Elastrator

Castration is carried out for the following reasons:

• Prevention of undesirable bull calves from breeding. This enables mating of bulls only with desirable traits.
• Behavioural control. Castrated male cattle (steers) are generally less aggressive and easier to handle, are less likely to fight causing injury to other animals, and are less likely to damage fences.
• The secondary sex characteristics of bulls tend to make bull meat tougher and less attractive to consumers, especially for the higher priced cuts.
• The disadvantages of castration are minor in comparison to the advantages gained. Removal of the testicles before puberty will reduce the growth rate of the calf. This is because the testicles produce hormones as well as spermatozoa. The major hormone produced by the testicles is testosteronee, more commonly referred to as male hormone. it has an anabolic action – it promotes muscle growth.
• Castration should be carried out on bull calves when they are very young, and certainly before six months of age. On larger properties with large numbers of breeding females this may be difficult to achieve, particularly if calves are born at the start of the wet season (as recommended) or just after the last muster the previous year.