dehorning bred cow
- Thread starter roux
- Start date
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I would prefer to wait till after she had calved, but if you dehorn and keep a close eye on her to prevent infection you should be OK.
Winter is the best time to dehorn if you have a lot of flies in summer. If you do have to dehorn in summer keep an eye on the wounds in case of maggots.
Winter is the best time to dehorn if you have a lot of flies in summer. If you do have to dehorn in summer keep an eye on the wounds in case of maggots.
stocky
Well-known member
You can dehorn a bred cow. Keep in mind that if you do a regular dehorn, it will knock the cow for a couple of months. If she is within 2 months of freshening, she could get off to a rough start with raising the calf. I cut the horns off a couple of inches from the head after tying off the blood supply and it doesnt knock them at all. I like to do the regular dehorning in November, after the flies are gone. If you do it now, you will have to have a place inside for her at night and out of the snow or rain. You will have to watch for her to get problems from the cold getting into her head. Dont do a regular dehorn when flies are present because of screw worms and infections. Good luck with your decision.
roux":2cdp1tnj said:
As with people - as an animal ages, certain procedures become harder on them. I would say it depends on the age of the cow and how heavy bred she is. Knowing the stress that dehorning puts on an animal, I would say it is entirely possible that dehorning a heavy bred cow could kick her into premature delivery (which could result in the calf dying), depending on her age. Instead of dehorning her, why not cut her horns off an inch or so from her head? Less stress, and less chance of problems with her calf. Better yet, wait until the calf has attained some growth.
