Castration is an intervention performed to end the sexual function of an animal. Such an operation has been widely used in agriculture since ancient times. They mention it, for example, Xenophon and Aristotle. Today, such a procedure on farms is also performed quite often. Many Internet users, for example, are interested in whether or not bulls are castrated. Of course, cattle are also subjected to such an intervention. This type of procedure can be carried out both in large livestock complexes, as well as in small businesses or on personal farms.
What is the name of a castrated bull?
They do such operations on farms very often. For castrated animals, even separate names have been invented. A piglet that has undergone such an intervention, for example, is a hog. After castration, bulls are called oxen.
The need for a procedure
A bull and an ox - what is the difference between them, we thus found out. But why is castration carried out on farms. In livestock farms, they expose most of the gobies they contain. Only producers with good pedigree qualities are not castrated on farms. Such bulls are left to the tribe and used in the future for cows with cows in order to obtain high-quality offspring.
Castration of meat animals allows, first of all, to achieve increased productivity in meat yield. After this procedure, the character of the gobies changes significantly. They become calmer, eat better, and therefore gain weight faster.
Since castrated bulls in most cases are flexible, it is much easier to care for them than for producers. This, of course, can also be attributed to the advantages of such an operation.
The farmers also consider the castration to be another unquestionable advantage: in this case, it is possible to completely control the herd's productivity in terms of procreation. The oxen simply do not have the opportunity to accidentally cover cows, for example, in a pasture.
The advantages of such an intervention, of course, include improving the quality of the meat of gobies. In non-castrated animals, it has a specific, not very pleasant smell. This is especially true when it is cooked hot. In castrated bulls, meat is soft, juicy, tender and has no unpleasant odor.
Disease Intervention
In some cases, the need for such a procedure arises not from economic considerations, but with the aim of maintaining the health of the animal. Casting of gobies on farms can be done, for example, for prevention:
sexual injuries;
collagenosis;
D-Vitaminosis
The answer to the question of why the bulls are neutered is often the need for treatment of the animal. For this purpose, this procedure can be carried out, for example, with:
Contraindications to the procedure
The decision on whether the bull should be neutered on farms is thus made for reasons of economic expediency. In most cases, this procedure is considered necessary. But, unfortunately, sometimes calves kept on farms are not allowed to be neutered. Contraindications to such a procedure are, for example:
Do not castrate bulls on farms and two weeks before the start of preventive vaccination. Also, this procedure is not allowed to be carried out within 14 days after vaccination.
Castration Methods
Castration of bulls on farms can be carried out using different technologies. Intervention for cessation of sexual function may be prompt or bloodless. At the moment, both types of castration are practiced in livestock farms.
Surgical intervention in turn can be:
Gobies on farms are usually castrated by the first technique. During this procedure, the animal can be in a standing or lying position. When using the surgical castration technique, the bulls are previously anesthetized. When applying the bloodless method, such a procedure is not performed.
When is it better to spend
The age of calves for castration is determined primarily by their breed and degree of development. For example, Simmental animals are usually operated on for 5-7 months with a body weight of at least 150 kg. In this case, the bull can be slaughtered later on at the age of 12 months.
Castration of cattle on farms is allowed at any time of the year. However, most often this procedure is performed in spring or autumn - with coolness. At this time, the farm has virtually no flies. And consequently, the likelihood of wound infection is significantly reduced.
Experienced breeders recommend, among other things, castration of calves on farms in the morning. In this case, it becomes possible to observe the animal during the day.
Goby Training
Reviews of castrated bulls from farmers are, of course, in most cases positive. Such animals, at lower feed costs, gain weight much faster, get sick less often and do not cause any inconvenience to their owners in terms of grooming.
Actually, the castration procedure itself is not too complex. In any case, it is safe for the animal’s health, subject to all applicable technologies. However, preparing for such an intervention of the bull should, of course, be necessary. Before castration:
the animal is carefully examined to identify any diseases in it;
determine the size of the testes in a bull;
withstand a bull on a hungry diet.
Do not feed animals before castration for 12-14 hours. During this period, the bulls are given only water. Before the operation itself, the animal is driven out for a while into the street. The calf should empty the intestines and bladder.
Tool preparation
Of course, before the operation, the premises and equipment are carefully prepared. When castration of bulls by the open surgical method, use:
sharp abdominal scalpel;
scissors.
Disinfect such equipment in a solution prepared using:
sodium carbonate 1%;
sodium hydroxide 0.1%;
Boers 3%.
Such ingredients are previously dissolved in water. Next, the instrument is immersed in the resulting disinfectant liquid and boiled in a sterilizer. Ligatures are soaked for a day in a 4% formalin solution.
Just before the operation, the veterinarian also needs to wash his hands in 0.5% ammonia solution, wipe them with a towel and treat with alcohol. In preparation for castration, the fingertips of the surgeon are, among other things, lubricated with iodine.
What materials can be used
In addition to the scalpel and scissors, for the castration procedure you will need to prepare:
Of course, for the operation, you will need a clean sterile towel.
Fixation methods
In order to ensure the immobility of the animal during castration, often use, for example, this method:
take a long rope and tighten it at the base of the horns with a movable loop;
direct the rope back and circle the body with a tightening loop;
again push the rope back in front of the mackles and make a second loop;
the end of the rope is led out under the bull’s foot.
After that, one of the farm workers directs the head of the bull in the direction opposite to the ramp. The other two pull at the end of the rope. As a result, the knee is bent in a squeezed animal and it lies on its side. Then the bull is finally strengthened, and its head is pressed to the floor.
How is the operation performed?
Photos of castrated bulls are presented on the page. As you can see, animals are in most cases large and healthy. However, in order not to harm the calf, such an intervention, of course, must be carried out correctly.
Before castration, the animals are removed from the surgical field in adult animals. In young gobies, hairline in this place is usually rare. Therefore, for them, this procedure is optional. In the next step:
the surgical field is treated with a disinfectant, for example, an alcoholic solution of iodine;
make the bull anesthetized with novocaine (3% 10 ml);
capture the scrotum of the animal with the testis with his left hand and take it back;
dissect the scrotum along the great curvature of the testis, departing from its suture 1.5 cm;
pulling the testis from the cavity of the scrotum and dissecting the transitional ligament;
tear the mesentery and ligature on the thinnest part of the cord;
cut the cord with scissors, retreating from the dressing by 1.5 cm.
At the final stage, when castration is performed by open method, blood clots are removed from the scrotum of the bull, and the wound is dusted, for example, with streptocide. Sutures on wounds during such an operation are not imposed.
Caring for the next days
Bulls are castrated in most cases very well. However, care in the postoperative period for them should be carried out, of course, the most thorough. After the intervention, the castrated bull must be placed in a clean machine with bedding not from sawdust, but from straw. In the future, the animal is well fed and periodically examine the wound. When suppuration, it is cleaned and treated with an antiseptic. Monitor the wound in a bull after castration should be as thorough as possible.
Agricultural use
What is called a castrated bull, we thus found out. As already mentioned, in our time, mainly fattened animals are subjected to such a procedure. That is, they use oxen to get meat. Also, such animals are sometimes even used today as draft animals in horse-drawn carts. The oxen, as already mentioned, are calm in nature and it can be very easy to control them.
Manure of such cattle, like bulls, is widely used as fertilizer in the cultivation of various crops. In quality, such top dressing is superior to most other organic. The cow manure is only inferior in this regard. It is possible to use such fertilizer both for top dressing of garden and vegetable gardens, and agricultural crops. Applied in the fields and on private countryside plots can simply rotted manure of oxen or even industrial fertilizers made on its basis.