Calf disbudding service

[M-J-G]

how do you know your in the right spot at a day old when I’ve seen them done that young always a few in the group end up with a gnarled curled up horn

I've yet to find one that couldn't be felt even if it's very small.
Even when a good proportion of the calves are polled you still find the horned ones.

 

[tr250]

I'm stupid but I'm not that stupid, of courses I don't.
I simply won't do that myself and definitely won't for anyone else who leaves that many calves to that size.
I used to do things like leave them to that size, then I decided not to because I'm not going to make a job harder than I need to.

Why leave them to a month old?
And if you insist on leaving them so long why not put them in a crush?
Calves a month old into a calf crate is a waste of time, and small calves don't need one.
15 years ago I started to do de-bud at a day old when I tag and ring.
These days we're mostly polled, this year I've debudded around 2% of calves so far, the rest have been polled.

The easy way is hard enough!

I was pointing out that a crate is easier. Personally I think the best time is between 2 and 3 weeks when their navels have dried they have sucked and bonded well and they are big enough to stand in the crate. The reason they are left is I’ve been drilling while my brother calves them make sure they are sucked and tagged and moved into their bulling groups. This week we will run a lot at a time now they are old enough to run sort the cows and de bud the calves in the forcing pen so they are easy to get into the crate put them through in numerical order to inject then round again and out the sliding door to the cows I believe this to be the most efficient way. We do as you say for the stragglers when we’re maybe only doing 2 or 3 at a time and I think it takes longer

 

[AftonShepherd]

I've yet to find one that couldn't be felt even if it's very small.
Even when a good proportion of the calves are polled you still find the horned ones.

Into my third year of using paste on 70ish calves, maybe a third polled. First year 100% success rate, last year I missed 2 with horns, not sure if it was lack of concentration or tiny buds that I couldn't feel. Trying to be more careful this year but time will tell.

Can't believe now that I used to work somewhere we did about 500 with choppers and a hot iron at about 6 months old! And burdizzoed the boys, all rung here at 24-48 hours old.

 

[Cowmansam]

I've yet to find one that couldn't be felt even if it's very small.
Even when a good proportion of the calves are polled you still find the horned ones.

You must have a better touch than me

 

[Cowmansam]

I know someone who did that for a while, but he lost a calf and had one take a good few hours to get back to normal after injecting into a blood vessel.

Never heard of that was it with a long needle ?

 

[M-J-G]

I was pointing out that a crate is easier. Personally I think the best time is between 2 and 3 weeks when their navels have dried they have sucked and bonded well and they are big enough to stand in the crate. The reason they are left is I’ve been drilling while my brother calves them make sure they are sucked and tagged and moved into their bulling groups. This week we will run a lot at a time now they are old enough to run sort the cows and de bud the calves in the forcing pen so they are easy to get into the crate put them through in numerical order to inject then round again and out the sliding door to the cows I believe this to be the most efficient way. We do as you say for the stragglers when we’re maybe only doing 2 or 3 at a time and I think it takes longer

If they are a month old putting them in a calf crate twice wouldn't be my choice.
When I was doing them at they size I just put them in a crush, I have no interest in man handling calves that are around 100kg and definitely not twice.

Sounds to me like you would benifit from polled bulls.

 

[M-J-G]

Never heard of that was it with a long needle ?

I don't know what he was using.
You'll get a vein with a half inch needle, which is why you're told to always draw back.

 

[tr250]

If they are a month old putting them in a calf crate twice wouldn't be my choice.
When I was doing them at they size I just put them in a crush, I have no interest in man handling calves that are around 100kg and definitely not twice.

Sounds to me like you would benifit from polled bulls.

Yes polled is definitely the way forward. We have been looking at polled charalais bulls but they all seem a bit plain which we think could cost us £50-£100 per fat beast which is why at the moment we are still de budding

 

[Hilly]

Some say horned cattle have more milk but I don’t know.

 

[Optimus]

Ah right sorry, no we wrap the calves head in two loops of masking tape...it drops off in 24/48 hours

I just do them as we turn them out the shed.I don't use the hornex stuff though.find the one in the tube is far better can't remember the name of it.

 

[M-J-G]

Some say horned cattle have more milk but I don’t know.

We've got polled and horned cows and I've yet to see anything to suggest that.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I just do them as we turn them out the shed.I don't use the hornex stuff though.find the one in the tube is far better can't remember the name of it.

We use the dr larsons in the tube

 

[tr250]

We've got polled and horned cows and I've yet to see anything to suggest that.

What breed?

 

[Optimus]

We use the dr larsons in the tube [emoji1303]

Aye that's the stuff

 

[M-J-G]

What breed?

Over the years its been Sim, BSH and Her.
A little AA in the background in some, but I generally find that best avoided.

 

[nails]

Some say horned cattle have more milk but I don’t know.

I wouild say some one was trying to sell you a cow with horns

 

[unlacedgecko]

Some say horned cattle have more milk but I don’t know.

Like big eared sheep have more milk?

 

[tr250]

Over the years its been Sim, BSH and Her.
A little AA in the background in some, but I generally find that best avoided.

Are they any different in conformation? I’m not yet convinced with polling in the breeds we have with is saler, charalais and limousin

 

[Hilly]

I wouild say some one was trying to sell you a cow with horns

It’s a common theme I’ve heard folk saying that for 40 years but I don’t know

 

[Hilly]

Like big eared sheep have more milk?

Do they ?