Castrated bull: reasons for castration, description of the procedure, purpose and use of ox in agriculture

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 20:55

Castration is called an intervention to stop the sexual function of an animal. This operation has been widely used in agriculture since ancient times. It is mentioned, for example, by Xenophon and Aristotle. Today, such a procedure on farms is also performed quite often. Many Internet users, for example, are interested in whether bulls are castrated. Of course, cattle are also subjected to such interference. This type of procedure can be carried out both in large livestock complexes, and in small businesses or in private farms.

What is the name of a castrated bull

Do such operations on farms very often. Even separate names have been invented for castrated animals. A pig that has undergone such an intervention, for example, is a hog. Bulls, after castration, are called oxen.

Need for procedure

Bull and ox - what is the difference between them, we thus found out. But why is castration carried out on farms. Exposed in livestockFarms have a similar procedure for most of the bulls they contain. Only producers with good breed qualities are not castrated on farms. Such bulls are left for the tribe and used in the future for mating with cows in order to obtain high-quality offspring.

Castration of meat animals allows, first of all, to increase productivity in terms of meat output. After this procedure, the character of the bulls changes significantly. They become calmer, eat better, and therefore gain weight faster.

Because castrated bulls are generally docile, they are much easier to care for than sires. This, of course, can also be attributed to the advantages of such an operation.

Another absolute advantage of castration, farmers believe that in this case it is possible to fully control the performance of the herd in terms of producing offspring. Oxen just don't have the ability to accidentally cover cows in a pasture, for example.

The advantages of such an intervention, of course, include an increase in the quality of bull meat. In non-castrated animals, it has a specific, not too pleasant smell. This is especially evident when it is cooked hot. In castrated bulls, the meat is soft, juicy, tender and has no unpleasant odor.

Disease Intervention

In some cases, the need for such a procedure arises not for economic reasons, but in order to preserveanimal he alth. Bulls can be castrated on farms, for example, for prevention:

• sexual injury;
• collagenose;
• D-vitaminosis.

The answer to the question of why bulls are castrated is often the need to treat the animal. For this purpose, this procedure can be carried out, for example, when:

• dropsy of the common vaginal membrane;
• orchite.

Contraindications for the procedure

The decision on whether to castrate a bull on farms is thus made for reasons of economic feasibility. In most cases, this procedure is recognized as necessary. But, unfortunately, sometimes steers kept on farms are not allowed to be castrated. Contraindications to such a procedure are for example:

• animal exhaustion;
• diseases in a protracted or acute form;
• early bull.

Do not castrate bulls on farms and two weeks before the start of preventive vaccination. Also, this procedure is not allowed within 14 days after vaccinations.

Methods of castration

Castration of bulls on farms can be carried out using different technologies. Intervention to stop sexual function can be operative or bloodless. Currently, both types of castration are practiced on livestock farms.

Surgical intervention, in turn, can be:

• open;
• closed;
• percutory.

Bull calves on farms are usually castrated according to the first method. During this procedure, the animal can be either in a standing or lying position. When using the surgical technique of castration, the bulls are preliminarily anesthetized. When using the bloodless method, this procedure is not performed.

When is the best time to spend

The age of bulls for castration is determined primarily depending on their breed and degree of development. For example, Simmental animals are usually operated on at 5-7 months of age with a body weight of at least 150 kg. In this case, it will be possible to slaughter a bull in the future as early as 12 months of age.

Castration of cattle on farms is allowed at any time of the year. However, most often this procedure is performed in spring or autumn - when it is cool. At this time, there are practically no flies on the farm. And consequently, the likelihood of wound infection is significantly reduced.

Experienced livestock breeders recommend, among other things, castrating bulls on farms in the morning. In this case, it becomes possible to observe the animal during the day.

Preparation of bulls

Reviews about castrated bulls from farmers are, of course, in most cases positive. Such animals, with lower feed costs, gain weight much faster, get sick less often and do not cause any inconvenience to their owners in terms of care.

Actually, the castration procedure itself is too bigdoes not vary in complexity. In any case, it is safe for the he alth of the animal, subject to all the required technologies. However, it is necessary, of course, to prepare the bull for such an intervention. Before castration:

• the animal is carefully examined for any diseases;
• determine the size of a bull's testicles;
• keep a bull on a starvation diet.

Do not feed the animals before castration 12-14 hours. During this period, the bulls are given only water. Before the operation itself, the animal is driven outside for a while. The steer must empty the intestines and bladder.

Preparation of tools

Of course, before the operation, the premises and inventory are carefully prepared. When castrating bulls with an open surgical method, use:

• scalpel sharp abdominal;
• scissors.

Disinfect such inventory in a solution prepared using:

• sodium carbonate 1%;
• sodium hydroxide 0.1%;
• borax 3%.

Such ingredients are pre-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.

Immediately before the operation, the veterinarian should also wash their hands in a solution of ammonia 0,5%, wipe them with a towel and treat with alcohol. In preparation for castration, the surgeon must, among other things, lubricate the fingertips with iodine.

What materials can be used

In addition to the scalpel and scissors, for the castration procedure you will need to prepare:

• cotton swabs;
• silk or cotton ligatures;
• disposable syringe;
• tweezers.

Of course, you will also need a clean, sterile towel for the operation.

Fixation methods

In order to ensure the immobility of the animal during castration, the following method is often used, for example:

• take a long rope and tighten it at the base of the horns with a movable loop;
• guide the rope back and loop around the torso with a tightening loop;
• pull the rope back in front of the maklaks again and make a second loop;
• the end of the rope is taken out under the leg of the bull.

After that, one of the farm workers directs the bull's head in the direction opposite to the fall. The other two are pulling on the end of the rope. As a result, the knees of the squeezed animal bend and it lies on its side. Next, the bull is finally strengthened, and his head is pressed to the floor.

How the operation is performed

Photos of castrated bulls are presented on the page. As you can see, the animals are in most cases large and he althy. However, in order not to harm the bull, such an intervention, of course, must be carried outright.

Before the castration itself, hair is removed from adult animals on the surgical field. In young bulls, the hairline in this place is usually sparse. Therefore, such a procedure is optional for them. Next step:

• the surgical field is treated with a disinfectant, for example, an alcohol solution of iodine;
• make the bull anesthetize with novocaine (3% 10 ml);
• grab the scrotum of the animal together with the testis with the left hand and take it back;
• dissect the scrotum along the greater curvature of the testis, stepping back from its seam 1.5 cm;
• pull the testis out of the scrotal cavity and dissect the transitional ligament;
• tear the mesentery and apply a ligature on the thinnest section of the cord;
• dissect the cord with scissors, departing from the dressing by 1.5 cm.

At the final stage, during castration by the open method, blood clots are removed from the bull's scrotum, and the wound is powdered, for example, with streptocide. Stitches are not applied to wounds during such an operation.

Animal care in the following days

Bulls tolerate castration 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 pen with bedding not from sawdust, but from straw. In the future, the animal is well fed and the wound is periodically examined. When suppurated, it is cleansed andtreated with an antiseptic. The condition of the wound in the bull after castration should be monitored as carefully as possible.

Agricultural use

As they call a castrated bull, we have thus found out. As already mentioned, in our time, mainly animals raised for fattening are subjected to a similar procedure. That is, oxen are used to obtain meat. Also, such animals are sometimes used even today as draft animals in horse-drawn carts. Oxen, as already mentioned, have a calm character and can be very easy to control.

The manure of such cattle, as well as bulls, is widely used as a fertilizer in the cultivation of various kinds of crops. In terms of quality, this top dressing surpasses most other organic ones. In this regard, cow dung is inferior only to horse dung. This fertilizer can be used for fertilizing garden and garden crops, as well as agricultural crops. It can be used in fields and suburban private areas simply by rotted oxen manure or even industrial fertilizers made on its basis.