Conclusions
Cattle performance results indicate that castration-associated weight loss increases as the age of castration increases, and that weight loss is independent of the method of castration. The observations on stress response point out that the younger a calf is castrated, the less stressful is the procedure, and that castration-associated stress is independent of the method utilized.
Castration after puberty does not permit taking advantage of the anabolic properties of testosterone since cattle lose all the extra weight because of some physiological process associated with the hormone withdrawal Considering the productive disadvantage of delaying the castration beyond birth and the safer and the less laborious that is the rubber banding castration, a bloodless practice; it is recommended that castration occur at or shortly after birth with the rubber band. Castration of calves at birth implies a simple change in the management of the herd that would improve the animal welfare by reducing both castration and weaning-associated stress, and as a consequence, would also improve the weaning weight of calves