Horn banding - pics

[Supa Dexta]

Barnes and burn here. Won't even know they ever had horns when I'm done with em. I try and have them done by 6mo though.

If in some odd chance I ever got on old horned cow (not sure how that would happen) I likely would try the banding.

 

[dieselbeef]

I don't like horns but any of it seems like unnecessary stress on the animal to me...you know its gotta hurt. I band to castrate but idk bout the horns...

 

[Bigfoot]

It's been a long time, since I raised a calf with horns. I have bought a blue jillion of them with horns. 99 times out of 100, I just use my barnes dehorners. I then cordarize the wound. IMHO, banding horns compared to conventional dehorning, the banding is far less painful. Certainly more bloodless. P poor management, I let this set horns get away, and I had been wanting to band some. I have done goats in the past, but not cattle. I'll have to see how this works, but for now I like it a lot.

 

[Lucky_P]

By all means, taking horns off with a polled bull is best.
I've used only polled bulls since about 1989... but the horn gene is floating along in some of my cows from distant ancestors, and I've used a few hetero polled bulls in the last 5 years, so occasionally end up with a horned calf in the calf crop. Would certainly prefer to burn horn buds when they're babies... but no longer have a dehorning iron, and no more frequently than I need one... I'm probably not going to purchase one.

Took off hundreds, if not thousands, over the years, with Barnes, Keystones, OB wire. Still prefer banding on small horns over any of those techniques.

 

[cattle60]

These pics have got me thinking more. I was going to use a manual dehorner but not sure about stopping the bleeding. I've never done this before. I have a 2 year old Jersey cow and two 4-6 month old heifers. Could I use the big bands on the cow and the little green bands on the heifers? The big bander is a calitrate. Normally use it on bigger bulls 5-6 hundred pounds. Thought that maybe it would work better on the cow's horns and the little on the calves.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Anyone use the paste on new borns?

 

[Muddy]

Anyone use the paste on new borns?

I'm sure some folks do use paste on newborns. But its hard to notice the calves w horn buds out of polled parents especially in a commercial herd, till its too late to use a paste.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Ive just never tried it. I only had one or 2 this year that I could feel buds on at birth, but only had half a dozen total to dehorn anyways, so they all got cut and burnt. It looks pretty quick and easy though, so for less than a big mac meal I may give it a try next season. Just gotta keep the calf away from the cow for a couple hours I heard.

 

[TexasBred]

I've only banded horns on one heifer before, they both fell off in time, but I didn't like the result, it just looked like poor stockmanship.

What works better for me is to just cut them off flush with the head with pruning scissors and burning with a hot iron over the wound. On young calves I just use the hot iron, same applies for scurs, but I've found that you tend to get a bit of regrowth in the case of scurs.

Yessir...leaves a beautifully shaped head after healing as well

 

[Muddy]

I've only banded horns on one heifer before, they both fell off in time, but I didn't like the result, it just looked like poor stockmanship.

What works better for me is to just cut them off flush with the head with pruning scissors and burning with a hot iron over the wound. On young calves I just use the hot iron, same applies for scurs, but I've found that you tend to get a bit of regrowth in the case of scurs.

Yessir...leaves a beautifully shaped head after healing as well

perhaps for show rings, but does the look matters to most folks?

 

[slick4591]

Working cows in the morning and I'm going to slip a couple of bands on a heifer I have.

 

[Bigfoot]

My gorilla tape is still holding strong. You might try using some.

 

[TexasBred]

I've only banded horns on one heifer before, they both fell off in time, but I didn't like the result, it just looked like poor stockmanship.

What works better for me is to just cut them off flush with the head with pruning scissors and burning with a hot iron over the wound. On young calves I just use the hot iron, same applies for scurs, but I've found that you tend to get a bit of regrowth in the case of scurs.

Yessir...leaves a beautifully shaped head after healing as well

perhaps for show rings, but does the look matters to most folks?

No but the neatness of the end result at least shows that you care how well you do the job as well as what the end result looks like.

 

[slick4591]

I got my heifer banded today then hauled her to the vet for her bangs vaccination. After the doc got finished he looked at the tape and I told him what I was doing. Didn't seem upset but told me about a study he was involved in at A&M. He said their conclusion was it only was successful 50% of the time. He said banding was the least desired way of dehorning because the pain didn't go away for a good while and, as a result, the animal didn't grow as well as those that were scooped. Just told him that it was experiment I was doing and he asked me to report back when they fell off.

 

[Bigfoot]

I got my heifer banded today then hauled her to the vet for her bangs vaccination. After the doc got finished he looked at the tape and I told him what I was doing. Didn't seem upset but told me about a study he was involved in at A&M. He said their conclusion was it only was successful 50% of the time. He said banding was the least desired way of dehorning because the pain didn't go away for a good while and, as a result, the animal didn't grow as well as those that were scooped. Just told him that it was experiment I was doing and he asked me to report back when they fell off.

That 50% is not encouraging sounding.

 

[Muddy]

I got my heifer banded today then hauled her to the vet for her bangs vaccination. After the doc got finished he looked at the tape and I told him what I was doing. Didn't seem upset but told me about a study he was involved in at A&M. He said their conclusion was it only was successful 50% of the time. He said banding was the least desired way of dehorning because the pain didn't go away for a good while and, as a result, the animal didn't grow as well as those that were scooped. Just told him that it was experiment I was doing and he asked me to report back when they fell off.

That's odd that it was 50%. Nearly all calves I banded were just fine and grows (still on feed). Discomfort may be there but I've seen worse from scoop methods and saw methods.

 

[Lucky_P]

Yep. 50% surprising to me too.
Granted, I've only done it on my own animals... and fewer than 10 at that... but I'm batting 100% on taking 'em off.
Granted, they're usually weaning-age heifers, without an Brahman influence, so they're not all that big... and yes, they do end up with that 'ol' square-head' look... but I don't care - it's easy to identify 'em from a distance, and they won't be poking holes in any other cattle.

As to long-term discomfort... I dunno; think I'd personally rather have the band than to have an appendage just lopped or sawed off. I do a nerve block now... rarely if ever did 'em when I was in practice lopping 'em off or cutting 'em off with OB wire. At least they have some local analgesia for as long as the block lasts... how long does your lip feel deadened after a trip to the dentist?
Many food animal practitioners are now advocating administering meloxicam as a pain reliever for post-castration/post-dehorning... particularly on pet animals, but also on a regular basis for small herds/flocks owned by folks who have concerns about pain in their animals in the post-procedure period.

 

[rnh2]

Would California bander work as well?

 

[Bigfoot]

Would California bander work as well?

I've got my doubts you could get it on a horn with one. I've only seen one used once though.

I believe tomorrow is 4 weeks for me, and I have seen no change in mine. May not work, but bands are still on.

 

[Bigfoot]

Horns just started coming off of mine today. Each heifer has lost a horn apiece. Both look clean and neat. Hope the other side comes off soon.