Cattle dehorning
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Cattle dehorning is the process of removing or stopping the growth of an animal’s horn(s). The processes of dehorning ranges from using genetics to breed off the horns, to physically removing the horns with a tool. Cattle are dehorned for economic (feedlots), management reasons and cosmetic (private herds) considerations[citation needed]. Dehorning has been under some scrutiny because some people believe it to be unnecessarily cruel to the animals.
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[edit] Dehorning practices
Dehorning should be done by a veterinarian or a trained professional. Dehorning should take place during the spring and the autumn when the flies are not abundant. No matter which process is used, it is important to make sure the tool is sharp, in proper working order, and is sanitary.
[edit] Reasons for dehorning
Cattle are mainly dehorned because of economic loss:
- Horned cattle usually bring less at a sale compared to a dehorned calf of the same weight.
- Horned cattle can cause economic loss by the injuries they inflict to other cows in yards and other confined places.
- Horns can cause bruising of the meat or puncture the hide' lessening the hide and meat value.
- Horned cattle also take up more room in feed lots and on trailers causing more economic loss because the producers are not able to fit as many animals on the trailer or in the yard.
- Horned cattle are potentially more dangerous to their handlers. The horns add a greater risk of injury to the handlers.
[edit] Processes
Genetically removing horns is done by breeding polled bulls to horned cows. A polled bull is an animal that was born without any horns. Breeding a homozygous polled animal to a horned animal will result in the majority of their offspring being polled, because the polled gene is the dominant gene. If the offspring is bred with a different polled animal each year, after a few generations, horns will all but be eliminated from the herd.
The most recent development in dehorning technology is the dehorning (caustic) paste. The paste is used on calves at a young age before the horn gets very big. It is best to use the paste within the first two or three months of the calf's life. To use the paste, the hair around the horn is trimmed back and then the paste is spread all over the horn bud and around the base of the horn on the growth cells. The paste kills the growth ring of the horn and then the horn will fall off like a scab when it is healed. This method however, is not recommended, as there is greater risk of the paste entering the calf's eyes or other sinuses and causing injury to the animal, especially during periods of rain.
Cauterization is the process of killing the growth ring of the horn using heat. This process is done when the calf is very young, no more than three or four weeks old,that way the horns are not very big and have not had time to grow attached to the skull. The earlier in the calf's life cauterization is done, the less pain and stress is inflicted on the calf. Cauterization is usually done with a dehorning hot iron.
A curved knife can be used to cut the horn off when the calf is younger than a couple of months old. It simple procedure where the horn and the growth ring is cut off to remove the horn.
For older calves, usually under eight months of age, the horns are starting to grow attached so a cup dehorner or a saw is used. There are several different types of cup dehorners, but they all serve the same function of removing the horn and growth ring. Since the horn is tougher it takes more force to remove it so tools that provide some leverage are need. A bone saw is used on horns of older calf’s horns that have grown too large for the cup dehorners.
In order to use all of these tools, handlers must properly restrain the animal using a dehorning table. This ensures that the dehorning procedure can be done safely and properly. Young calves are run through a head gate to ensure the safety of the calves and handlers. Calves more than a few months old are held in a head gate and their head restrained with a dehorning table.
For mature cows that were not dehorned when they were young, it is common practice to just cut off the pointed end of the horn. This practice is called horn tipping; it is less stressful on the cows because there is no blood loss and the horn is cut off where there is no longer any nerve endings. This practice does not eliminate the bruising damage done by the horns when cows fight, but it does eliminate the risk of puncture wounds and eye loss from pointed horns. If adult cattle are to be dehorned, it should be done using local anaesthetic (Cornual Nerve block).
