What type of knife do you use to castrate 5-6 month old bull calves?

I have ran the gamut.  Banded calves at birth.  Castrated calves at birth.  Banded calves at 5-6 months of age.  Cut calves at 5-6 months of age. 

The last couple years we have gone back to castrating calves at the 5-6 month age.  It seems to help growth as well as develop more muscle in show calves to wait.

I banded the calves last year and it took too long for the bag to dry up, fall off, and heel properly, in time to be able to market as a club calf.  Therefore, I am going back to castrating by cutting approximately 1/3 off the bottom of the scrotum and pulling out the testicles.  I also, inject one, 1cc vaccine of Tetnus Toxoid vaccine during the castration process.

My question to you is...What type of knife do you use to cut the scrotum or sack?  What have you found to work best?

I have tried razor blades but they are almost too sharp, plus they are to small and short.  I have tried using a hunting knife but I don't like the sharp point and it seems to get dull too quick.

I've always used a regular scalpel that you would use for just about any minor surgery.

  They are generally disposable and can be bought at most veterinary supply or medical supply stores quite inexpensive.

  Often feed stores have them even. Usually come in a little paper package so they are pre sterilised and clean.

We've always used the scalpels, too.  Fresh ones are plenty sharp too, but lots easier and safer to handle than razor blades.

My pocket knife works just fine. I think that doing the job properly is more important than the utensil used.

I've got a different angle for you.  We use surgical scissors to remove the sack.  Cuts just as fast and clean as a knife with less risk to accidentally stabbing yourself or the calf.  We use the emasculator "pliers" to then cut the cord.  Try the scissors once - you'll never go back.  Otherwise, get a knife with a true castrating blade that locks.  Mooremaker knives makes some good ones that aren't real expensive.

chambero said:

I've got a different angle for you.  We use surgical scissors to remove the sack.  Cuts just as fast and clean as a knife with less risk to accidentally stabbing yourself or the calf.  We use the emasculator "pliers" to then cut the cord.  Try the scissors once - you'll never go back.  Otherwise, get a knife with a true castrating blade that locks.  Mooremaker knives makes some good ones that aren't real expensive.

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Oh yeah, I didn't mention it earlier, but we only use the scalpel to remove the sack - we use emasculators on the cords, also.  I do like the surgical scissors idea - we'll have to try that.

If you don't have an emasculator pliers, pull the testicles out, don't cut them. Pulling them will make so they clot quicker. Cutting with a sharp knife makes it harder to clot. I prefer to slit the sack down the middle as the calves get some size, but cut the bottom of the sack off if small.

bEEN CUTTING CALVES DOR ATLEAST 50 YEARS, BASICALLY do what my Uncle told me to do , an thinkIhave lost one calf in that time.  In the last few years I ADDED A INSTRUMENT THAT IS safer , by far , easy, an might cost 35.00 at your vet , but by far the best thing I've used, an they call them a mulberry in this country , thet are stainless steel like intrumrnt , that has replaceable blades, that last a long time . It's kinda like a pair of pliers with round cirle shape , with  the end of blade where it opens.  You grab bag, push nuts up  so you can put  blade a couple inches from bottom of bag, close an pull straight back ,leaves a nice clean slit, if you need more drain slit again, always use NAVASON disinfectant , both before you cut an after you get done. This disinfectant helps to heal the wound. We just grab nuts an pull steady on cord until it snaps, try to get as much cord as possible (atleast a foot preferably) do not cut, the cord  breacking will have enough elasticity to close the artery naturally. Keep every thing as clean as possible, some one mentioned  emasculators an I have used them , but I HAD NEVER COME CLOSER to losing a finger than when I used them, they are very sharp an if you do use them be real careful. When cutting calves the next thing to do is make sure you put them in a pasture that is grassed over an plenty of exercise an they will heal faster an less chance of infection.... 

Thanks for all the replies so far.  They have been great!  In response to some of the earlier posts...

I have tried the #10 and #12 scalpels before, I like the handle but blade is too short to cut the sack in one fast, clean, motion, that I like.  Then you have to go back and cut again.

As for the cord...My Vet always told me to pull the cord out (down) with the testicle, and then "strip" the cord with my fingers, (kinda like milking a cow), and then pull out.

I am still looking for THE BEST INSTRUMENT TO CUT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCROTOM WITH.

I like the idea of using the surgical scissors.  That would eliminate the possibility of either the calf or person being accidentally stabbed. 

TO CHAMBERO:

Do the surgical scissors stay sharp long?  Can you sharpen them when they get dull?

The picture is the instrument we use to cut older an younger calves cause it is very an simple , we have never cut bottom of bag off, never had trouble with them draining  an like to have full bag for the show steers...  SEA -- GAVE A VARY GOOD DESCRIPTION OF HOW TO PULL THE TESTICLE out , any of you folks like to eat them...........

I don't have one, but the "Mulberry" is what I would suggest. I was helping a neighbor out last weekend who unexpectantly had a quadruple bypass. A neighboring vet was good enough to volunteer to help me work a bunch of calves and had what I thought was a very good idea if you are banding calves of any size, he said that they have found that if you put a small incision in the bottom of the bag after you band them, that it will help reduce the incidence of troubles associated with banding by letting the gases escape easier. just an FYI that I thought maybe worth mentioning.

The scissors are cheap and easy to find - black handles and maybe 6 inches long counting handle.  We use a pair for a couple of years and then toss them.  They dont dull quickly at all.  They are blunt on the ends.

Never used or seen a mulberry.  I'll keep an eye out for a pair, but scissors are hard to beat in my book. 

The scissors sound like a fine idea an might even be cheaper  than the Mulberry, some of the vets up in this country used them an they looked so much safer than the typical knife that a lot of people use .  On little calves an someone holding them a small knife proably work fine ,but on the bigger calves there usually is a little more action. Tell you one thing I have done it for quite a few years an you keep learning, we did 25 head the other day an lost a couple , an I was not very happy, called the vet an he said it's going to happen sometimes on older calves, these calves were on creep an he said that some feeds can cause more bleeding , an he said also that you might not see it cause it can bleed internally, think I will cut more at a younger age.  Do the club calf guys care if the calf has a cod or if you just band them.

Freddy said:

The picture is the instrument we use to cut older an younger calves cause it is very an simple , we have never cut bottom of bag off, never had trouble with them draining  an like to have full bag for the show steers...   SEA -- GAVE A VARY GOOD DESCRIPTION OF HOW TO PULL THE TESTICLE out , any of you folks like to eat them...........

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That knife is called a Newberry knife.

hey thanks CF1 -your right, that is the correct  name ,  again thanks for correctting  me.

Does everyone give a penicillin shot when castrating calves at weaning age or older?

We have banded for years and this year tried banding plus using the newberry knife to slit the sack to see if things sped up. It did dry up quicker but still took a good 3 weeks to fall.

I sure like the idea of the surgical scissors.  No chance of the calf getting stuck with the tip of the knife or my finger getting cut. 

As for injections at the time of castrating, the only thing I have ever used is 1cc of Tetnus Toxoid (I know the label does call for a series of two injections.  The first injection being 30 days previous to castrating and then a followup injection when castrating.  Just too many times through the chute).

I have wondered in the past if there would be any benefit by injecting calves with either Penicillin or LA-200 at time of castration.  Does anyone else do it?  Does anyone know of a vet that reccommends it?  Will it help with reducing infections, healing time, or etc.? 

Now going back to an earlier post...What about an injection of Banamine along with the antibiotic?

Inquiring minds you know...