De-horning Show heifer

[aplusmnt]

Need some advice. Have a may heifer that we are just now starting to halter break. But she has little horns. Not sure when and how to go about de-horning her. Should I wait and get her really broke and gentled down. Or do it before.

Never have had to de-horn one since I was a teen. Back then I had it surgically done were they stitched him up. I do not remember much about having it done since old age is catching up with me. Would the heifer be less likely to get Head shy if I had it done this way versus the choppers.

What would you do if you were me?

 

[AAOK]

Donald,
Since she is young, horns are small, and there aren't flies to worry with for a while, I would go with the Choppers. If you are going to be having some horned calves, get yourself an electric dehorn iron. You can just burn the nubs the first time you work calves, and they will drop off in about 30 days. They'll grow out smooth as a cosmetic.

 

[glover36]

go with the burners do them soon alot less bloody than gouging we do all of ours with it

 

[TxSimbrahShower]

I would have her cosmetically(sp?) dehorned before you start breaking her. Since you are going to show her, it will look alot nicer this way.

mom

 

[Jovid]

Need some advice. Have a may heifer that we are just now starting to halter break. But she has little horns. Not sure when and how to go about de-horning her. Should I wait and get her really broke and gentled down. Or do it before.

Never have had to de-horn one since I was a teen. Back then I had it surgically done were they stitched him up. I do not remember much about having it done since old age is catching up with me. Would the heifer be less likely to get Head shy if I had it done this way versus the choppers.

What would you do if you were me?

If you had a Red Poll you wouldn't have to worry about that.

 

[novatech]

I would have her cosmetically(sp?) dehorned before you start breaking her. Since you are going to show her, it will look alot nicer this way.

mom

I agree. I've seen some of these burn jobs come back.

 

[Chris H]

I'd go with cosmetically dehorning on a heifer you're breaking for show. Our vet does it at our farm when necessary and it's not too expensive. I don't know what the heifer thought, but I felt better knowing she didn't feel any pain from the cutting. I shaved and washed her head over the poll area before the surgery and she was ready to show in 2 weeks. Having the area stitched back together made it heal quickly and neatly.

I will say she was a bit shy of the clippers for a long time after that. I could clip anywhere except over the horn area without any problem.

 

[Cowboy 2.0]

I agree with the others, take her to a vet and have it done cosmeticaly. He wil be able to shape the head and make it look more attractive.

 

[AAOK]

When they do a cosmetic, the vet begins with the choppers, and shapes the head with the choppers. The only difference is the incision and the stiches. Assuming you're not going to show her for 6 - 8 weeks, the choppers method will actually heal up quicker. One Note: I would not use this procedure for a Show Calf with a vet that is not experienced with dehorning show calves.

 

[TxSimbrahShower]

Assuming you're not going to show her for 6 - 8 weeks, the choppers method will actually heal up quicker.

You cut the stiches out in two weeks. At that time the skin is healed over. Plus you run less chance of infection. Alot of times when they have the open holes in their head, they continue to bleed, because the calf will bump their head on something making it take 6 to 8 weeks to heal.



mom

 

[aplusmnt]

The biggest thing I am concerned about is pain and being hard to halter after done. Did not know if they numbed it when they did it surgically or if it would still have the same pain factor to the calf.

 

[Colorado2008]

The biggest thing I am concerned about is pain and being hard to halter after done. Did not know if they numbed it when they did it surgically or if it would still have the same pain factor to the calf.

The big heifer that I have posted a couple times had hers surgically done. Her's were like 4" long. They numbed it so there was no pain during the process. (im sure she had a headache afterwards though ) As far as it being hard to get a halter on after the procedure I think it just depends on the calf. The one we had done didn't like her head touched to begin with so naturally she didn't like it afterwards. I think that once it heals over and isn't tender anymore you shouldn't have too many problems.

 

[Texas26steerjock]

SURGICALLY IS THE BEST IN MY OPINION. WE HAVE IT DONE TO ALL OF OUR CALVES. THEY CAN GO IN AND SHAPE THE HEAD AS THEY DO IT AND IT LOOKS SUPER NICE WHEN IT IS DONE.

 

[certherfbeef]

The biggest thing I am concerned about is pain and being hard to halter after done. Did not know if they numbed it when they did it surgically or if it would still have the same pain factor to the calf.

Donald,

I did a few a couple weeks ago with the gougers. They are all near healed up now.
I give a cc of lidocane in the temple on each side of the head and wait a few minutes for it to start working.
These were april born calves so the horns may be bigger than the ones you were talking about.

Almanac says that the 19th and 20th are good days. I'd do it then.

As for bothering her while you are breaking to lead...calves are forgiving. The younger the better.

If you are going to burn them, clip her head. Plug the dehorners in every bit of an hour before you want to put them on her. Burn around the horn until there is a copper ring completely around the horn the put it on there for another 20 seconds for good measure. In a couple days you will see the hard shell of the horn fall off. The rest will fall off a short time later. Make sure the copper ring is heavy and burn on the day the almanac says is good and you will have no probems with them growing back.