Castration is the simple process of removing a bull's ability to reproduce. A castrated bull is commonly referred to as a steer. Why would you want to castrate a bull? To promote a quality cattle herd, we can't have just any and every bull breeding with our cows. For starters, breeding of closely related animals can cause genetic problems related to … [Read more...] about Why, When and How to Castrate Bulls
Beef Bull Castration: How to Use Castration Banders, including the Callicrate SMART Bander
Humane, quick, bloodless, drug-free and EFFECTIVE. These are all adjectives that should come to mind when discussing castration for your beef bulls. As beef cattle producers, castrating your bulls is just another part of the cattle raising process. Unless you are selling your bull calves intact or retaining them, you will need to castrate. Having the right tools for … [Read more...] about Beef Bull Castration: How to Use Castration Banders, including the Callicrate SMART Bander
How to Get a Cow Back in the Pasture
Sometimes I have nightmares about fences down, cows getting out, and chasing cows around trying to get them back in the pasture. The first few times cattle got out on our farm were pretty stressful. It doesn't happen as often these days, but a cow or calf still does get out now and then. We've learned over the years that these problems can be minimized, and when they happen, it … [Read more...] about How to Get a Cow Back in the Pasture
Is That Cow Going to Calve Soon? – Signs of the Onset of Labor
Here on the farm, calving season is always an exciting time of year. Although we've been doing this for about a decade now, thinking our first calving season, we didn't know what exactly to expect. Of course, we certainly had a "vision" for our first calving season. We were realistic with knowing that it would not be all rainbows and unicorns but we certainly were not … [Read more...] about Is That Cow Going to Calve Soon? – Signs of the Onset of Labor
Why Do You Need to Pull Calves?
The other day I noticed an ad from a major vet supply company encouraging folks to stock up on calf pullers, since calving season was near on many cattle operations in the U.S. It was an interesting reminder that here on our small farm, we haven't had to pull a calf in years. What's calf pulling, why do calves need to be pulled, and how can it be prevented? Let's … [Read more...] about Why Do You Need to Pull Calves?