Bull or a steer?

[325abn]

I am sure there must be someone on the trader that can answer this question.

I have a cow with a bull calf that was born last summer. The cow is a short horned milker crossed with a red face. The Bull she was bred to is a White park.

When the calf was 6-7 weeks old the owner of the bull that bred my cow came over and castrated my bull calf using the Emasculatome.

Now several months later the calfs testicals are growing. They are certainly there and getting much larger. The calf seems to be "acting" like a bull. On occasion he sniffs at his moms rear and raises his lip.

My concern is the the castration did not work.

Do the "symptoms" I state above indicate a unsucessfull castration? If not what would?

Thank you for your input.

[firetech]

I would say that his is a bull it shouldn't effect the meat flavor if you proccess him young ,or call the vet,livestock producer with a shute and do the castration again. This will be more difficult and costly but can be done

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Sounds to me like the "job" was done before the testicles descended. Have it done again. If he will be around for awhile, have it done again. I spent a week in the hospital and 9 months in a cast for having a friendly bull around.

[325abn]

The plan is to butcher him in the fall. He will be about 1.5 years old. Is this young enough not to effect the beef?

[fred]

yes better do it again the meat will be tough. better show the owner how to count to two!!

[gmcooper]

Sounds like he did not do a good job castrating. I used a crimper for years but you have to be very carefull that you crimp each cord one at a time and be sure you have firmly crimped the cord. Some people try to get both cords at once and that usually does not work. Also if the calf jumps or moves much it is easy to miss a cord and you may not know for months. We feed out both steers and bulls here for freezer beef and some we haul to Lancaster, PA. Bulls are harder to finish and put cover on than a steer. They do not marble as easy. The white park /shorthorn should be smaller framed than some and maybe a little easier to finish. I would castrate him again. We now use the large bander and they will work on even large yearlings. Very effective as long as you get the band above the testicles before you tighten and crimp the clamp. Also best to give tetnus at same time.

[325abn]

Here are a few shots of the calf in question and the mother cow.

Bull for sure right? It is posible that the cord was crushed correctly and yet the balls continue to grow but not produce?

[cheesegenie]

Yep that is a bull. Best to pinch him now. Great looking cattle by the way.

[325abn]

I dont think he would be to keen on me catching him and doing that now. we had a hell of a time when he was 6 weeks old. He is somewhat tame but not that tame.

[fred]

the alternative is to make all ground beef. his appearance isnt that bullish to me. his testicles will still grow some even if he is pinched right