Castrating a bull at 13 months old?

[beltie2001]

Hi All,

I run a few Galloways and other natives, slaughter and sell them as 'boxed beef'. Always used steers castrated when they are quite young. I have just been offered a highland bull - 13 months old. Will the meat be tainted at all if i got him castrated now? would be slaughtering at around 30 months.

Be glad of any comments and suggestions...

Thank you!

 

[JP1]

Hi All,

I run a few Galloways and other natives, slaughter and sell them as 'boxed beef'. Always used steers castrated when they are quite young. I have just been offered a highland bull - 13 months old. Will the meat be tainted at all if i got him castrated now? would be slaughtering at around 30 months.

Be glad of any comments and suggestions...

Thank you!

Welcome Beltie2001. Whereabouts in the World are you based?

I keep Belts, Riggits, White and Red Galloways in Suffolk

 

[beltie2001]

Hi, we are in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

Thats interesting, always wanted to get a couple of riggits - cant really find them up here though

 

[tr250]

Might be easier and more profitable to fatten him and sell before 16 months

 

[beltie2001]

Tainted? They’ll be nothing wrong with bull beef

Yes ok cheers for that, havent tried native bull beef before

but the continental bull beef we tried wasnt really what we would want to be selling tbh...

 

[beltie2001]

Might be easier and more profitable to fatten him and sell before 16 months

Yes ok, we have a rather large waiting list of customers so i will probably go down the slaughter route...just dont want to annoy a whole load of customers with a product different to what we are producing atm!

 

[Agrivator]

Hi All,

I run a few Galloways and other natives, slaughter and sell them as 'boxed beef'. Always used steers castrated when they are quite young. I have just been offered a highland bull - 13 months old. Will the meat be tainted at all if i got him castrated now? would be slaughtering at around 30 months.

Be glad of any comments and suggestions...

Thank you!

Your Vet or any competent operator should be able to remove his balls surgically without him flinching - the bull stirk, not the vet. The alternative Burdizzo method will work but can cause far more long-tern discomfort.

And at 30 mths, there should be no bull taint at all - he will resemble a normal 30 month steer and in the meantime he will be less likely to have killed you.

 

[Hampton]

Your Vet or any competent operator should be able to remove his balls surgically without him flinching - the bull stirk, not the vet. The alternative Burdizzo method will work but can cause far more long-tern discomfort.

And at 30 mths, there should be no bull taint at all - he will resemble a normal 30 month steer and in the meantime he will be less likely to have killed you.

Vast majority of vets would disagree with steering a bull at older than 7 months unless on welfare grounds

 

[Short_Angus]

If you're vet is willing to castrate him, it would be a good idea to vaccinate him for tetanus beforehand.

 

[GenuineRisk]

We’ve done a few that we don’t think are good enough for breeding bulls - can’t see what difference is between a 13mo bull and yearling colt castrations which would be routine, so why a vet would be.iffy about it I’ve no idea - it’s an operation though , so always an element of risk.

 

[JP1]

Hi, we are in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

Thats interesting, always wanted to get a couple of riggits - cant really find them up here though

I could deliver two on the way up to collect a rather special Beltie cow and calf next month ........

There's a good few just North of you in Dent Dale ...................

 

[Bob]

Hi All,

I run a few Galloways and other natives, slaughter and sell them as 'boxed beef'. Always used steers castrated when they are quite young. I have just been offered a highland bull - 13 months old. Will the meat be tainted at all if i got him castrated now? would be slaughtering at around 30 months.

Be glad of any comments and suggestions...

Thank you!

Do you sell many Belties as Boxed Beef? I read in your later post you have a waiting list so seems a good system

 

[beltie2001]

Your Vet or any competent operator should be able to remove his balls surgically without him flinching - the bull stirk, not the vet. The alternative Burdizzo method will work but can cause far more long-tern discomfort.

And at 30 mths, there should be no bull taint at all - he will resemble a normal 30 month steer and in the meantime he will be less likely to have killed you.

Yes ok thats what we thought, thanks for your help

 

[beltie2001]

We’ve done a few that we don’t think are good enough for breeding bulls - can’t see what difference is between a 13mo bull and yearling colt castrations which would be routine, so why a vet would be.iffy about it I’ve no idea - it’s an operation though , so always an element of risk.

Yes thank you, i have just spojke to them about doing it, they reckon they can do it and cheaply as well but it always deos seem to add up one way or another!

 

[Agri Spec Solicitor]

We’ve done a few that we don’t think are good enough for breeding bulls - can’t see what difference is between a 13mo bull and yearling colt castrations which would be routine, so why a vet would be.iffy about it I’ve no idea - it’s an operation though , so always an element of risk.

We had exactly this issue with bulls about 16 months old. Our vet refused to castrate them, even when we had them in a shed and could check them at least twice every day, so we are now having to finish 2 belted galloway bulls. Finishing is not what we do so if anyone wants 2 nice bulls, one red one black, please contact me!

 

[beltie2001]

Do you sell many Belties as Boxed Beef? I read in your later post you have a waiting list so seems a good system

Yes we do get through a few tbh, most people in the local area seem to be after it

 

[primmiemoo]

(Would expect a Vet to be up to date with their tetanus jab ... .)

 

[Agrivator]

Vast majority of vets would disagree with steering a bull at older than 7 months unless on welfare grounds

But it is almost always on welfare grounds.

Bulls are usually more aggressive than steers.
They cannot be mixed with other males without the risk of determined fighting.
Bulls that are kept unintentionally pose a risk to the stockman/woman.
They are usually more hetup (agitated?) during handling and before slaughter
If a silly vet won't do it, or more likely is scared to do it, there will almost certainly be a competent lay-person who will do the job far cheaper and with less risk of infection.

It's also worth noting that young bulls compared to steers or heifers are very heavily penalised at slaughter ( by 40p/kg liveweight) which shows that they are of poorer or less predictable eating quality.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Finish the poor thing entire and get gone soonest. Chopping his knackers is only asking for grief, both during and after the op and it must surely put a check on them in growth terms?

Yes a bull is more dangerous but it is on the farmer for not ringing the fudging thing at birth.

 

[GenuineRisk]

Haven’t your vets heard of sedation?? Ffs I get more and know grateful for our large animal vet practice every time I come on here and read about others’ vet experiences!

Secure handling (ie proper crush), sedate, cut, cover with a/bs if vet thinks it necessary, return to clean bedded area (or back outside if correct weather permits, ie not too hot for flies or wet/muddy, check daily properly, job’s almost always a good’un.

Welfare grounds ?????? What’s the difference between gelding a colt and castrating a bull !? Other than probably a couple of hundred quid because it’s ‘equine’. They don’t mind doing it then, do they....!