Trimming horns

[cfpinz]

For those of you who use(have used) horned animals, what is your preferred method of stopping the bloodflow once the horns have been tipped on an older animal?

Thank You

cfpinz

 

[Hippie Rancher]

I rarely mess with horns but in the back of the ole medicine box is a big jar of styptic powder. Have used small quantities when trimming bird claws back when I worked in a pet store and it worked good. Grampa must have had it around for horns I guess. If you want I can get the brand name and details in the morning.

I have seen people grabbing the little veins with needle nose pliers and mashing them to stop it.

 

[cfpinz]

Hippie - Thanks, I'm familiar with the powder. Never seen anyone use it on horns, though.

Bought an old horned herf bull yesterday that had one horn turned back into his head. Only thing I had handy was a hacksaw, going to get an ob saw to keep around from now on. My grandparents had horned animals when I was a kid, but I haven't messed with them for many moons. We covered the end in baking soda, helped a little. Mom said we should have used pine tar, after the fact. Shoulda called Mom first.

Thinking about getting a searing iron, but hate to spend 60 bucks.

cfpinz

 

[Brad D]

I don't think that there is a really great way to stop the blood but i can tell you a few things that i have done, the best is to burn the vessels or use a thin hose or rubber from a inner tube and wrap it tight around the base of the horn. make sure to take them off in a day or two. Or push toothpicks into where the the blood leaking from. If anyone else has sugestions it would be great to hear them. Good luck

 

[hillrancher]

Pull the blood vessels out medical tool. Cheyenne pepper and cotton and fly repelent. If raining and wet pine tar over all to keep water out. The last took to vet.

This is a job I try to take care by breding. I am going to keep some horned females this year. I know they forget, but I feel real bad to do this to what I want to keep around.

 

[milkmaid]

I've had my vet use the iron on a few older animals that I've had dehorned... personally, I felt like it just made a bigger mess and didn't cauterize the vessels like I'd hoped it would. Not sure if it would work better if one was just tipping the horn rather than taking the entire thing off.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

I have used a hack saw for the same thing (usually only tip horns if they are growing into face) but I'll tell you, a pruning saw - especially the folding kind - are perfect. Know some guys that gather wild cattle and lead out of mountains - that is what they carry to tip/dehorn.

 

[Roadapple]

If just tipping, take twine around base of horn as if you were pulling them towards each other and tie fairly tight(enuf to stop bleeding). As said before, remove in couple days.

 

[3waycross]

Battery operated sabre-saw works great for tipping them, and you can use it anywhere. Plus it's fast really fast.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Cousin did not have enough horn weights and used an electric sawsall (sp?) cut the horns at an angle then burned the ends to stop the bleeding.
We've used a hand saw on an older cow with a horn growing into the side of her head. Vet was there, I wasn't, so I don't know what he put on the horn to stop the bleeding.
Father in law did mention pine tar when they de horned animals.

 

[Medic24]

Seen folks trim or remove larger horns all diffeent ways.

Banding works, but very good chance you will loose band before it kills the horn.
Twisting wire around the base of the horn seems to work a bit better.
Guilitine shears work good, cept ya gotta stop the blood, or should try anyways. We used pine tar during fly season.

I have seen others simply take a sledge hammer to each horn, but in my book, that is a huge no no in so many ways. Makes me ill to see something barbaric like that.
:cboy:

 

[Brute 23]

Battery operated sabre-saw works great for tipping them, and you can use it anywhere. Plus it's fast really fast.

:nod: Yes Sir

 

[simangus23]

I used to tip horns all the time on Santa Gertrudis cows and the branding iron works as good as anything..

 

[Brad D]

Has anyone ever tried using one of these,

http://www.enasco.com/action/ProductDet ... ku=C14529N

 

[3waycross]

Has anyone ever tried using one of these,

http://www.enasco.com/action/ProductDet ... ku=C14529N

The battery operated sabre saw(sawzal) will do the same thing for about $500 less, and there is no limit as to what size horn it will cut.

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

Wire saw for tipping -- cauterizes as it cuts and finish it off with a searing iron until it's a nice copper color all around.

I would say no to pruning shears... could crush the horn and crack it down deeper than you would anticipate, but that's just our preference.