Table 9.

Descriptive data about castration method ranking and calf management practices recommended by practicing cow-calf veterinarians in the United States and Canada

Item	Responses (no.)	Responses (%)
Earliest age ever recommended for weaning calves due to weather conditions or other cultural practices deemed necessary (n = 143; 97% response rate)
31 to 60 d	4	3
60 to 90 d	32	22
90 to 120 d	55	38
120 to 150 d	42	29
>150 d	10	7
Type of weaning protocol recommended to clients (n = 143; 97% response rate)
Recommended number of days weaned	91	64
Fence-line weaning	82	57
Abrupt drylot weaning or onto truck	15	10
Two-stage weaning with nose clips	12	8
Recommended age for castration of bull calves (n = 145; 99% response rate)
0 to 7 d	48	34
<1 mo	5	4
1 to 2 mo	21	15
2 to 3 mo	26	18
>3 mo	8	6
Branding	22	16
Other1	11	8
Castration methods selected as best option for calves at branding time2
1. Knife cut	113	86
2. Banding	12	11
3. Burdizzo	1	1
4. Do not recommend	6	27
Castration methods selected as best option for calves at weaning3
1. Knife cut	82	67
2. Banding	26	25
3. Burdizzo	10	15
4. Do not recommend	22	61

¹Other: 2 to 4 mo; 2 wk before weaning; 181.4 to 226.8 kg; soon as owner knows it will not be a breeding bull; spring (45.4 to 181.4 kg); turn out; <136.1 kg; depends.

²Number and percentage of responses reported for each castration method represent the responses that selected each method as the best option: knife cut (n = 132), banding (n = 114), burdizzo (n = 73), do not recommend (n = 22).

³Number and percentage of responses reported for each castration method represent the responses that selected each method as the best option: knife cut (n = 123), banding (n = 106), burdizzo (n = 65), do not recommend (n = 36).