Cattle buyers often discount calves for the presence of horns. Results from the 2000 Arkansas Livestock Market Survey indicated that polled or dehorned feeder calves sold for an average of $1.49/cwt. more than horned cattle. Horn-related injuries may occur during shipping as well as in the feedlot and are thus undesirable to cattle feeders.
The 1997 USDA NAHMS survey of cow-calf management practices determined that only 49.7 percent of non-polled calves in the Southeast region of the U.S. were dehorned before being sold compared to the national average of 61.1 percent and that the average age for dehorning was 130 days. Results of the 2000 National Beef Quality Audit indicated that 23.7 percent of cattle evaluated on the harvest floor had horns, down from 32.2 percent in 1995.
The simplest way to produce calves without horns is to use a homozygous polled herd sire, but several options are available for removing horns from calves born with them (Table 2). Dehorning methods may differ by animal age and stage of horn development. Horn tissue is formed in specialized cells in a small ring surrounding the horn button. Bloodless dehorning methods attempt to destroy this ring of cells and should be performed prior to significant horn growth. Mechanical dehorning can be performed at any age or animal size; however, stress and complications associated with dehorning may be minimized by dehorning at a young age, preferably at less than one month of age. Mechanical dehorning involves the physical removal of the horn along with a small ring of skin surrounding it.
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Table 2. Various dehorning options |
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Dehorning Method |
Procedure |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
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Chemical |
Apply caustic paste to horn button at 1 day to 3 weeks of age. Cut hair from around horn button before applying. Applying petroleum jelly around the area of caustic paste application can minimize chemical burns. Keep the calf separated from its dam until the paste has dried. |
Works well on young calves |
Application of caustic paste before a rain can cause eye injury. |
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Bloodless |
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Hot iron |
Heat irons with fire or electricity. Place hot iron over the horn and hold in place with firm pressure. Twist the iron to evenly distribute heat. Apply long enough (usually 20 seconds) to kill all horn cells around the horn. Look for a copper or bronze color to the skin. Reapply for 10 seconds if copper color is not present. |
Used after the horn button appears up to 4 months of age |
Must be done when calves are young and horns are small. |
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Works best in calves less than 2 months of age with less than 1 inch of horn growth |
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Bloodless |
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Tube or spoon dehorners |
Cut around the horn and surrounding skin and scoop out. |
Works well on very small horns less than 1 1/2 inches long |
Not bloodless |
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Multiple instrument sizes available |
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Barnes dehorners |
Select an instrument size large enough to remove the horn and a 1/4- to 1/2-inch circle of skin at the horn base. Press the instrument firmly against the calf’s head. Quickly open and twist the handles. Stop any bleeding by cauterizing with a hot iron or pulling arteries with forceps. |
May be used on calves up to or slightly past weaning |
Not bloodless |
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Multiple instrument sizes available |
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Saws, wires, keystone dehorners |
Remove a 1/2-inch circle of skin along with the horn to prevent regrowth. Stop any bleeding by cauterizing with a hot iron or pulling arteries with forceps. Coagulant powder may be used. Observe the wound for infection for an extended period of time. |
For use in older cattle with large horns |
Not bloodless |
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Exposed sinus may become infected |
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Sharp, disinfected dehorning instruments are essential when dehorning adult cattle. Because damaged bone tissue may be more susceptible to infection, bone tissue should be cut rather than crushed. Problems with infection are usually not encountered except in cases where cattle have developed a mature horn sinus that leaves an opening into the sinuses of the head upon dehorning. It is advisable to use disinfectants on dehorning instruments to prevent wound infections and the spread of infectious diseases. Dehorning outside of fly season also reduces the risk of infections developing. Wound treatment with blood coagulant powder and fly spray can be useful.
As with castration, it is important to make sure that calves are properly restrained for physical dehorning. Dehorning requirements for preconditioning programs may involve complete dehorning or only tipping horns back to the hairline. In either case, dehorned calves should be fully healed before shipment.
Source: Jeremy Powell, DVM Extension Veterinarian, University of Arkansas