Dehorned too short

[bl0215]

I think we may have cut a calves horns too short. It’s very large holes in the head and bleeding a lot on one side. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Nope that sounds about right. You need to pull the arteries after you dehorn.
How old is the calf?

 

[wbvs58]

They'll heal over, fly control so they don't get blown with maggots is important.

Ken

 

[bl0215]

Nope that sounds about right. You need to pull the arteries after you dehorn.
How old is the calf?

Almost 11 months old.

 

[bl0215]

They'll heal over, fly control so they don't get blown with maggots is important.

Ken

Thank you. I'm sick with worry.

 

[wobbie1775]

Thank you. I'm sick with worry.

These are tough animals. I'm sure you didn't screw up too bad. Part of learning.

 

[bl0215]

These are tough animals. I'm sure you didn't screw up too bad. Part of learning.

Thank you, I grew up around cattle years ago and decided to get back into it recently. This was a first for me though. There isn’t enough instructional videos and educational content for this part of cattle farming.

 

[Travlr]

Thank you, I grew up around cattle years ago and decided to get back into it recently. This was a first for me though. There isn't enough instructional videos and educational content for this part of cattle farming.

Yeah, get in there as soon as you dehorn and find the artery, and pull it until it breaks. Just like with cutting a calf and pulling the testicle until it breaks. The stretch allows the severed blood source to retract back into the body and it helps to control bleeding.

 

[bl0215]

Yeah, get in there as soon as you dehorn and find the artery, and pull it until it breaks. Just like with cutting a calf and pulling the testicle until it breaks. The stretch allows the severed blood source to retract back into the body and it helps to control bleeding.

Thank you for the information. I will keep that in mind if I ever need to do this again.

 

[Travlr]

Thank you for the information. I will keep that in mind if I ever need to do this again.

If your gonna be here, you might want to post a location. Hit your profile, top right, and scroll down to Account details and enter a state or better. Lots of questions are related to weather, temps, and grasses from where you are.

 

[bl0215]

If your gonna be here, you might want to post a location. Hit your profile, top right, and scroll down to Account details and enter a state or better. Lots of questions are related to weather, temps, and grasses from where you are.

Perfect, thanks. I am in Central Arkansas.

 

[Travlr]

Perfect, thanks. I am in Central Arkansas.

God's country for cattle...

 

[SBMF 2015]

Almost 11 months old.

They’ll bleed pretty bad at that age. Like @wbvs58 said fly control will be essential. Dehorning in the winter is always better

 

[bl0215]

They'll bleed pretty bad at that age. Like @wbvs58 said fly control will be essential. Dehorning in the winter is always better

I did read winter is best and will not do it again until winter if I have to. I appreciate all of the feedback.

 

[greybeard]

I think we may have cut a calves horns too short. It's very large holes in the head and bleeding a lot on one side. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

What did you use to dehorn with? Saw? Barnes? Wire? Keystones?
With the Barnes type 'scoops' it's easy to get down pretty deep and the blood flow can shock ya at first.
Wire will get 'em pretty flush if you first cut the hair back close but ya better have a good set of wrists and elbows.
A polled bull is the best dehorner, or so I'm told.

 

[SBMF 2015]

A polled bull is the best dehorner, or so I'm told.

I’ve always been told the best way to dehorn is screw them off with a polled bull

 

[Warren Allison]

I think we may have cut a calves horns too short. It's very large holes in the head and bleeding a lot on one side. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

What breed of calves are they? Did you buy them, or did you calve them?

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I don't know much about dehorning, but cauterizing the arteries in some fashion will help. Others on here will have ways of doing that. Winter is best because it is cooler then and no/fewer flies and lower bacterial growth as well as arteries not as dilated to dissipate heat from the animal. You likely want to avoid wet seasons that will promote bacterial/fungus survival within the wound as well.

 

[WAnabee]

I've never heard of "pulling the artery", curious to know exactly what that means. When i was a kid my dad raised holstein dairy replacements so had to dehorn everything and they would bleed a lot until he put a burner to them to cauterize, that seemed to stop it. Now we just raise polled cattle. I agree polled bulls are the easiest dehorners but stuff happens.

 

[Fay Holiday]

Dehorning at 11 months, isn't something I would do. It can be done without complications, but I wouldn't do it unless it is a calf you plan on handling a lot. If it was a replacement heifer headed for range, I would weight the horns.

I have dehorned several 100 in my day using pinch dehorners and blood stop, but I preferred to dehorn as soon as buds could be felt and use a hot iron dehorner. Wobbling it around, gets all the horn root and I rarely had scurs. Scurs are easy to remove if you don't like the look.

It sounds like you did a good job. Dehorning is an ugly business, no two ways about it.