Evaluation of a novel method of castration for calves: A pilot study

Physical castration of male calves is a standard management practice that causes pain. ClipFitter is a novel castration clip that combines the attributes of Burdizzo and band castration, which could reduce failures and improve welfare, respec­tively. This randomized, blinded, controlled pilot study aimed to determine the viability of the ClipFitter in cattle and its ef­fects on pain and welfare. Twelve intact male beef-dairy cross calves weighing 184 ± 1.8 lb (83.8 ± 0.8 kg) were assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups: castration with ClipFitter (CLIP; n = 4), castration with rubber ring band (BAND; n = 4), or no castra­tion (SHAM; n = 4). Calves’ plasma cortisol, Substance P, lie/ stand behavior and infrared thermography were assessed at multiple timepoints. Infrared thermography images of the scrotum showed a treatment by time interaction, with calves in the CLIP group exhibiting significantly lower scrotal tem­perature than calves in the SHAM group at 7 d post-castration (P < 0.05). Lying and standing outcomes were not significantly different between CLIP and BAND groups (P > 0.05). There were no significant differences in plasma cortisol or Sub­stance P concentrations between treatments (P > 0.05). The decreased scrotal temperatures observed in the CLIP group at d 7 suggests a decrease in blood flow to the testicles, therefore implying that the ClipFitter device could potentially be a vi­able method of castration for cattle. The welfare implications of the ClipFitter device in cattle require further evaluation.