SS animal care.

[Wolf-Kim]

I know this can be a tricky subject, so I decided to post it here. Since the goal of this website is to be self sufficient, and that is where my main focus is.

"Back in the day", all the veterinary care was done by the homesteader, correct? I mean, you wouldn't call a vet to castrate your animals or sew up their wounds, etc. So, how did you learn to do those things?

This thread was inspired by my young stallion, which is going to be gelded the moment I have the money to spare. But I just couldn't help but think that "back in the day" throwing $200 for a vet to do such a simple procedure. Before anyone jumps me, it is a simple procedure, one sometimes two incisions and then removing you know what. I'm not talking about some invasive surgery, for a male who hasn't dropped or anything.

Also, keep in mind, that I am NOT going to do it myself, just not worth the risk, especially since I wouldn't know what I was doing. BUT if I did meet someone who knew how to do it(and it wasn't illegal) you sure betcha I'd learn how to do it.

People castrate hogs, chickens, cattle, and sheep?

 

[freemotion]

My dad used to castrate our goats, with a knife. They all thrived. He got help with the bull calves. Restraining is a two person job.

When I was a teen there was a guy who would castrate colts for $25, kinda under the table. I saw him do it. The colt was standing. He would dash in with the knife and was QUICK! Quite traumatic for the colt, though. I paid the vet for mine, after seeing that.

But if it came to one day having no choice, I'd do it....

 

[Wolf-Kim]

My dad used to castrate our goats, with a knife. They all thrived. He got help with the bull calves. Restraining is a two person job.

When I was a teen there was a guy who would castrate colts for $25, kinda under the table. I saw him do it. The colt was standing. He would dash in with the knife and was QUICK! Quite traumatic for the colt, though. I paid the vet for mine, after seeing that.

But if it came to one day having no choice, I'd do it....

I know that on the range, you'd round cattle and colts up the same day and have a day of branding and castrating. I imagine it's practically the same procudure.

I can't believe that colt didn't let that guy have it! LOL If I may ask, how did the colt recover? Obviously it was rather tramatic, but did it affect later training or health?

 

[deb4o]

We take care of this "project" oursevles.My FIL comes down and does the pigs, just a small cut, and snip-snip. With our goats and calves we use a banding tool. The hardest part is holding them down.It has to be done when they are small then it only takes a couple of people to get it done.We have never paid anyone and don't expect to.

 

[freemotion]

You go girl, Deb4o!

WK, I really don't remember. It was at a boarding stable and I can't remember whose colt it was or if I saw the colt grow up. I think it was a yearling or two-year-old, maybe. He didn't seem any different from my vet-castrated colt, although mine was probably less traumatized. He loved all people.

Our goats recovered quite quickly and played and jumped like nothing had happened within a day or two.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

We take care of this "project" oursevles.My FIL comes down and does the pigs, just a small cut, and snip-snip. With our goats and calves we use a banding tool. The hardest part is holding them down.It has to be done when they are small then it only takes a couple of people to get it done.We have never paid anyone and don't expect to.

That is very admireable.

Honestly, I wish I had someone to teach me. I hope to raise hogs, goats, sheep, and cattle one day. And this is one of the SS things I don't want to learn from a book, ya know?

 

[Wolf-Kim]

You go girl, Deb4o!

WK, I really don't remember. It was at a boarding stable and I can't remember whose colt it was or if I saw the colt grow up. I think it was a yearling or two-year-old, maybe. He didn't seem any different from my vet-castrated colt, although mine was probably less traumatized. He loved all people.

Our goats recovered quite quickly and played and jumped like nothing had happened within a day or two.

Uh, yeah. I can see the restraining being the hardest part. LOL

My boy isn't exactly a 1-2 year old, but rather a 4 year old with a big ol' hay belly. He's going to make a good riding horse.

 

[Bettacreek]

I need to go care for the critters before bedtime, so no time to watch these to find a good one, but, maybe one will help?

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=castrating+a+stallion&search_type=&aq=9&oq=castrating

 

[Beekissed]

We castrated our own pigs when I was growing up, so I plan to castrate my own sheep when that moment arrives. I actually have an old MEN mag that shows step by step in pics how to do this, so I'm going to give it a whirl.

I was going to band them until reading about some of the disasters from doing that, reading Joel Salatin's views on it and hearing about my sis's ram lamb disaster this past spring....admittedly, she is the worst farmer EVER, but it still made me worry. :/

I'll post pics when I do this!

 

[Blackbird]

We use a hand tool and castration bands for our goats, extremely simple and the goats only act a little off a couple of hours then back to normal.

We have a medical box, syringes, thread, needles, trimmers, all that stuff and do almost all of our own animal medical care. Know how to sew? Sewing up a wound is basically the same thing. Its all very simple once you know what you are doing and have proper restraints.

What disasters have you read about that involve banding, Bee?