Horns Issue

[capatterson7479]

I have a heifer calf that just started to grow horns at the age of 6 months old. We didn't know that she will grow horns that late. Her horns was sort of soft and can move when we touches it. I have attached some picture showing her starting to grow horns. Is it too late to dehorn with paste?

Thanks

 

[dun]

If they are movable they are scurs not horns. Horns are attached to the skull, scurs are not. At that size, I would either burn them off with a hot iron dehorner or have someone that knows what they are doing cut/scoop them out.

 

[Bigfoot]

Duns right (as usual). Just scurs. They should be easy to get off. A set of scoop dehorners would do the trick, and aren't expensive. I have also had luck cutting along one side with a pocket knife and twisting them off with vice grips. The later is not for the faint of heart.

 

[Lucky_P]

And... it's possible that they'll never get any larger or more prominent than they are today. I've seen cows with scurs that were tiny little 'scab' type, as well as others that looked like fully-grown horns, except for the fact that they were not attached to the skull - only to skin - and flopped around like a broken limb.
You may not need to do anything to them...I wouldn't.

 

[Bigfoot]

And... it's possible that they'll never get any larger or more prominent than they are today. I've seen cows with scurs that were tiny little 'scab' type, as well as others that looked like fully-grown horns, except for the fact that they were not attached to the skull - only to skin - and flopped around like a broken limb.
You may not need to do anything to them...I wouldn't.

For some reason, I like the dangly scurs. I think they look pretty knarly.

 

[slick4591]

One of mine had one that was long enough that it appeared to be growing back into her skull. I finally got tired of people telling me it was a danger, and they wouldn't believe that it wouldn't ever be a problem. I finally had it scooped.

 

[TCRanch]

I've had two Sim-Angus with scurs & both of them would occasionally knock them off - or rub them off, or they came off in a fight. But they always grew back.