Horned Heifer

[Trixie Club Calves]

Hey everyone!
I have an almost yearling shorthorn plus show heifer. She looks like she was dehorned as a calf (so she just has tiny nubs) but in the last two months they seem to have grown a little bit. What's the easiest and best way to make sure they don't grow anymore? Last thing I want is a horned show heifer.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Sale barn...

 

[Trixie Club Calves]

Sale barn...

Yeah that's not gonna happen with her

 

[StrojanHerefords]

A photo would help. Is the horn firmly attached to the skull?

 

[Trixie Club Calves]

A photo would help. Is the horn firmly attached to the skull?

I'll try and get one tomorrow. They seem pretty attached

 

[Trixie Club Calves]

A photo would help. Is the horn firmly attached to the skull?

This was about two months ago. They've grown a little since, so ill get new pictures

 

[StrojanHerefords]

That is a scur, it won't grow much more. It is a sign that the heifer has a copy of the horned gene. A hacksaw should remove the horn.
That being said half horned polled cattle is a problem that has hurt the Hereford breed a registered polled animal shouldn't have a horned calf.

 

[Trixie Club Calves]

That is a scur, it won't grow much more. It is a sign that the heifer has a copy of the horned gene. A hacksaw should remove the horn.
That being said half horned polled cattle is a problem that has hurt the Hereford breed a registered polled animal shouldn't have a horned calf.

Okay, I'll just keep and eye on it.

Isn't a scur not attached to the skull though? Or I am wrong on that? I'm used to polled cattle.
Her sire is/was horned (he was dehorned) and dam is polled

 

[SBMF 2015]

Hey everyone!
I have an almost yearling shorthorn plus show heifer. She looks like she was dehorned as a calf (so she just has tiny nubs) but in the last two months they seem to have grown a little bit. What's the easiest and best way to make sure they don't grow anymore? Last thing I want is a horned show heifer.

The show folks around here take them to a guy that does cosmetic dehorning. He numbs them up, lays the hide back, and reshapes their skull. So after he sews them up and they heal, they have a completely polled look.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

The show folks around here take them to a guy that does cosmetic dehorning. He numbs them up, lays the hide back, and reshapes their skull. So after he sews them up and they heal, they have a completely polled look.

Wowza didn't know "cosmetic dehorning" was a thing.

The people that show around here just start with a proper polled animal...

 

[SBMF 2015]

Wowza didn't know "cosmetic dehorning" was a thing.

The people that show around here just start with a proper polled animal...

The only reason I know is because the college that I work with takes students to watch it be done and in the past they have asked if I had an animal they could borrow. I only had horned Herefords and apparently they are harder to do ( I have no clue, just what I was told) so they didn't want him.

 

[wobbie1775]

Okay, I'll just keep and eye on it.

Isn't a scur not attached to the skull though? Or I am wrong on that? I'm used to polled cattle.
Her sire is/was horned (he was dehorned) and dam is polled

Don't let the backhanded negative comments from the crowd get to you. If you get a better/new pic someone will be able to advise you on a path forward. Stick to your plan

 

[Brute 23]

Wowza didn't know "cosmetic dehorning" was a thing.

The people that show around here just start with a proper polled animal...

Are you OK? Do you need to talk? PM me. I'm here for you.

 

[Brute 23]

Hey everyone!
I have an almost yearling shorthorn plus show heifer. She looks like she was dehorned as a calf (so she just has tiny nubs) but in the last two months they seem to have grown a little bit. What's the easiest and best way to make sure they don't grow anymore? Last thing I want is a horned show heifer.

@SBMF 2015 is right. If you want her to look clean for the show get her to a vet that does cosmetic dehorning. Even scurs will grow slow and look rough.

There is also a "show" section on here where you may get more help.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Are you OK? Do you need to talk? PM me. I'm here for you.

I'm just fine. We are lucky to have a vet by phone to get us meds. Didn't realize people did cosmetic surgery on cows. Things are so "hollywood" out there in the big cities.

 

[Brute 23]

I'm just fine. We are lucky to have a vet by phone to get us meds. Didn't realize people did cosmetic surgery on cows. Things are so "hollywood" out there in the big cities.

We have all heard.. over.. and over.. and over............ and over.............. and over.

You seem to be extremely negative lately and just finding places to interject it. I thought maybe some thing was going on else where and you were just expressing it on here.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Nope just shocked more and more everyday by what goes on in the world.. haha

 

[coachg]

We had shorthorn cattle for years . There are polled , horned , milking and dual purpose ones throughout the breed . We had polled but occasionally we got a calf with horn buds . We used dehorning paste on newborn if with felt the buds . Trimmed the hair, put the paste on with a popsicle stick then put athletic tape around the head . The tape was to keep momma from licking the paste off . 3-4 days later the tape usually came off and the horns were gone !

 

[moses388]

Her sire is/was horned (he was dehorned) and dam is polled

The calf has 1 horn gene from the sire and 1 polled gene from the dam. Scurs are the result of having a horn gene. Like you, I have seen it in my cattle.

 

[simme]

I already knew about "cosmetic dehorning". Way more than just dehorning. Sort of not a good image for the industry, I think. As far as "negative", it seems to me that most should find cosmetic dehorning much more negative than just using a polled animal for show. Really, the show thing is pretty far removed from the mainstream cattle industry. It promotes some traits that have no economic value, some that have negative economic value.

Reshaping the skull for a show - that's just extreme. Maybe like extreme cosmetic surgery for people.