Problems with cattle that were improperly castrated have prompted people like Art Gagnon to vow that they will not buy steers from within Manitoba.
Gagnon, who farms near Ste. Rose, Man., backgrounds about 600 head of cattle per year. His frustration is driven by several years of paying market value for steers and then having to spend money to have a veterinarian operate on those that were not properly castrated.
“There’s scar tissue in there,” said Gagnon, who is also a seed grower.
“We find we can’t operate on them at home. We have to load them up in the trailer, bring them to town, give the vet his $100 and on and on. It’s becoming a real concern.”
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It is difficult to tell whether the issue is more prevalent in Manitoba than in other provinces.
Order buyer Jeff McSherry said the advent of rubber bands for castration seems to be a factor.
“It seems to have been a bit of a problem for the last 10 years anyway, ever since rubber banding’s come into place. I think there’s problems in the system right through everywhere, but there are certain places where it seems to be worse.”
Shelagh Copeland, Manitoba Agriculture’s manager of farm production extension, has no evidence that the problem cited by Gagnon is widespread in Manitoba.
However, she said his concerns should not be dismissed. The issue will likely be raised during extension meetings with cattle producers this fall and winter.
“If there’s an increasing concern about that, even if it’s a perception, we need to get out to our people and make them aware of this concern by buyers,” Copeland said.
“Once you have a perception problem, you have to work twice as hard to get that reputation changed.”
People may be unaware that their castration techniques are causing headaches for people like Gagnon, who buys steers for backgrounding when they weigh about 500 pounds. Copeland said it is also possible that people were less diligent when doing castrations and vaccinations in recent years due to the difficulties caused by the BSE crisis.
Gagnon would like some way to discount animals that are sold as steers even though they are essentially still part bull. He believes that would give buyers a greater guarantee that they are getting what they paid for.
“They’re selling me a half bull and they’re putting on the invoice that I’m getting a steer. They should be discounted.”
There are a number of ways to convert a bull into a steer. McSherry considers castration with a knife the best way to ensure the job is done properly.
“You’ve got two of them (testicles) in your hand, so you know you didn’t miss any.”
