# Castrating a bull



## mwtslf23 (Oct 18, 2004)

Hi Folks,

We have a Jersey Bull that is 8 months old that we have acquired. Is it to late to have him castrated? We would like to use him for meat, I know it will not be the quantity or quality of other breeds, but he was free and he is gentle. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Mike


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## Karin L (Oct 5, 2006)

It is not too late. We've had bulls castrated later than that. Since he's much older than when folks usually castrate (a few days or so after birth), he'll be more sore and lose more condition than if he was steered as a young calf. Cutting or banding is up to you, there are tools available to band large testes, and is bloodless, or if you wish to cut take him to a vet to get it done properly (or get the vet's advice to do it yourself if you don't want to go to all that length of transporting).


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## js2743 (Dec 4, 2006)

if you are gonna make a beef out of him it would be alright to just leave him as is. they dont get to old to cut.


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## montysky (Aug 21, 2006)

you don't need to cut him, but if you want to castrate at this size/age don't band but cut imho.


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## Kevingr (Mar 10, 2006)

I'm in the same situation, but the bull I received for free is a little over a year old. I'm just going to finish him this summer and butcher him early this fall. I was told you can't eat bull meat, but I eat male elk and deer so I figured that's an old wives tale so I wasn't going to castrate him. But, will he taste different? I was planning on having him cut up into cuts and not just hamburger. This is a Gurnsey bull.


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

Older calves like that I think I would put him in a good cattle chute and have an experienced person with forearms like Popeye use the Burdizzo clamps on him.


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## Karin L (Oct 5, 2006)

Kevingr said:


> I'm in the same situation, but the bull I received for free is a little over a year old. I'm just going to finish him this summer and butcher him early this fall. I was told you can't eat bull meat, but I eat male elk and deer so I figured that's an old wives tale so I wasn't going to castrate him. But, will he taste different? I was planning on having him cut up into cuts and not just hamburger. This is a Gurnsey bull.


He wont taste any different, just a bit more beefer than if you butchered a steer or heifer. 

And as for "you can't eat bull meat" yes that is an old wives tale.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Anybody that's breeding cattle has ate bull meat at some point in time. It can be a bit stronger tasting than some people prefer but I don't feel it is a whole lot stronger than game meet (elk would certainly be in the same category). Karin is correct and if you do wish to castrate, you can band the more mature guys but it is a bit different system. You use a surgical tubing and it's tightened with a rachet type device. I believe the one I used was the Callicrate smartbander and it is rather expensive to buy unless you're going to put it to a lot of use but a lot of livestock supply stores actually rent them.


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

I was once told that bull meat tastes of urine. The fellow who said so was very strong on the subject himself so I never thought to question him:shrug:but having been reading the cattle for sale adds I was wondering about buying a young bull (at $600 to $800 they seem pretty good value for money) and steering him, finishing him off for eight to twelve weeks and then sending him to freezer camp but now I think I might just skip the steering option and just fatten him up. It seems a good way to get home raised beef without having to take care of it for eighteen months or so.

Why is it that if bull meat doesnt have a bad taste are they so cheap?


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Intact meat is just as good IMO...of course we eat game too so I'm not afraid of FLAVOR.
I'd bet money that you couldn't tell the difference. 

I got a pkg of prairie oysters in my freezer that I'm going to eat one of these days!

_
Why is it that if bull meat doesnt have a bad taste are they so cheap?_

Because they are afraid of the animal and believe in bull-sheet old wives tales. All the better for folks who know better!

We even ate an 8m old boar that hopefully bred the sow we kept. The meat was just as good as cut male....


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I don't feel it tastes like urine. My butcher is of the opinion that if you are concerned about the stronger taste of bull meat, the key is to remove the bone when cutting as quickly as possible. I've had it done and felt it was milder tasting but since I didn't keep have with bone in, I really have no proof of that. If you were to pick up a 6 month bull calf and not castrate, you would still have fine meat. 

Perhaps the bulls you are looking at are dairy breeds? If they are, they are considered to have a longer finish time within the industry and since most steers end up in a feedlot at some point in time, they don't find the additional finish time economical so there is less demand for them.


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

Cool - rubs hands with an evil chuckle- thats one plan sorted then!

Having spoilt myself for life by eating my own home raised turkey and chickens I cant wait to spoil myself for beef lol


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

wr said:


> is correct and if you do wish to castrate, you can band the more mature guys but it is a bit different system. You use a surgical tubing and it's tightened with a rachet type device.


Going into this time of the year, banding would be a better option than cutting due to flies. Our Jersey bull (about 14 mo) was banded last month (once the cow was preg checked). He walked funny the first couple of days, but he's fine. No adverse affect on his conditioning.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Make sure you give him a tetanus shot whether you band or cut. I would leave him a bull if it were me. It's not going to make a big difference for a freezer beef since you'll probably going to grain feed him......... If a bull had been in the breeding business for a season or so and had been on a grass only diet, you might notice the "bull" taste a little. But when you're dealing with a young bull that's just reached maturity, it's not a big deal.......


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

MullersLaneFarm, if we could get past monsoon season up here, flies would be a problem as well.


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## kclementsdvm (Feb 5, 2008)

francismilker said:


> Make sure you give him a tetanus shot whether you band or cut. I would leave him a bull if it were me. It's not going to make a big difference for a freezer beef since you'll probably going to grain feed him......... If a bull had been in the breeding business for a season or so and had been on a grass only diet, you might notice the "bull" taste a little. But when you're dealing with a young bull that's just reached maturity, it's not a big deal.......


I definitely echo the tetanus vaccination when you're banding - just treated a steer for tetanus two weeks post-banding. It didn't make it. 

The biggest thing in favor of "steering" him, IMHO, is to get rid of the hormones that will drive more aggression. ***DO NOT TRUST AN INTACT MALE!*** That said, you certainly don't have to castrate him to eat him, but DO NOT trust him, even if you think he's gentle. (And really, you shouldn't turn your back on any large animal. Something can spook them and you're in the way and become just a puny roadblock.)


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## Sabrina67 (Mar 24, 2008)

We have eaten both, Castrated and not. I really cant tell much difference. My DM never castrates as her husband will never band the calves and her health prevents her doing it. We asked teh Amish woman at the slaughter house if it would be bad that we hadn't had it done, she said alot of people don't.
This is just my opinion though. I agree that you need to always be wary with a bull. They are NEVER to be trusted. The above post has many valid points.
Either way, congrats on the free meat.


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## Anderson farms (Mar 26, 2007)

I have a year old dexter bull. I was going to just going to let him eat grass all summer and then give some grain a couple of weeks before freezer time. I have had this guys since he was a year old. DO NOT TRUST HIM! I used to be able to scratch this guy on the head and pet him not any more. he keeps getting onery! I was worried about him being intact but now I won't.


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## planecrazyusa (Apr 25, 2008)

Round here Jersey is considered the best meat!! We'll be eating our bull soon.


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