AWHILE BACK I ASKED IF PEOPLE THOUGHT THE CASTRATION OF FARM ANIMALS WITHOUT A PAINKILLER WAS CRUEL IF THEY WERE NOT REAL YOUNG WHEN THIS WAS DONE. MOST PEOPLE WHO HAD SEEN OR HEARD OF THIS DID NOT THINK IT WAS CRUEL. ARE THERE ANY OF YOU THAT HAVE SEEN OR HEARD OF THIS THAT DO THINK IT WAS CRUEL. ANIMAL GROUPS AWLWAYS TALK ABOUT HOW CRUEL RODEOS ARE. I THINK THIS IS MUCH MORE CRUEL THAN RODEOS(IN FACT I THINK RODEOS ARE QUITE WELL REGULATED AND RUN THESE DAYS)

-- R.BLACK (HIDAHO2@AOL.COM), May 20, 2001

Answers

Don't suppose you have ever seen two horses or any other animals fight because neither have been castrated. Now thats cruel in the extreme. If you think you can walk up to a 1000 lb horse and give him a local with a needle there best of luck. Just my opinion. While on the subject mabey if we did men that will not take care of their kids with out pain killers that would solve that problem in a hurry.

-- David (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), May 20, 2001.

I'm not sure what you are searching for here, but I will tell you my experience. Last year we had several ram lambs castrated as they were to be raised for their wool and not as meat and we wanted them to remain gentle and not aggressive to each other or the owners. Intact rams can be extremely dangerous and have caused severe injuries and death to several people that I am aware of, including an elderly couple in thir 80's and a toddler.I think its far more cruel not to neuter rams if they are kept together and not as breeders as they will naturally use all that testosterone and literally ram each other senseless or beyond. So, to get back to your topic, we decided to have them surgically castrated by a veterinarian and opted to not just use a local anesthetic, but a general tranquilizer as well to minmize the trauma. BAD MISTAKE! We ended up having 2 die during the procedure. Sheep do not tolerate ansthetics well and it was a bad experience,. We have since, only used a mild local anesthetic and a strong person to hold them. They were up and eating right after, so I don't think the castration was cruel.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), May 20, 2001.

Why do you keep bringing this up?Is someone trying to castrate you?

-- JT (gone2seed@hotmail.com), May 20, 2001.

I can't imagine that any male of any species would choose to be castrated without painkiller! Before doing anything to my animals I always ask myself what would I want done for myself in the particular situation at hand and go with that although being female I don't have to worry about being castrated.

-- debra in ks (solid-dkn@msn.com), May 20, 2001.

I much prefer doing them young. It is so much easier on both the animal and myself. But if it had to be done on an older animal, I'd prefer using the knife to the bands, so as to have the pain over with quickly. Bands cause more prolonged suffering and then there is always the danger of gangrene besides.

-- Chamoisee (chamoisee@yahoo.com), May 20, 2001.

I am not sure of the name, but someone similar has not only brought this up on this board to insite before, but has also brought this same thing up to me privatly in my email and on other boards. Now THIS IS a job for our list moderator!

R. Black it is very hard work to raise stock. Nobody gets pleasure from disbudding, castration, dehorning, hoof trimming, docking, it is very simply a job that has to be done, yes it is painful, this is why we do it when they are young and have less than a mature pain response, nobody but a fool would plan on castrating at an older age. If an animal needed to be castrated at an older age, yes, you would choose to use a painkiller. Period. So lets not start on the rodeo thread again! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 20, 2001.

Yes, we already beat this topic to death a couple months ago, castration and rodeo both.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), May 21, 2001.

DON'T YOU JUST HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE SHOUT AT YOU?

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), May 21, 2001.

YES, I DO!! I FIGURE THEY NEVER LEARNED TO TYPE PROPERLY. CASTRATION AND SHOUTING NEVER MIX WELL. YOU SHOULD TALK QUIETLY WHEN DOING SUCH... Scares Hell out of your helpers when you SHOUT!!

-- GAILANN SCHRADER (gtschrader@aol.com), May 27, 2001.

Please stop to consider some people have sight problems and reading lower cases for them is a problem. Thus, they prefer all caps. I find it hard to read, but understand there are circumstances which call for it.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), May 28, 2001.

The vet castrates my critters, mostly equine. Young and older have been done and always with an anesthetic. The critter lays down as he gets woozy. Both young and older have had no problems.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), May 31, 2001.