Tagging and Banding

Today Donna helped me tag my calves and band the steer with horns.  It took us almost two hours to get it all done.

First I had to get the cows and bull out of the corral.  The cows ambled out but Buddy wanted to hang around near the calves.  Donna and I had to herd the calves east of the barn out of sight of Buddy; then I was able to coax Buddy out of the corral.  Daisy helped me also.

Then we herded the calves into the loading corral.

The black calf is backwards in the loading chute.

I wanted to work on the steer with horns last as he would take longer.  Of course, he was in the front usually when we herded the calves down the loading chute.  I was leery of getting in the loading corral to herd the calves as in close quarters I didn't want to be poked by the horned steer.  He hadn't been aggressive using his horns up to now, but I've always kept one eye on him when in the corral as he could easily tear a hole in me.

Finally we got another calf up front.  But she didn't want to go into the head gate.  She kept turning around and trying to get back with the calves at the back of the loading chute.  Buddy decided to stand on the other side of the loading corral fence.  When the calves got worked up and ran along the fence, so did he.

Settle down guys. 

About the time I was thinking of trying to tag its ear through the loading chute fence, the first calf tried to go through the head gate and got caught.  That made tagging its ear quicker and safer.

Then I released the calf out of the head gate.  The later calves usually would try to go through the head gate as they could see the tagged calves on the other side.  It took Rose a few tries as she would turn around and try to return to the remaining calves in the loading chute.

For me, an even number means it is a female.  Mama is number 10, so 12 means daughter of Mama.

Then it was time for the horned steer.  He kept stopped before the head gate.  We tried over and over and then I noticed his horns were slightly wider than the head gate opening.  That's why he wouldn't go through.

I was able to adjust the head gate to allow for a slightly larger opening.  He still had to either cock his head a little sideways or tilt it so one horn was sightly ahead of the other to slip through.  I had my hand on the head gate control level when encouraging him to cock his head.  He got his head and horns through the opening but unfortunately I had my hand on the lever and in the excitement pushed it and allowed the head gate to release and he ran through and out to join the other calves.



So Donna and I had to herd the steer back into the loading corral.  Easier said than done now that the calves were super excited.  But finally I got the steer and one other calf into the loading chute. I then opened the head gate and allowed the other calf to leave.

Then we worked on getting the steer to cock his head and go through the head gate.  Finally he did and we had him held.

While his head was caught in the head gate he still could go up and down it he wanted to.  So Donna tied a rope into a makeshift halter to further restrain his head. I didn't want to get poked with a horn while working on it.

Then I used a scissors to trim the hair around his horns.  I had read up on banding to remove horns and learned the best way to band is to put the band way down near the head where the horn is a little softer.  That way the band would work better and be less likely to roll or slip off.  The descriptions I heard and read made me think there was a slight ridge or bump at the zone between the soft and hard part of the horn.

Ummm... no.  At least not on this steer. 

Donna had brought some electric clippers and she used that to further remove hair from around the horn near the skull.  Still no sign or a ridge or bump.

The horn near the skull appeared to be slightly - and just slightly - softer than the rest of the horn.  Or was it my imagination or hope?

I had read that some people had used a file to make a slight groove for the band to sit.  I decided to try placing the band without making a groove.  While the horns are hard, blood flows in the horns and they apparently can be sensitive.  That is why I am using a band to remove the horns and am not cutting them off: less blood and hopefully less pain.   Several people had told me of a few rare instances where horns bled and bled after being cut and almost losing the animal from loss of blood.  Also cutting the horns off leaves a hole that has to heal over.  Apparently as bands work slower there is no opening when the horns fall off.  I'll see.

I used the bander tool and rubber band I used when banding the calves to castrate them.  I placed a band as close as I could to the skull.  The horn was thicker than I expected for a short horn but it appeared I got the band on the softer part of the horn.  I then tried to roll the band further up the horn but I don't think I moved it.  It appeared the band was slightly indented into the horn.

So now it is 'wait and see' time.  Apparently it can take 30 or more days for a horn to die and fall off.  Hopefully he is not able to remove the bands before then.

The right side is shaved.  The left side had not been shaved yet.

I first noticed the horns peeking out of the hair last November.  So this is about four and a half months of growth.

After we banded the steer I tagged his ear.  Now all my cattle have ear tags.

Then we released the steer to join the other calves.  Then I let them back into their part of the corral with the hay.

While the calves all did an initial shake of their heads after getting their ear tags they quickly got use to them. The steer with horns shook his head longer so I believe he was feeling the bands on his horns.

The horned steer has been released from the head gate and is on a mission to rejoin the other calves.

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