398 THE MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



Aged bulls ma3% of course, be castrated, but it is not 

 usual to castrate them. When castrated they are known 

 as stags. As stag meat is discounted in the market, the 

 increased profit from castration is usually too little to 

 repay the extra trouble incurred, except when it is de- 

 sired to fatten the animal so castrated in a feed yard or 

 lot with other animals or on pasture. In such instances, 

 the practice is to be commended. 



Methods of castrating. — When calves are castrated, 

 one person holds the calf, which is laid on its side, the 

 hind legs being drawn up toward the body. In the case 

 of calves large and strong, the legs should be tied. A 

 second person cuts off the end of the scrotum and the 

 testicles are drawn out in turn until the cord breaks or 

 is scr.aped off rather than severed by the knife of the 

 operator. The object sought by severing the cord thus 

 is to lessen the loss of blood. The cord should be drawn 

 down more or less rather than severed abruptly. No 

 treatment is necessary unless it be the bathing of the 

 wound with some antiseptic, and, in the time of flies, 

 smearing it with tar and spirits of turpentine, as in spay- 

 ing. (See page 394.) 



Older animals are castrated, in some instances, while 

 standing; in other cases, when they are thrown. \A'hen 

 castrated in a standing posture, the head is securely fas- 

 tened to a post and an attendant at either side aids in 

 keeping the animal in place. In other instances, the 

 head is securely fastened in a stanchion and is well 

 drawn to one side, the other side of the animal being 

 pressed against the stall. The operator stands squarely 

 behind the animal, seizes the scrotum with the left hand, 

 gives it a half turn around, and draws it out between the 

 hind legs. With a knife in the right hand a large in- 

 cision is made over the testicle, which cuts through all 

 the covering of the same. The testicle is then drawn out 

 and the cord is severed with an emasculator or by scrap- 

 ing it with the knife blade. When the animal is thrown. 



