Dehorning
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I luv herfrds
Well-known member
Are you asking how we dehorn cows or calves?
We dehorn the calves at birth with a dehorning paste.
Just had a cow get a horn removed. The vet did it with 2 handles and a piece of thin metal cable. Just sawed it right off.
We dehorn the calves at birth with a dehorning paste.
Just had a cow get a horn removed. The vet did it with 2 handles and a piece of thin metal cable. Just sawed it right off.
Beckett
Well-known member
Im going to try the dehorning paste the year. Ive heard good and bad about it.
Calves get burnt off.
If there to big then the vet snips them with scoops.
cows are done with a wire and 2 handles.
Calves get burnt off.
If there to big then the vet snips them with scoops.
cows are done with a wire and 2 handles.
Lucky_P
Well-known member
Yep. I prefer taking 'em off with a polled bull, too - but in some breeding programs, you're still gonna have some horns appear from time to time - even from polled parents(both would have to be heterozygous polled).
I've burned 'em off calves, 'scooped' 'em out with Barnes' dehorners, cut 'em off mature cows with the obstetrical saw wire; we had a set of those bit old Keystone dehorners, but rarely used 'em.
Also used the caustic dehorning paste on bottle calves(Holsteins) - but I hated that stuff - tended to run places you didn't really want it, calves would rub & smear it - ended up with some that had holes in their ears where they'd 'moved' it around. Would hate to have a calf rub that stuff on the cow's udder. Bet it would do a bad number on an eye if they managed to rub/smear it in there.
I've also taken horns off 5-6 month old heifers with elastrator bands(the little green Cheerio); trim/shave the hair at the base of the horn, open the elastrator tool as far as it'll go and slide two bands as far down at the base of the horn as you can get 'em. Calves will shake their heads and paw at 'em for 30 minutes or so(they do that with the paste & burning, too), but after that, they don't seem to exhibit any discomfort. about 4-6 weeks later, they just drop off - no blood, no open cavities, no maggots. However, if I'm dehorning with elastrator bands, I'll give a Clostridial(blackleg/malignant edema) vaccine containing tetanus toxoid about 2 weeks before I apply the band and give a booster at the time I put the bands on.
I've burned 'em off calves, 'scooped' 'em out with Barnes' dehorners, cut 'em off mature cows with the obstetrical saw wire; we had a set of those bit old Keystone dehorners, but rarely used 'em.
Also used the caustic dehorning paste on bottle calves(Holsteins) - but I hated that stuff - tended to run places you didn't really want it, calves would rub & smear it - ended up with some that had holes in their ears where they'd 'moved' it around. Would hate to have a calf rub that stuff on the cow's udder. Bet it would do a bad number on an eye if they managed to rub/smear it in there.
I've also taken horns off 5-6 month old heifers with elastrator bands(the little green Cheerio); trim/shave the hair at the base of the horn, open the elastrator tool as far as it'll go and slide two bands as far down at the base of the horn as you can get 'em. Calves will shake their heads and paw at 'em for 30 minutes or so(they do that with the paste & burning, too), but after that, they don't seem to exhibit any discomfort. about 4-6 weeks later, they just drop off - no blood, no open cavities, no maggots. However, if I'm dehorning with elastrator bands, I'll give a Clostridial(blackleg/malignant edema) vaccine containing tetanus toxoid about 2 weeks before I apply the band and give a booster at the time I put the bands on.
I luv herfrds
Well-known member
Lucky our paste is so thick you have to use a popscile stick to put it on. It does not run.
Know this subject has been talked about a lot. Dun told about using duct tape by running it around the calves head over where the paste was applied to keep it from being wiped or licked off.. He said the tape would just wear off over time.
We tried to band horns before and we quit after shooting some off into the bulls pen.
Know this subject has been talked about a lot. Dun told about using duct tape by running it around the calves head over where the paste was applied to keep it from being wiped or licked off.. He said the tape would just wear off over time.
We tried to band horns before and we quit after shooting some off into the bulls pen.
rockridgecattle
Well-known member
When using dehorning paste, make sure to cut the hair around the stub, and scratch the tip a bit...not alot. Then to ensure it works, and the calf does not rub one side off while feeding on the cow, cut two strips of duct tape and tent it over the paste. The tape will fall off in a few hours or the momma will lick it off. But it gives the paste a chance to work before it gets rubbed off.
Started useing Franklin dehorn paste in the very early 50s. Did at least 300 as soon as possible after birth. As far as I know we never hurt a bag or had any problems with the calves. Always use a nylon toothbrush cut the bristels back a little way and remember this is definetly a case off a "little dab will do it" and NOT if a little is good a lot must be better. A hot iron at branding is a second choice and is also very effective. Have dehornd 1000's and just another little chore.
AudieWyoming
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A hot iron around the base is my 2nd choice after genetic dehorning. Its simple, clean, and virtually painless. We used an electric iron around the base knocked the button off then seered the nubin. @
EDIT; I just looked at the OP. He asked about dehorning cows, I'm talking calves here sorry.@
EDIT; I just looked at the OP. He asked about dehorning cows, I'm talking calves here sorry.@
Lucky_P
Well-known member
The one bottle of caustic dehorning paste I had was more like the consistency of Elmer's glue. Guess it was defective.
I used it on one batch of calves and the bad experience was enough for me to go to the bother of stringing some extension cords down to the barn and using the hot-iron dehorner off of the clinic truck. I don't doubt that lots of folks have used the paste successfully; it just didn't work for me, and I no longer need it, since all the bulls I'm using anymore are homozygous polled.
Never did much horn-tipping, but a set of Keystone dehorners with a sharp blade would do the job quickly. The obstetrical wire saw works good for complete dehorning on adult animals, and I've used it to cut back horns on old curved-horned cows that had a horn tip growing back into the side of their head.
I used it on one batch of calves and the bad experience was enough for me to go to the bother of stringing some extension cords down to the barn and using the hot-iron dehorner off of the clinic truck. I don't doubt that lots of folks have used the paste successfully; it just didn't work for me, and I no longer need it, since all the bulls I'm using anymore are homozygous polled.
Never did much horn-tipping, but a set of Keystone dehorners with a sharp blade would do the job quickly. The obstetrical wire saw works good for complete dehorning on adult animals, and I've used it to cut back horns on old curved-horned cows that had a horn tip growing back into the side of their head.
