# How to Castrate a Calf using a Knife



## alecl (Aug 21, 2013)

I thought I would share a video we have made on YouTube on how to castrate a calf with a knife. 
I have noticed by watching other videos on YouTube that North Americans do it alot different compared to here in Australia.
I hope you enjoy the video and learn something new. If you have any advice don't be shy to say 

[YOUTUBE]K8eWo9dtqgE[/YOUTUBE]


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Very helpful video...Topside


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## dkhern (Nov 30, 2012)

would woke for most animals and many on here could probally be educated


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

I like the lay down chute. I'm not fast but if I had that many calves I would have to get better. I wish I would have seen the video before I started a few years ago. No wasted moves.

G'day Mate.


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## ksfarmer (Apr 28, 2007)

That's the way we always did it. Only mostly they were standing in a working chute. Small calves we could rope and hold down with a knee. Your holding table is new to me but looks like it would be handy to have.


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## alecl (Aug 21, 2013)

Here in Australia the holding table is called a calf cradle. The one in the video is fairly new but the design is very old. It replaced one that was probably 50 years old.


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## unregistered41671 (Dec 29, 2009)

We used to use a calf table similar to this one in the link. It was to slow for our use. We went back to the old ways and worked lots faster. We could leg a calf and have him/her on the ground, cut, vaccinated, ear marked in usually 60-90 seconds. It took a good bit of labor but if not possible, a calf table would be much better. 
http://www.wwmanufacturing.com/calftable.html

View attachment 17300


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## Wolfy-hound (May 5, 2013)

That's nifty. I do like how the entire group look like nothing at all happened. Definitely goes against what some city folks would say about how "traumatic" castrating without it being a anesthesia surgery! I think the calves were more upset about being held than the actual cutting.

Excellent! Thank you so much for showing that!!


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## alecl (Aug 21, 2013)

Possum Belly said:


> We used to use a calf table similar to this one in the link. It was to slow for our use. We went back to the old ways and worked lots faster. We could leg a calf and have him/her on the ground, cut, vaccinated, ear marked in usually 60-90 seconds. It took a good bit of labor but if not possible, a calf table would be much better.
> http://www.wwmanufacturing.com/calftable.html
> 
> View attachment 17300


http://www.morrisseyco.com.au/cradles.htm
Thats the cradle we use. I find a cradle easier to work on compared to a table. Just my opinion.
I did time it a few years ago, was around the 60 second mark I think to do the lot with 2 people. We are marking again tomorrow, around 100 head. I will time it so I know myself.
Yeah, labour here is the trouble. Too expensive to have more workers here. Usually have 2 or 3 doing the job.


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