# banding in the summer



## SteveO (Apr 14, 2009)

I have a bull that needs banded before fall. He is not the most friendly little guy as it is. So followup treatment would be interesting shall we say.
Now or later. Just got the chute and corral arranged. He would also be my first one to do.
Or take him to the vet for a band and shots????

Steve


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

Vets usually recommend a tetanus shot 3 weeks before banding and a booster at the time of banding. Fly season is upon us here, so I'm sure they're out where you are too. You might want to check and see what method and other vaccinations the vet recommends, depending on the bull's age.


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## mamahen (May 11, 2002)

My vet gave me this when he cut my goat kids one year in May:


DIFLY WOUND SPRAY - Product Details


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Good advice above...Right or wrong I've never given tetanus shots although it's recommended. The best I can recall tetanus is a clostridium & lives in the soil. Here's my input: When I band I put lots of iodine in the area before I apply the band and then re-apply thoroughly after the band is in place. The sack will shrivel and drop off in about two months. Never had a problem during the summer fly months....I'm sure I've asked you before, what town in Tn did you move too.....Topside


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## opportunity (Mar 31, 2012)

I just band and let them go have done them spring fall and summer. oldest ones where about 14-15 months old. never had a problem but I use two bands on the olders ones just a little extra in case one snaps


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Banding is ok, tetanus shots would be good also. But never cut them out in the summer, you will have maggots in it for sure. > Thanks Marc


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## collegeboundgal (Jul 17, 2005)

yep. we just banded one little guy today and it's in the 90's* this week. flys so bad that when you walk, breath through your nose or you could get one in your mouth when you breath in. (sigh, ask how I found THAT one out. twice... ew.) we gave them all black leg shots (the 7 way shots) but I dont remember if it had tetanus in it or not... 
not worried at all about the flys on the band. their's no blood/open wound for them to get to. and I've never seen maggots on a mummy...


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## mamahen (May 11, 2002)

I still spray when I band. 

Only because our calves are bigger, with bigger sacs and sometimes they do get a bit of a open area, wound-type looking spot. I don't want to take any chances.


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## SteveO (Apr 14, 2009)

I ended up having the Vet come out as shipping fever seemed to be spreading to the the rest of the herd.
The Vet used a different method than I have ever heard of or read about. He cut the bag and pulled each nut down and put a oversized hemostat over the cord then put his cordless drill on the end of it and spun it off. He said that it ties the cord up in a twisted knot inside and most time there is no bleeding at all. They have used that method on 1k lb bulls with out any issues.
Thought i would share
Steve


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

Never heard of that one 

We banded all year round and we even had the vet cut in the summer never lost any from that and never had flys or maggets in or around the areas 

We used this blue coat spray and just sprayed them after we did it and after they started to show signs of the sack falling off 

And for the big ones we had the vet cut out we used the same stuff waited a week and sprayed it again and it was fine 

We lose more calves to cocidia than anything else


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

SteveO said:


> I ended up having the Vet come out as shipping fever seemed to be spreading to the the rest of the herd.
> The Vet used a different method than I have ever heard of or read about. He cut the bag and pulled each nut down and put a oversized hemostat over the cord then put his cordless drill on the end of it and spun it off. He said that it ties the cord up in a twisted knot inside and most time there is no bleeding at all. They have used that method on 1k lb bulls with out any issues.
> Thought i would share
> Steve


Thats what we do at the feed lot on the bulls...it just twistes itt off as you said and turns the cords into strings so no blood from cord just from the skin

here is the link they were $130 last year http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_library...e078c6-7b6a-11d5-a192-00b0d0204ae5&showText=1


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## ycanchu2 (Oct 21, 2011)

SteveO said:


> I have a bull that needs banded before fall. He is not the most friendly little guy as it is. So followup treatment would be interesting shall we say.
> Now or later. Just got the chute and corral arranged. He would also be my first one to do.
> Or take him to the vet for a band and shots????
> 
> Steve


I suggest doing it in the right signs(Almanac) I banded some 4 and 5 weights 3 weeks ago during what was suppoed to be the best time for it. Some have already lost their sac and the rest should lose it in a week or so.
Last year I banded some when I just got ready and it seemed to stress them more than it should have and they swelled more. Banding or knife I think should be done in the right signs for optimum performance.


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## PaulNKS (Jan 11, 2009)

If you band, treating when you place the band is waste. There is no open wound for the iodine, blue lotion, etc. to be applied to. If you apply anything do it when the bag drops off. Then use blue lotion or iodine on what little wound there may be.

The method of cutting as described is the usual way of castration... but, we've never used a drill. We just cut the bottom of the sac, pull both testicles down as far and as hard as we can, cut with a sharp scalpel, spray a little blue lotion or iodine and turn him out. 

In the past, when you sold calves that were banded versus cutting, the banded seemed to get docked. I don't know why. So, we've just always been in the habit of cutting. However, with goats, I prefer banding.


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## ycanchu2 (Oct 21, 2011)

PaulNKS said:


> If you band, treating when you place the band is waste. There is no open wound for the iodine, blue lotion, etc. to be applied to. If you apply anything do it when the bag drops off. Then use blue lotion or iodine on what little wound there may be.
> 
> The method of cutting as described is the usual way of castration... but, we've never used a drill. We just cut the bottom of the sac, pull both testicles down as far and as hard as we can, cut with a sharp scalpel, spray a little blue lotion or iodine and turn him out.
> 
> In the past, when you sold calves that were banded versus cutting, the banded seemed to get docked. I don't know why. So, we've just always been in the habit of cutting. However, with goats, I prefer banding.



when my Dad was alive he always cut with a knife and we had these special plyers that were made just for castration I guess you can still buy them....one side would crimp the cord to help clotting and the other side cut them off.
But it seemed like the calves were just set back from the stress of it for a bout a month so I just band them now, my cattle always get docked for something, too much ear or navel or red....I have lot of beefmaster blood in my herd, I'm slowly breeding it out, its hard to just up and sell a cow that has a good calf and breeds back early every year


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## 65284 (Sep 17, 2003)

SteveO said:


> I ended up having the Vet come out as shipping fever seemed to be spreading to the the rest of the herd.
> The Vet used a different method than I have ever heard of or read about. He cut the bag and pulled each nut down and put a oversized hemostat over the cord then put his cordless drill on the end of it and spun it off. He said that it ties the cord up in a twisted knot inside and most time there is no bleeding at all. They have used that method on 1k lb bulls with out any issues.
> Thought i would share
> Steve


That's the way my vet did the last bulls he cut for me. Seemed to work just fine almost no bleeding and no problems later.


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