Effect of age of suckler beef calves on stress indicators and growth performance in response to Burdizzo castration

The study objective was to examine effect of age at castration on stress indicators and performance 40 crossbred suckler beef calves. Calves were assigned two groups treatments; calves 2.5- or 5.0-mo-old (mean body weight (SD) = 120.8 (29.3), 218.1 (30.8) kg, respectively) sham (control) Burdizzo castrated (n 10 per treatment) in a 2 × factorial design. Following castration, peak plasma cortisol concentrations greater 2.5-mo-old compared with corresponding controls, while control animals 5-mo-old integrated responses for the first 4 h after not different between However, response from 9 post treatment. increase scrotal circumference calves, abnormal postures observed more often castrates. There no haematology profiles, haptoglobin, metabolites, temperature growth performance. In conclusion, physiological stress, inflammation pain-related behaviours caused by reduced when castrating than 5.5-mo-old.