ANSC 2804/14/15Castration/Dehorning. Why do we do these practices?Castration o Reproduction/genetic controlo Reduce aggression/easier to manage  Dairy bulls are normally very aggressive, that’s why we use AI most ofteno Consumer preference for meat from castrated males Some other countries prefer bull meat o Steers have more efficient feed conversion You don’t have to feed them as much to get them to gain weight Dehorning - Safety for humans and other animals - Different working facilities may be necessary. Having horns stick out could get them stuckPerform castration as early as possible - Less blood- They heal much quicker - Do it less than 2-3 months of age for cows- Less stress- Easier to handle Castration is a short term event- Surgical  open scrotum  count the testicles (count before you cut)o Use scalpel o Sharp knife o Newberry knife (safety)o Emasculator (cuts and crushes, used in conjunction with a scalpel or knife) Provides hemostasis o Advantages  You know you got both of them out Quick  Heals fairly quickly o Disadvantages Blood flies  Vet requirement? - Bloodless o Use when you might want to avoid complication  Avoid infection, excessive bleeding, and flieso Lower short term pain, but longer chronic pain o Elastrator (best for small testicles)  Easy to use Can’t use on large testicles  Causes discomfort afterward  Cuts off circulation o Emasculatome  Crushes the spermatic cord  Crushes the vasdeferens (prevents sperm transport) You do one side at a time  If you get blood with this, you’re probably clamping too hardYou can castrate older cows Need an experienced vet or technician for this  Proper restraint/chute  Expect blood, sometimes a lot Expect a lot of pain and discomfort, more developed nerves Need to provide analgesics and anesthetics  Increased stress Dehorning Not regulated in the US- In the UK, a hot iron is preferred- In Australia: they have to do this at less than without local anesthetic/ analgesics - Calves less pain and stress, smaller horns, less risk of infection, better growth rates Disbudding - Hot iron, burns tissue so it won’t grow back - Caustic paste - Sharp knife - Commercially available devices o Barnes dehorner (small and large) Scooping action to remove horn bud Can use on larger horns  Hot iron to cauterize and stop bleeding o Hydraulic dehornso Tube dehorner Older cattle dehorning - Plan for blood control- Prevent infection - Proper restraint especially when working with their heads- Local anesthetic or local analgesic - Adult cattle should be dehorned. If they become aggressive towards you or to other cattle - Polled cattle are the easiest (genetic) way to not have to deal with