Management PracticesManagement Practices

Dehorning, Docking, and Dehorning, Docking, and CastrationCastration

DehorningDehorning

Reasons for dehorning:Reasons for dehorning:• less injury to each otherless injury to each other• less injury to equipmentless injury to equipment• less space requiredless space required• less chance of injury to handlerless chance of injury to handler• eliminates the boss coweliminates the boss cow• dehorned cows bring higher pricesdehorned cows bring higher prices• they grow fasterthey grow faster• for show purposesfor show purposes

Methods of DehorningMethods of Dehorning

ChemicalChemical-10 days old; uses -10 days old; uses caustic soda; should wear gloves; caustic soda; should wear gloves; clip hair around horn and apply clip hair around horn and apply petroleum jelly; apply 1/16 inch of petroleum jelly; apply 1/16 inch of caustic soda; scurs are common.caustic soda; scurs are common.

Hot IronHot Iron-calves 1-3 mo. Old; hold -calves 1-3 mo. Old; hold firmly against head for 15 sec.; firmly against head for 15 sec.; horn will fall off in 4-6 weeks.horn will fall off in 4-6 weeks.

Dehorning MethodsDehorning Methods

Spoon and TubeSpoon and Tube-1-3 mo.; tube is -1-3 mo.; tube is twisted back and forth, then turned twisted back and forth, then turned to cut underneath horn.to cut underneath horn.

ElastratorElastrator-instrument that stretches -instrument that stretches a special made rubber band and a special made rubber band and then deposits it on the hairline at the then deposits it on the hairline at the base of the horn; used on cattle with base of the horn; used on cattle with 3-6 inch horns; poor results3-6 inch horns; poor results

Dehorning MethodsDehorning Methods

BarnesBarnes-4-8 mo. Old; place over -4-8 mo. Old; place over horns, apply firm pressure against horns, apply firm pressure against the head; quickly spread apart. A the head; quickly spread apart. A 1/4 in. ring of hair should be 1/4 in. ring of hair should be removed with horn.removed with horn.

Dehorning ClippersDehorning Clippers-used on any -used on any age; used for tipping or regular age; used for tipping or regular dehorning; remove 1/2 inch hair dehorning; remove 1/2 inch hair

Dehorning MethodDehorning Method

SawsSaws (surgical or cosmetic)-most (surgical or cosmetic)-most painful; need to use local painful; need to use local anesthetic; done on show cattle; anesthetic; done on show cattle; skin back hide, remove horn and skin back hide, remove horn and part of skull, sew hide back, trim part of skull, sew hide back, trim off excess hide; remove stitches in off excess hide; remove stitches in 10 days10 days

Preventing Excess Preventing Excess BleedingBleeding

Pull arteries with forcepsPull arteries with forceps Cauterize it (Burn it)Cauterize it (Burn it) Use a commercial blood stopper Use a commercial blood stopper

and gauzeand gauze Apply furox once a day for 3-4 Apply furox once a day for 3-4

daysdays

DockingDocking

The removal of the tailThe removal of the tail Reasons for docking:Reasons for docking:

• keep manure and urine from sticking to tailkeep manure and urine from sticking to tail• improves appearanceimproves appearance• eliminates fly problemseliminates fly problems• makes breeding easiermakes breeding easier• ID sexes easierID sexes easier

Should be docked before 2 mo. oldShould be docked before 2 mo. old

Docking MethodsDocking Methods

Knife-push skin toward body, twist tail 1/4 Knife-push skin toward body, twist tail 1/4 turn, cut off at appropriate joint.turn, cut off at appropriate joint.

Elastrator-takes 1-2 mo. for tail to fall off; Elastrator-takes 1-2 mo. for tail to fall off; after 10 days tail can be cut off with knifeafter 10 days tail can be cut off with knife

Burdizzo-prevents blood loss; hit jointBurdizzo-prevents blood loss; hit joint Emasculator-prevents blood loss; hit jointEmasculator-prevents blood loss; hit joint Hot Iron-looks like a chisel; heat until red, Hot Iron-looks like a chisel; heat until red,

burn through joint; slower to healburn through joint; slower to heal

CastrationCastration

Reasons for castrating:Reasons for castrating:• improves quality of meatimproves quality of meat• prevents unwanted pregnanciesprevents unwanted pregnancies• allows us to have males and females allows us to have males and females

in same penin same pen• pens and equipment last longerpens and equipment last longer• improves temperamentimproves temperament

CastrationCastration

Reasons for NOT castrating:Reasons for NOT castrating:• bulls gain weight faster than steersbulls gain weight faster than steers• the meat is leanerthe meat is leaner

Functions of testicles:Functions of testicles:• produce spermproduce sperm• produce testosterone (male sex hormone)produce testosterone (male sex hormone)

Stag-a steer that retains the Stag-a steer that retains the appearance of a bullappearance of a bull

Castration MethodsCastration Methods

Should be castrated at 1-3 mo. OldShould be castrated at 1-3 mo. Old KnifeKnife-cut off bottom 1/3 of scrotum; -cut off bottom 1/3 of scrotum;

pull down on 1 testicle, scrape cord pull down on 1 testicle, scrape cord 2-3 inches above testicle to cut; 2-3 inches above testicle to cut; repeat with other testiclerepeat with other testicle

ElastratorElastrator BurdizzoBurdizzo EmasculatorEmasculator