396 THE MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



When males are uncastrated and 3'et are allowed to 

 mix promiscuously with females in the feed lot or in 

 the pastures, a sort of pandemonium would be introduced 

 into the same. The outcome would be pregnancy in 

 the females whether desired or not, and much retarded 

 increase in the males. The necessity for the general cas- 

 tration of males is not for one moment to be gainsaid, 

 whatever the view that may be taken with reference to 

 the pain involved in the operation. 



The best age at which to castrate males among cat- 

 tle is when they are not more than, say, a week old, and 

 certainly when not more than three or four weeks old. 

 The best time to castrate is when the calves have got 

 well started in the direction of a robust growth. In 

 strong calves this will be when they are about one week 

 old. At no time subsequently will they be castrated with 

 so small an amount of hemorrhage, with so little resist- 

 ance on their part, and with so slight a shock to the 

 system. Cah'es that are weakly, however, should be 

 allowed to go beyond the age of one week before they 

 are castrated. But certain males should be castrated 

 later, as is shown below. 



The season at which castration shall be performed 

 is of less importance than the age at which to castrate. 

 If calves are to be castrated at the best time in their 

 development, they will be castrated at all seasons, when 

 they are so born. Nevertheless, the aim should be to 

 avoid castration, when practicable, during the coldest and 

 hottest weather, especially during the season of flies. 

 Should any one season be fixed upon as the most favor- 

 able, it would be the spring and soon after the animals 

 are on grass. The system is then building up and im- 

 proving, hence it can withstand a shock better than when 

 the energies are low. The food also is very suitable for 

 keeping the bowels in that condition which is favorable 

 to correct digestion. Males of the bovine species should 

 not be castrated when in a weak or debilitated condition 



