Horns
- Thread starter almfab
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
certherfbeef
Back in the old days I did the same thing. You have now got an animal that will never be symmetrical, because the horns will be different lengths. Not a big deal, just wait until it heals up and start on the shorter horn. Be advise the horn will also likely be of a different thickness - such is life. You now have a "conversation piece"!
sidney411
I have had the misfortune to lose a cow in the bush for about 6 months - with the weights on her. She finally showed up when the snow got too deep for her to forage. The weights actually dragged the horns almost straight down the side of her head. I pulled out the cutters and took them off about two years later. I am sure there are ways of pulling the horns straight down, but I did it once by accident.
Alan
You can make the horns do almost anything you want. My Horned Herefords that were born and raised on the range have horns that grow up, forward and out. In fact these girls have what I call a "hook horn". Very, very effective on wolfs and dogs. Bad for the other cows if they start to fight - so most of these style have grown wheels over the years. Only the quietest remain - I think we have about 10 of them left.
The weights actually pull the horns down and then the horn seems to naturally curl in towards the nose. To me, the perfect horn curve for my animals actually has them on a line about 3 inches above the forehead and curling in towards the face. If done correctly the horns will never touch the head - simply grow in a crescent shape and be at an angle that they will never meet in the middle. If they are too low they will be below the bridge of the nose and eventually could cause a problem if they grow into the side of the face.
MR3
You may find this hard to believe, but I have kept cattle outside at 55 degrees below zero - fahrenheit - and they have never had a problem. As long as they have food they are fine. Never seen a horn freeze - ever.
In 1995 I was living at the top of the hill - north side of the suspension bridge crossing the Peace River - north of Grande Prairie and south of Fairview - if I remember it was highway #2. That year the temperature dropped as low as minus 56 and never got above minus 40 for over two weeks in one stretch. No probs whatsoever. Cows just stayed outside and ate everything I put in front of them. When they laid down on the manure pile, the steam would form quite a thick fog around them - and ice crystals dormed all over the hide. They just chewed their cud and never complained.
Back in the old days I did the same thing. You have now got an animal that will never be symmetrical, because the horns will be different lengths. Not a big deal, just wait until it heals up and start on the shorter horn. Be advise the horn will also likely be of a different thickness - such is life. You now have a "conversation piece"!
sidney411
I have had the misfortune to lose a cow in the bush for about 6 months - with the weights on her. She finally showed up when the snow got too deep for her to forage. The weights actually dragged the horns almost straight down the side of her head. I pulled out the cutters and took them off about two years later. I am sure there are ways of pulling the horns straight down, but I did it once by accident.
Alan
You can make the horns do almost anything you want. My Horned Herefords that were born and raised on the range have horns that grow up, forward and out. In fact these girls have what I call a "hook horn". Very, very effective on wolfs and dogs. Bad for the other cows if they start to fight - so most of these style have grown wheels over the years. Only the quietest remain - I think we have about 10 of them left.
The weights actually pull the horns down and then the horn seems to naturally curl in towards the nose. To me, the perfect horn curve for my animals actually has them on a line about 3 inches above the forehead and curling in towards the face. If done correctly the horns will never touch the head - simply grow in a crescent shape and be at an angle that they will never meet in the middle. If they are too low they will be below the bridge of the nose and eventually could cause a problem if they grow into the side of the face.
MR3
You may find this hard to believe, but I have kept cattle outside at 55 degrees below zero - fahrenheit - and they have never had a problem. As long as they have food they are fine. Never seen a horn freeze - ever.
In 1995 I was living at the top of the hill - north side of the suspension bridge crossing the Peace River - north of Grande Prairie and south of Fairview - if I remember it was highway #2. That year the temperature dropped as low as minus 56 and never got above minus 40 for over two weeks in one stretch. No probs whatsoever. Cows just stayed outside and ate everything I put in front of them. When they laid down on the manure pile, the steam would form quite a thick fog around them - and ice crystals dormed all over the hide. They just chewed their cud and never complained.
TheBullLady
Well-known member
We've got a Simbrah cow with horns that go down beside her face, but they are scurrs.. or loose at the base.
"Banana horns" some do flop, but some are just a little loose. The come straight down beside the head.
Around here scurred horns are just little horns that have broken the skin but never grew anymore. Banana horns are anywhere from 2 inches to longer.
I don't think it has anything to do with them being frozen, because it doesn't stay in the freezing temps. that long in Texas.
But again, just my experience with them.
Around here scurred horns are just little horns that have broken the skin but never grew anymore. Banana horns are anywhere from 2 inches to longer.
I don't think it has anything to do with them being frozen, because it doesn't stay in the freezing temps. that long in Texas.
But again, just my experience with them.
CattleAnnie
Well-known member
Bez,
I remember that winter of '95 only too well. The coldest morning I've ever seen was that year (don't remember the day), but when I tried to read the thermometer, the mercury wouldn't even rise out of the ball at the bottom of it - the lowest reading on it being minus 60 degrees Celcius (no idea what that would be in Farenheit, but minus 50C is close to minus 60F). Brrrr! Thank God we're getting balmy temps of minus ten at night right now instead!
Take care.
I remember that winter of '95 only too well. The coldest morning I've ever seen was that year (don't remember the day), but when I tried to read the thermometer, the mercury wouldn't even rise out of the ball at the bottom of it - the lowest reading on it being minus 60 degrees Celcius (no idea what that would be in Farenheit, but minus 50C is close to minus 60F). Brrrr! Thank God we're getting balmy temps of minus ten at night right now instead!
Take care.
CA
You know, our thermometer had numbers to minus 45 degrees F. Then it was almost an inch and a half further down the tube until it turns into the little ball that holds all the mercury.
The mercury never came out of that little ball for a couple of weeks. Yeah, the radio kept saying it was something below minus 50. I fugure that it hit minus 60 more than a couple of times - but the official in town weather guessers never admitted to lower than the low minus 50's. It's always colder in the country than in the city anyways.
Most folks here do not believe me - funny enough, I did not actually mind the cold. What I did mind was the extra electricity and extra fuel we used. I used to leave the tractor running all day.
When I went home at night I would take the battery out of the vehicle because those funny little electric battery blankets did not work. I had a dipstick heater in the oil, a circulating heater on the cooling system and a battery that slept on the radiator by the back door. Even then, the poor old engine and transmission really resented being turned over.
Love the sound of snow crunching unde your feet on a clear night.
People down south that have never experienced this have also missed the fun of driving on square tires!! BUmp / Bump / Bump!!
One good thing about the cold - it kills a lot of bad things. Not too many bugs can take that kind of weather.
Stay well
Bez
You know, our thermometer had numbers to minus 45 degrees F. Then it was almost an inch and a half further down the tube until it turns into the little ball that holds all the mercury.
The mercury never came out of that little ball for a couple of weeks. Yeah, the radio kept saying it was something below minus 50. I fugure that it hit minus 60 more than a couple of times - but the official in town weather guessers never admitted to lower than the low minus 50's. It's always colder in the country than in the city anyways.
Most folks here do not believe me - funny enough, I did not actually mind the cold. What I did mind was the extra electricity and extra fuel we used. I used to leave the tractor running all day.
When I went home at night I would take the battery out of the vehicle because those funny little electric battery blankets did not work. I had a dipstick heater in the oil, a circulating heater on the cooling system and a battery that slept on the radiator by the back door. Even then, the poor old engine and transmission really resented being turned over.
Love the sound of snow crunching unde your feet on a clear night.
People down south that have never experienced this have also missed the fun of driving on square tires!!
BUmp / Bump / Bump!! One good thing about the cold - it kills a lot of bad things. Not too many bugs can take that kind of weather.
Stay well
Bez
frenchie
Well-known member
Bez.........Personally i love those northern lights . the farther north the better the colors.
As for the winter of 95 that was a bear.
As for the winter of 95 that was a bear.
frenchie
I could not agree more. FArther north you go - the better the colour and the dance. You should see them from 45,000 and north of Inuvik - had that pleasure when I was flying Hornets. Used to turn all the lights off in the cockpit and just look straight up - pretty cool.
Was on the phone until 0130 with some friends out of Beulah (sp?) MN last night - BA breeders. I suspect I will be in their country this next few weeks should something I am party to comes to fruition - know any RA types out there? May need a few truckloads of bred heifers (avec reg papier) and a few bulls - will not know for sure for a while - time will tell.
Cheers
Bez
I could not agree more. FArther north you go - the better the colour and the dance. You should see them from 45,000 and north of Inuvik - had that pleasure when I was flying Hornets. Used to turn all the lights off in the cockpit and just look straight up - pretty cool.
Was on the phone until 0130 with some friends out of Beulah (sp?) MN last night - BA breeders. I suspect I will be in their country this next few weeks should something I am party to comes to fruition - know any RA types out there? May need a few truckloads of bred heifers (avec reg papier) and a few bulls - will not know for sure for a while - time will tell.
Cheers
Bez
ollie
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2004
- Messages
- 984
- Reaction score
- 0
I recokon I like cold weather fine but when it gets to minus thirty....cover me with dirt instead of blankets. I'll be dead.Bez":15rn5rbl said:ollie
Shoot - I just use a sheet and leave a leg poked out.
I don't break out the buffalo hides until it hits about minus 30.
Cheers
Bez
frenchie
Well-known member
ollie":1vnqlp4m said:I recokon I like cold weather fine but when it gets to minus thirty....cover me with dirt instead of blankets. I'll be dead.Bez":1vnqlp4m said:ollie
Shoot - I just use a sheet and leave a leg poked out.
I don't break out the buffalo hides until it hits about minus 30.
Cheers
Bez
But who would explain epds to us poor ranchers. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Its not all that bad ,you get used to the cold .
frenchie
Well-known member
Bez wish I could see them lights at 45,000 feet.These southern boys are missing an awesome show.
Well, this is even further off topic - but here is a story about me and a close friend living on the Arctic Ocean in an igloo - back around 1990.
It's right in the middle of January and my buddy Opie and I are walking across the ice and snow looking for a place to camp out. It's getting on about 1400 hours and I know we will need some shelter pretty soon. So I found a pretty good snow drift and broke out the hand saw - it's the best for cutting snow blocks.
Snow has to be drift packed and no loose layers in it or the blocks fall apart. The best way to find this stuff is to walk around and find snow that sounds like styrofoam being rubbed - it squeaks real loud.
So I started sawing the snow into blocks about 2 and a half feet long, 8 inches thick and about 18 inches or so wide. Using my trusty bread knife - another invaluable igloo building tool - I trimmed them up and had a pretty good igloo built in about two hours. Getting real dark and real windy - so I pulled out our sleeping gear and laid it our for the night.
I set up a couple of candles to warm the place up and stripped down to my long johns for a nap - but couldn't get to sleep - so I pulled out a frozen chocolate bar to gnaw on. I also pulled out my thermometer - and stuck it in the roof of the igloo.
So there I am sitting cross legged in the igloo in my long johns eating a frozen chocky bar when I looked at my temperature reader. It was only about minus 20.
I started to laugh and told Opie - here we are on a frozen ocean - living in a snow house - a raging blizzard outside - only a couple of candles for heat - eating frozen food. It's colder in here than it is back home in my deep freezer and I am actually quite comfortable!
I guess it's all in what a person is used to.
Cheers
Bez
It's right in the middle of January and my buddy Opie and I are walking across the ice and snow looking for a place to camp out. It's getting on about 1400 hours and I know we will need some shelter pretty soon. So I found a pretty good snow drift and broke out the hand saw - it's the best for cutting snow blocks.
Snow has to be drift packed and no loose layers in it or the blocks fall apart. The best way to find this stuff is to walk around and find snow that sounds like styrofoam being rubbed - it squeaks real loud.
So I started sawing the snow into blocks about 2 and a half feet long, 8 inches thick and about 18 inches or so wide. Using my trusty bread knife - another invaluable igloo building tool - I trimmed them up and had a pretty good igloo built in about two hours. Getting real dark and real windy - so I pulled out our sleeping gear and laid it our for the night.
I set up a couple of candles to warm the place up and stripped down to my long johns for a nap - but couldn't get to sleep - so I pulled out a frozen chocolate bar to gnaw on. I also pulled out my thermometer - and stuck it in the roof of the igloo.
So there I am sitting cross legged in the igloo in my long johns eating a frozen chocky bar when I looked at my temperature reader. It was only about minus 20.
I started to laugh and told Opie - here we are on a frozen ocean - living in a snow house - a raging blizzard outside - only a couple of candles for heat - eating frozen food. It's colder in here than it is back home in my deep freezer and I am actually quite comfortable!
I guess it's all in what a person is used to.
Cheers
Bez
frenchie
Well-known member
ollie":24qruusf said:
none of us northern boys would take it personal...........We know where its coming from...............
CattleAnnie
Well-known member
Now if you had suggested a correlation between Canadians and stubborness, Ollie, you'd definately have been 'bang-on' the spot.
;-)
Take care.
;-)
Take care.
