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| Guys, the easist way to knife cut a calf in a chute is to tighten the chute up, have somebody stand on the otherside of you and pull tail forward, and wrap it around a bar on the side of the chute, hold tight. Then the knife cutter reaches down BETWEEN the back legs, grips the nut sack keeping a tight fist, pulling down slightly. Cut as much sack off as you can. Then pull the nuts down till you feel them rupture, then use your emasculators to crush, and cut cords, hold for a few seconds tight. There will be very little blood loss if you get them crushed right.
The whole success to kinfe cutting them up to 750 lbs. is taking all the excess bag off, and all the cord you can on the nuts. With all the excess bag off, they drain easier so they don't get infection. As usual keep tools clean, if they do get infection a week or two later, just pull scabs off, and with a gloved hand work a finger up into each whole to relieve the infection, give a shot of LA-200.
If I'm riding on the range and find a new born bull calf, I will knife cut them with just a pocket knife, pull nuts till cord ruptures almost to nothing, them wittle rest of the cord with the knife. Thats it, I've never lost one doing them that way as well. First choice is to use a knife and emasculators though at branding time.
I cut between 50-75 calves a year like this( my dairy bull calves), from 200 lbs. to 550 lbs. never lost one doing it this way, and never get kicked. They might jump just a little in the chute. Just remember to keep hand closed tight when cutting with a very sharp knife, and you will keep all your fingers!
I used to have to go and cut bull calves for a purebreed guy that kept them all as bulls the first summer, then in the fall, he had me cut the ones that didn't make the grade. He wouldn't let any of his kids or son-laws cut them. Asked me to do them, I got smart one year as I went to leave their place I gave my emasculators to his son-law. Told him he just earned the right to cut them, I never had to go back to cut them! It was worth it to me to buy a new set of emasculators that time! | |
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Banding vs castration
