At the Royal Welsh 2023 we continued to be asked about calf castration. The rules are similar to sheep so bloodless/clamp castration is allowed to 2 months of age. This calf is only 2 or 3 weeks old but our Maxi clip fits well and hence safely secure. The Farmer said ..
“We had a go at the calves over the weekend. They were easier than rings to apply. They appeared to give no distress to the calves when applying and so far no affect on the calves. We will check the calves in a few weeks when they come in for de-horning to see how they have worked.
To apply the clip we tipped the calves, this was due to their age (2/3 weeks). It made application very easy. We did try one standing, relatively easy, but due to their size it was easier to turn the calves.”
Various authorities and researchers, and probably farmers from around the world are reaching for an answer to the problem of pain for calves during castration and de-horning. They are typically considering anaesthesia of one type of another. Perhaps we (or maybe they) have stumbled upon a needle & drug free option – a mechanical means of surgically blocking the nerve and therefore the transmission of pain to brain? It couldn’t get more simple and simple things are best.