Sponsor Content
Recent research confirms the importance of fall calving in the beef segment and year-round calving in dairies in North America. Estimates show that more than 80,000 bull calves will be born this November and December: a third in beef operations and two-thirds in dairy operations.
The AABP recommends that pain management be considered the standard of care for all castration procedures <Link>. Lidoband™ technology from Solvet™ makes it easy for producers to meet this standard when castrating calves. Lidoband’s lidocaine-infused elastrator bands deliver local pain relief to calves without the prescription required for injectable anesthetics.
Since a bull’s testicles do not produce testosterone until they hit seven to 10 months of age, there is no reason to delay castrating calves in the first week of life compared to waiting until weaning.” [Dane leave in this position please]
Lidoband™ provides these benefits:
- Lidocaine-impregnated elastrator band that delivers lidocaine into scrotal tissues as fast as two hours and for up to 42 days
- Considered a medical device: no FDA approval required; approved for use in organic livestock herds; no injections needed
- Lidoband’s four sizes work with most commercially available banding tools
- Novel small size for use in calves under 250 pounds or lambs under 50 pounds.
- Easy to share tutorial videos demonstrate how to use Lidoband elastrators<Link>
Source: Lidoband, Solvet, November 2025. Link. (alternate Link) In a previous AHD post <Link>, Kellie Curry Raper shared that not castrating bull calves costs producers as much as $56/head on 500-pound animals. Plus, research indicates performance benefits such as shorter initial weight loss periods, lower disease susceptibility and higher post-weaning ADGs.
Also see: Pain reliever, Bovine Veterinarian, November/December 2024. Link.
INSIGHTS: For veterinary teams, sales representatives and retail associates helping producers improve their calf castration methods, Lidoband provides benefits for calves, improves safety for calves and handlers, and provides an economic advantage when steer calves are sold.