Castration of bulls in Ethiopia, pt.1

[JesusA (imported)]

[While this article is probably only of peripheral interest to most readers of the Archive, I was fascinated when I ran across it while doing very different research at work. There is a muddy black-and-white photo in the text showing a standard claw hammer being used to crush the spermatic cord of a bull. After the comments by some Archive members on the pain involved in Burdizzo castration, it was painful just to look at the photo. The technique is probably far older than the Burdizzo, but equally effective. --JA]

Madosha: Traditional Castration of Bulls in Ethiopia

by Mauro Ghirotti and Mulatu Woudyalew

Castration is one of the most ancient techniques for improving livestock performance. It is documented in the Bible (Leviticus 22:24-5) about 1250 BC, but it was certainly well known before then. It was performed by the ancient civilizations of the Fertile Crescent, the cradle of livestock domestication, where cattle played fundamental socio-cultural and productive roles. Cattle were probably first domesticated for religious purposes, and only secondarily for agricultural use. The oldest remains of domesticated cattle date back to 7000 BC, while evidence for the use of oxen as draught animals dates from about 3200 BC. [See the article "The First Eunuchs?" below for additional information on this question.]

For ancient societies, cows were symbols of abundance and fertility, and bulls of virility and strength. The male's power and aggressiveness were believed to lie in the testicles. Removing an animal's testicles meant eliminating these characteristics. Castrated animals were indeed found to grow more docile and fatter than bulls.

In Africa, different traditional methods of castration are currently used. Most involve surgery with a knife or spear, as among the Fulani of Mali, the Somali, various Nilotic or Nilo-Hamitic peoples of East Africa and the Tonga of central and southern Zambia. Today, many of these methods are slowly being replaced by the use of Burdizzo pincers, which crush the spermatic cord without cutting the scrotum. This stops the flow of blood to the testicles, which then atrophy. A bloodless and relatively simple operation, this method is safer than open surgery because it minimizes the risk of infection.

This chapter reports on another bloodless castration method long used and still widely popular in highland Ethiopia. As part of a study on livestock grazing and the role of the male in herd fertility, an appraisal of animal health, husbandry, and production was conducted in the Ghibe valley of highland Ethiopia in September 1985. Most cattle in this area are small East African Zebu. The study included an investigation of traditional castration methods among the main ethnic groups in the region: the mostly Christian Oromo and the mainly Muslim Amhara. Information on castration practices are related beliefs was obtained from key informants through semi-structured interviews, and from four clusters of 33 farmers through questionnaires. In addition, castration ceremonies were photographed.

The Madosha Castration Technique

In Ethiopia, male animals have traditionally been used for draught. Without oxen, many farm families would be hard-pressed to do their cropping. The more land a family cultivates, the more oxen it owns. Up to four hectares of land can be cultivated for each pair of oxen. As a result, one-third of a typical highland family herd are oxen. The great importance of oxen is further suggested by the 'thmad,' the traditional unit of land measurement in the highlands. One thmad equals the amount of land that a pair of oxen can plough in one day. This amounts to about 0.20ha in hilly regions or 0.25ha in flat areas.

Given the tremendous importance of oxen, it is no surprise that Abyssinian farmers have developed methods of bull castration that are both effective and safe. The farmers interviewed said they castrate bulls to make them stronger and more tractable for ploughing, to forestall fights among males and to obtain a better fat cover. All male cattle are castrated when they are four to six years old, regardless of their conformation or performance. The madosha (Amharic 'hammer') is the tool used. The operation, which is bloodless, involves crushing the spermatic cord.

The castration ceremony takes place on Maskal day, on 27 September each year. Castrating bulls at Maskal is part of a long-standing highland tradition. Animals are free from work at this time, and their recovery is less problematic because there is plenty of good pasturage and because, as farmers put it, 'the river waters are clear'. Moreover, flies - which can infect the cuts made in the scrotum - are fewer in this season. Finally, since Maskal falls during the dry season, the risk of infection is less.

A community elder experience in animal husbandry performs the castration procedure at dawn. The bulls are first gathered in the kraal of one of the village headmen who is responsible for the operation that year. After a bull has been tied and cast, its testicles are pulled backwards from the perineum and a pole is driven into the ground behind the scrotum. Two sticks are then fixed just above the testicles. The front stick stretches the spermatic cord, while the other prevents the testicles from being accidentally hit during the operation. The cords are crushed by striking the front stick with a hammer. In this way, the effect of the trauma is distributed.

If the animal is well restrained, the operation lasts only three to five minutes, during which time the elder palpitates the cord to evaluate progress. Finally, he makes a few cuts on the scrotum with a razor or other blade and applies 'fetho,' a traditional medicament made of ground seeds (possibly Linum spp.) that have been soaked in water. According to experienced informants, the incisions 'release the bad blood that eventually forms under the sac.' The medicament, which is also used in human ethnomedicine, is said to reduce inflammation and local congestion.

Immediately after the operation, the bullock is freed and made to run. Its quick return to activity signals that it will soon recover. If all seems to be in order, the animal is sent to graze with the rest of the herd while the farmers castrate another bull or turn to the rest of the Maskal celebrations. Farmers check that the castration was successful by watching for the testicles to atrophy some two months later. If this has not occurred, the procedure is repeated during Ethiopian Christmas, as the beginning of January.