Dehorning: removing horns and horn buds
Dehorning means removing horns or horn buds from cattle to reduce injuries to other animals and handlers. Removing the buds in young calves is called disbudding; removing developed horns from older cattle is dehorning. Pain relief must follow the rules that apply where you farm.
When and how is it done?
Calves are usually disbudded while the horn buds are small to reduce stress and bleeding. Methods include a hot disbudding iron and chemical paste. The choice depends on the calf's age, local practice and the rules where you farm.
What should you note afterwards?
Note the date, number of animals treated, method and any complications. For example, if a calf treated at three weeks has swelling, write it down so you can check it at the next visit and keep a clear account of its care.
Questions from the farm
What is disbudding?
Disbudding removes a young calf's horn buds before the horns attach to the skull. The procedure is simpler and less stressful than removing developed horns from older cattle.
Why do farms dehorn?
Dehorning reduces injuries to cattle and handlers in pens, at feeders and in handling crushes.
How HerdMobile helps
Bring your animals, feed stocks and farm accounts together on your Android phone. HerdMobile keeps your daily work moving offline: record events, compare feed quantities and follow sales and payments in one place. Use your own feeds and herd information to prepare a ration, then keep a backup file under your control.
Keep each calf's procedure date and notes with its ear tag in HerdMobile, so you can quickly check when it was treated and follow its care.
