Dehorning

[Jamie]

What are the chances of dehorning a 9 month old heffer with about 2 inch horns neatly without them growing back or ending up as stubs? Or does it just come down to the vet?



Edited By Jamie on 1245615474

[Saffy]

The vet should make a tidy job but the head shape (top at the poll) is often not quite as aesthetically pleasing as one done at 6 weeks.

However by that age the nerve system around the horn bud is more mature and can be impossible to deaden completely for dehorning, I think you are getting quite close to the age limit.

I am sure Duncan can tell us.

If you do get it done make sure to tell the vet the age of the animal, as if the vet isn't used to Dexters he/she may think it is a younger animal than it is and wonder why it is feeling the procedure.

Stephanie

[Duncan MacIntyre]

If it was me doing the job I would wait till autumn now because of the risk of flies. I use PLENTY of anaesthetic, don't read the book and expect to get perfect numbing with 2.5ml on each side, only attempt it if you have been properly trained. I use a saw rather than the guillotine type or wire as I think it allows you to get the angle better and get enough off all round the base - if you don't have a border of skin then there will be some re-growth. This means quite a large wound for a 9 month or year old beast, and it takes quiet a while to heal. Hence the caution about flies - you will be very likely to get maggots in the frontal sinuses if you do it now unless you are loading them with spoton or ivermectin type pourons. Have plenty help to hold the head steady or you will not take the horn off at the right angle and/or will have a bit of horn tissue left at one edge which will grow. I do think that Dexters are more difficult to dehorn well than most cattle. Ayrshires are easy, unfortunately very few left.

Duncan