De - Horning

[Gone Shooting]

Have bought 10 BB crosses at 4+ months old which have not been de-horned . Would you de-horn now with anesthetic and iron or leave to the spring when bigger and chop off? - thanks

 

[liammogs]

Chop off in the spring before the flys are around, last thing you want is de horn them now and the holes filling up with silage and bits of straw to cause problems!!!

Anesthetic and chop them off using a guiloteen for best results!

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Cheese wire

 

[kp_n_plghng]

If it was me I would definitely do them now, you might even be able to lop them off with croppers if the horns arent too big, or a very sharp pen knife. Burn with iron afterwards. I cant see wire being necessary at that age. Just spray with terramycin spray after dehorning.

 

[bovine]

Do them now. You want one of the scoop type dehorners.

I don't know if these are any good, but worth a punt at the price:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Calf-Deho...01a990e&pid=100005&rk=4&rkt=6&sd=321759552391

We have some ancient ones. Scoop out the horn. Use local. Cauterise with iron.

Do them now.

The scoops don't go into the head. There is technique to them - push both handles away firmly in a smooth motion.

I spray the buds, but I don't know what I expect to achieve.

Shot of painkiller is best practice.

 

[Gone Shooting]

Thanks

 

[milkloss]

Do them now. You want one of the scoop type dehorners.

I don't know if these are any good, but worth a punt at the price:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Calf-Dehorner-Barnes-13-Stainless-Steel-Veterinary-Farming-Tool-Steel-Handle/151644357958?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIC.MBE&ao=1&asc=20140122125356&meid=50680f6bf3b54a06bd31cb8d101a990e&pid=100005&rk=4&rkt=6&sd=321759552391

We have some ancient ones. Scoop out the horn. Use local. Cauterise with iron.

Do them now.

The scoops don't go into the head. There is technique to them - push both handles away firmly in a smooth motion.

I spray the buds, but I don't know what I expect to achieve.

Shot of painkiller is best practice.

Good post. I don't want to start the usual bs arguments that seem to follow you round bovine but 'best practice?' I thought it was a legal necessity no?

 

[capfits]

Would not buy them in first instance, but then I guess they were cheap.

 

[gtigriff]

Good post. I don't want to start the usual bs arguments that seem to follow you round bovine but 'best practice?' I thought it was a legal necessity no?

Local anaesthetic yes, pain killer inj best practice maybe???

 

[multi power]

Do them now. You want one of the scoop type dehorners.

I don't know if these are any good, but worth a punt at the price:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Calf-Dehorner-Barnes-13-Stainless-Steel-Veterinary-Farming-Tool-Steel-Handle/151644357958?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIC.MBE&ao=1&asc=20140122125356&meid=50680f6bf3b54a06bd31cb8d101a990e&pid=100005&rk=4&rkt=6&sd=321759552391

We have some ancient ones. Scoop out the horn. Use local. Cauterise with iron.

Do them now.

The scoops don't go into the head. There is technique to them - push both handles away firmly in a smooth motion.

I spray the buds, but I don't know what I expect to achieve.

Shot of painkiller is best practice.

That will be a easy and quick job, but if too big I would do them is spring with wire

 

[milkloss]

Local anaesthetic yes, pain killer inj best practice maybe???

Yep, I read painkillers as anaesthetic, should read more carefully

 

[Headless chicken]

Do them now. You want one of the scoop type dehorners.

I don't know if these are any good, but worth a punt at the price:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Calf-Dehorner-Barnes-13-Stainless-Steel-Veterinary-Farming-Tool-Steel-Handle/151644357958?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIC.MBE&ao=1&asc=20140122125356&meid=50680f6bf3b54a06bd31cb8d101a990e&pid=100005&rk=4&rkt=6&sd=321759552391

We have some ancient ones. Scoop out the horn. Use local. Cauterise with iron.

Do them now.

The scoops don't go into the head. There is technique to them - push both handles away firmly in a smooth motion.

I spray the buds, but I don't know what I expect to achieve.

Shot of painkiller is best practice.

We have a pair they're brilliant. Not a tool we like to use though but perfect for those which you intended to sell as calves then don't and then think oh fuc.

 

[Gulli]

Do them now. You want one of the scoop type dehorners.

I don't know if these are any good, but worth a punt at the price:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Calf-Dehorner-Barnes-13-Stainless-Steel-Veterinary-Farming-Tool-Steel-Handle/151644357958?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIC.MBE&ao=1&asc=20140122125356&meid=50680f6bf3b54a06bd31cb8d101a990e&pid=100005&rk=4&rkt=6&sd=321759552391

We have some ancient ones. Scoop out the horn. Use local. Cauterise with iron.

Do them now.

The scoops don't go into the head. There is technique to them - push both handles away firmly in a smooth motion.

I spray the buds, but I don't know what I expect to achieve.

Shot of painkiller is best practice.

How big can you go with them, safely? Is it a case of if it fits over the horn then its fine?

We find spraying the bud or putting a splodge of fly cream on keeps any flies off and stops problems with maggots btw.

 

[bovine]

How big can you go with them, safely? Is it a case of if it fits over the horn then its fine?

Yes. We have a smaller one with handles 30cm long and another pair half as long again.

Fills the gap between small enough to fit in the dehorning iron head to chop with the guillotine. Anything from thumb size to carrot.

 

[Gulli]

Yes. We have a smaller one with handles 30cm long and another pair half as long again.

Fills the gap between small enough to fit in the dehorning iron head to chop with the guillotine. Anything from thumb size to carrot.

Might be a handy thing to have kicking around then, thanks

 

[Cushniecattle]

Do them now. You want one of the scoop type dehorners.

I don't know if these are any good, but worth a punt at the price:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Calf-Dehorner-Barnes-13-Stainless-Steel-Veterinary-Farming-Tool-Steel-Handle/151644357958?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIC.MBE&ao=1&asc=20140122125356&meid=50680f6bf3b54a06bd31cb8d101a990e&pid=100005&rk=4&rkt=6&sd=321759552391

We have some ancient ones. Scoop out the horn. Use local. Cauterise with iron.

Do them now.

The scoops don't go into the head. There is technique to them - push both handles away firmly in a smooth motion.

I spray the buds, but I don't know what I expect to achieve.

Shot of painkiller is best practice.

Surely it depends if they are cold calves or have been housed before you bought them?
Outing calves through any additional stress at this time of year is asking for pneumonia.
Leave them till spring.

 

[bovine]

I find frost on dehorned animals (if you enter the sinus) the biggest stress. We see more pneumonia in spring than we do in autumn. I wouldn't do them on the day they arrived, but OK IMO once settled.

With good technique, properly done local and a shot of anti-inflammatory the process is quite stress free.