Electric dehorners? Okay for Dexters?

[Little Cow]

Hey there!

I'd like to dehorn my calves very early. I saw this advertised:

http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html ... b0d0204ae5

Are these worth it? Paste seems so messy. Also, which method is easiest for newbies? And since my calves are Dexters, is the calf model too big?

Once again, thanks guys...

 

[dun]

I prefer this type to the one that has a gap in the dehorning surface.
As long as the horn is in the bud stage it's easy as pie to dehorn with the electric iron

dun

 

[Earl Thigpen]

Little, this is just a thought but why don't you give your vet a call. I don't know about other parts of the country but the vets here in my county charge very little for dehorning, especially if you get it done while they are still calves. It's permanent and when it's all done they will look like they never had horns to begin with.

I have electric dehorners and one very big mechanical pair that I could lope off horns about 2" in diameter but most of my cattle today are mulies (no horns) so I don't use either one.

 

[KNERSIE]

I've got a similar one that works with lighter gas with the added advantage that you don't need to be close to electricity. If the horns are slightly bigger you can cut them with pruning scissors and then burn as usual with the same results.

i'll never use paste again, not reliable enough and I got a lot of stubbs growing into unsightly scur like things on the head. Used Hornex by the way.

 

[Little Cow]

Thanks Earl!

The local vet is not so familar with cows...

There is a guy that charges a low price for horns, but we're too far away and have too small a herd, so we'd have to haul them to him. It would be much easier to do it ourselves.

 

[Little Cow]

Thanks for your input, Dun!

 

[Little Cow]

Thnaks Knersie! I have heard stories about paste. What does it do to a cow if she licks it off her calf's head?

 

[Dave]

I don't use paste anymore. I had a calf that went to rubbing his head and spread it to his ear. Burned about half his ear off. I only used it on bottle calves. I would never use paste on a calf that was on a cow. Hard telling what might get burnt off the cow.

The electric dehorners work quick and easy. They are probably the easiest method on the cow.

 

[IL Rancher]

Check out the butane one... Or one of the electric ones if that is what you want... Some folks who raise Dexters and dehorn them will tell you that the "goat" tips on the dehorners will work better than the cattle ones.. I don't generally dehorn so it is not something I think about..

As far as the paste.. Some folks will surrond the area wth a vaseline and put tape over it or something like that.. Again, never bothered to do it myself, if we have to dehorn we lop them when we castrate.