. It looks like I am about to have my first banding experience!


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## Wanda (Dec 19, 2002)

Do not forget to give a tetanus shot both before and after he is banded. Check with your vet on the timing.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

If banded, it doesn't look right. Yes, re-band and make sure you get both testicles below the band.
As a side comment, that the seller wouldn't return your calls and than gave info that doesn't make sense, makes him sound suspect. Recently, in nearby Michigan, several farms with roping steers were found to have tuberculosis. Since roping steers, long horns and Corrientes are loaned and traded around frequently and proper record keeping not generally the case and several farms under quarantines, I'd worry that I might have bought an infected calf. Perhaps a long shot, but I'd want to know where he came from, either way.


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## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

There might not be enough left to band. Usually instead of falling off, a bad band or banding job just allows one testicle or both to pop back through. Then it cuts off the end of the scrotum. If there is an undescended testicle, shoved up in the gut and unabel to descend because of the amputated scrotum, you will need a vet. Or just leave things be. An undescended testicle will usually cause the resulting "stag" to be sterile, but a bull in every other way. A look at his prepuce would tell most experienced cattlemen if this was the case. Bands need to be used before they dry-rot to be effective, and still might not be. A lot of farmers use dry rotted bands and don't know how to use them right anyway.


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## Hiro (Feb 14, 2016)

You can almost see the crease in the second picture from where the band was. Band him again if you can feel both testicles still in the scrotum. If you can't feel them both, you can always butcher him early before his neck gets thick or you can pull out the scalpel or have a vet visit. I wouldn't recommend the second option unless you have done it before and even then I wouldn't recommend it unless absolutely necessary. If you can't fit the testicles together through the band when extended, you can still pull them through one at a time. 

FWIW, I don't pull out the scalpel anymore on calves, it just isn't worth it to me.


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## Jethro Lilley (Dec 2, 2018)

I ran a herd of 100 brood cows Angus and Charolaise/Angus cross for many years. Sold feeders, open heifers and fed steers. 
Here is how I castrated 400 lb. bulls...
1. use a squeeze chute.
2. have someone you trust to stand on the chute and pull up hard on his tail (this gives the bull the impression that he will fall down if he picks his feet up and he WILL NOT kick.)
3. kneel behind him, pinch the bottom of the cod sack with your thumb and bent forefinger, pull down and slice it off.
4. grab a testicle in both hands and pull it out by the roots. Ditto the second testicle. 
Entire removal process takes less than a minute. Sounds terrible but is more humane than a surgical process. I never had a complication arise from this method. Leave the incision open so it can drain.

This method causes little or no bleeding and eliminates infection from cut cords.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

If he is six months old, feed him up for a month or so and but him in the freezer. Why waste money on a vet?


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## Oxankle (Jun 20, 2003)

I'm with haypoint. I'd have the vet check that animal for TB before I wasted more time on him. As for castration, Jethro has it right. If by yourself you can sqeeze the bull and rope one hind foot forward. then cut or band as you please. I've banded 500 pound bulls, but with new bands and great care. They wind up slick as a melon. You have to be certain you have all the testicle and the "bumps" on the cord just above the testicle below the band. As a matter of interest, I stored my bands in a metal can (dark) in the fridge. I preferred the clamps for big animals. Bodeezers we called them.


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