# Identify these tools?



## Crofter (Jan 25, 2005)

Any of you guys and girls know what the tools pictured are for?


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## underwor (Jan 25, 2005)

Emasculators and ID Tattoo for livestock

An old Illinois Country boy now in ND Bob


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## Crofter (Jan 25, 2005)

I thought you might have to get Che to help you. That little cheerio's sized band of rubber can transfer a lot of enery into making meat instead of BS. Along with dehorners, hoof nippers, ear tag inserters it makes quite a little manicure kit. Anyone care for a makeover!


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## alanarbor (Jan 25, 2005)

I married a racncher's daughter from Wyoming. She's actually knows how to use those tools. (I've had some trouble sleeping nights, since she told me what they were for)


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## Crofter (Jan 25, 2005)

Rumination. if your dentist has tools like that i would ask lots of questions before any procedures requiring anaesthetic.


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## Gord (Jan 25, 2005)

I've used a set of the first ones pictured a number of times on my parents cattle...I found that it is possible to giggle and wince at the same time.


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## ckliff (Jan 25, 2005)

the first two look like snap-ring spreaders. bought some in a car shop - great for getting the sprocket off my stihl! Beats me on the other two, but you can send my cash prize for the forst ones.


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## FBX1986 (Jan 25, 2005)

are those for cattle? i thought those were for sheep the deballer


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## NeTree (Jan 26, 2005)

O.... M.... G.....

:shock:


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## oldwild (Jan 26, 2005)

The first 2 pics are what is commonly known as Wesand Pliers. They have numerous uses around livestock. 1st. For castration on sheep and cattle, as well as emasculation of the tails on sheep. 2nd. In a packing plant the small rubbers are placed around the throat (tracea) sp? of the cattle after they have been de-hided and de-headed to keep the stomach from spilling the contents of the stomach when they are gutted. Of course the other 2 pics are for Tattoo the id on livestock, either in the ear or the inside of the lip. Used on dogs, sheep, cattle and goats.


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## Crofter (Jan 26, 2005)

I guess you could call them snap ring pliers. The rubber band is a very resilient rubber about 1/4 inch in cros section and the hole in the middle is only about 3/16. The pliers stretch it out with their 4 prongs to about a 2 1/2 square opening and the testicles (or tail) is pulled through and the band snugged down against the body. It cuts off the circulation and whatever is south of the band falls off in about 3 weeks. There seems to be no pain.


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## che (Jan 26, 2005)

> I thought you might have to get Che to help you



Doesn't look like my help is needed here, Frank. 

We use them as soon as possible after birth on our calves. The important part is to count two testicles ("one,.........two")....just one doesn't do the job! If I can catch them the first couple days when they're in their 'newborn hiding mode' I can do it myself....but otherwise (for me) it's a two 'man' job. 

My role usually is to drive the truck alongside the mom/calf with my husband in the back ready to jump out. Then to grab the stick and help him get himself and the calf into the back of the truck before 'mom' gets him. Then I usually hold/sit on the calf while he (soon to be it) gets banded, etc. 

Once we had a cow ('Cut Horn', she had two big blunted horns) get halfway into the truck during this process. Smack their nose, they back up....usually. 

Some years are too busy and we can't get to them that young and we just run them through the squeeze chute while the mom's are eating grain.....do 'em in groups. It's surprising how hard a little thing like that can kick! 

I once used one of the bands on a calf who's tail was either 'skinned' by a cow stepping on it or an unlucky coyote. Put it up onto the healthy tissue and the rest fell off. 

I was thinking yesterday I need to get all the tags and paraphanalia ready....these moms are getting fat and ready!! Could be starting any day now.

When does calving start for you, Frank?


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## Crofter (Jan 26, 2005)

Che, it will be late April, May. We are cold enough and not much pasture till June so it is easier not to have them too early. I am down to just a handfull of cows now for our own use. Sometimes you can't remember which is the fun part of having them!


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## rb_in_va (Jan 26, 2005)

alanarbor said:


> (I've had some trouble sleeping nights, since she told me what they were for)



As long as she doesn't keep them in the bedside table you should be OK.


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## Crofter (Jan 26, 2005)

You wouldn't want to hang a beating on the missus and then pass out if she was handy with the elastrators! Remember that movie, The Farmer doesn't get mad, he gets even!
Che we managed to get what is called a short bagged bull. My wife and a friend had a new calf to do while I was working out of province. It was a two woman job alright. On Galloway cattle the hide is very thick and you know how hard it is to feel the testicles. Well they managed to get the ring below both of them. The scrotum fell off just like planned, but not what they were after. He was 8 months old before we discovered for sure. Because they were held too close to the body for temperature control, he was sterile but capable otherwise. He stayed pretty well mannered so we did nothing about it before he was slaughtered. Excellent beef.


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 26, 2005)

There are a couple of funny sentences in your post, Frank.


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## Crofter (Jan 26, 2005)

The lady on the pliers happened to be that engineer I spoke of on another post, but she was slightly outside her area of expertise, but I sure had fun teasing her about giving me a bum steer! And that is nothing kinky or vulgar if you know the business!


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## che (Jan 26, 2005)

Butch....I had to go back and read it....but I've been here on the farm too long now, can't tell which is the 'funny' part. 

I understood perfectly....and am very glad it wasn't MY mistake....I'd never hear the end of it here. 

It's amazing what farm kids take for 'normal' discussion. When the kids were little they'd ride with me doing the checks on the calving cows. Discussions of 'puffy bottoms', gooze, mucous plugs, teats, etc were all part of their vocabulary. When my toddler talked about seeing a 'placenta' in the field (meaning SOMEONE just calved).....it blew me away. >lol<

They have a very earthy understanding about the 'birds & bees', never had to have those kind of discussions with them....when a bull is in the herd, it's pretty obvious what's going on. Watching the calving fills out the circle. Trying to explain 'boys' to my daughter was pretty easy too....I simply told her to think about a bull with his lip up, and that's about the same way these teenage boys are....once they get that 'smell' they get pretty stupid.


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## Al Smith (Jan 27, 2005)

Huh! Smell,stupid ,is that what happened?  I never quite heard it put that way,and I've been to two goat roping's,and a county fair.


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 27, 2005)

che said:


> Butch....I had to go back and read it....but I've been here on the farm too long now, can't tell which is the 'funny' part.



It was funny in a Beavis and Butthead sorta way. :alien:


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## Crofter (Jan 27, 2005)

Butch, we know you are young and impressionable; doesn't take much to make you giggle! Lol. http://www.cyberjammin.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/dude.gif
http://www.cyberjammin.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/dude.gif


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## Ryan Willock (Jan 27, 2005)

We used to have six hundred head milking three hundred of those twice a day..... NO FUN!!!


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 27, 2005)

Crofter said:


> Butch, we know you are young and impressionable; doesn't take much to make you giggle! Lol. http://www.cyberjammin.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/dude.gif
> http://www.cyberjammin.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/dude.gif


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## che (Jan 27, 2005)

> We used to have six hundred head milking three hundred of those twice a day..... NO FUN!!!



Can not imagine. I feel tied down just having beef cattle....I feed them every day, but WHEN I want to go over...and certainly not twice a day!



> Huh! Smell,stupid ,is that what happened?



Yup. You were too close to it to realize it back then, Al.  

I've noticed there are alot of 'life lessons' in a herd of cattle. For example....put a couple bulls in a field together and watch what happens, same here sometimes....put a bunch of guys together in a forum and watch the head butting and bellowing begin! >lol<


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## bwalker (Jan 29, 2005)

The rubber bands cant be any worse than cutting them off witha knife. I seen a Rancher in MT doe this. He put the bull in a cattle clamp, walked up, grabbed the ball bag, and in on slash the bag was severed. He then applied some sort of powder to stop bleeding and help it heel. If I remember right these where limosine cattle?


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## NeTree (Jan 29, 2005)

.... okay.... now tell that doesn't make you cringe... honestly...


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## Crofter (Jan 29, 2005)

Actually the Burdizzo clamps that crush the cords and blood vessels seem a lot more off putting than the knife. I have put the elastrator rings on my finger just to try as per an add. and within a minute you loose all feeling. Now I seem to remember a vasectomy a long time ago and it sure took longer than a minute. Bens description was a little rougher and non selective than that doctor!


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## Mange (Feb 1, 2005)

Most farms here milk 3 times/day, keeps the milking volume up but does not put too much extra "weight" on the cow. Milking is at 04:00,11:30 and 18:00.
About average it is here 300 cows / worker. 
250 sows / worker. 
15 000 butcher pigs / worker.

The farm I worked on last had 300 milking cows and the beef cows, 450 sows, 20 000 butcher pigs places, and a bunch of fields and buildings.
I thought it was funnier working with the pigs.


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## Crofter (Feb 1, 2005)

I have heard the dairy business called "white slavery" and it is not the cow who is the slave!


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