Dehorning

Once you have finished this tutorial you will be able to dehorn on your own with no problems.

Requirements

You will:1. Need horned Cattle2. Need all necessary equipment3. Need a strong stomach because you will see

blood4. Need working facility

Reasons for dehorning

1. Horned livestock are potentially more dangerous to their handlers.

2. Horned livestock take up more room in feed lots and on trailers.

3. Horned livestock may cause injuries to other cattle, especially in confined places.

Keystone DehornersThis is one type of tool you can use to tip the horns off a cow. We use these because the horns are to big. The horn will not fit inside the scoop.

Barnes Dehorners

Also known as a scooper because that is what they actually do. They scoop the entire horn out of the head of the animal.

Tools

Also known as Hemostats. They are used to pull all bleeders from the wound site.

We use these tools when we remove the horn.

• You will need a source of fire and a metal object that you will use to burn the area.

Tools continued

Injections

Penicillin. Antibiotic

Tetanus. Used because we are cutting up and opening up a piece of skin with a scalpel and we don’t want any infections to occur.

These injections are given to any animal we dehorn.

Cattle Chute

• All animals will be caught by this contraption which will hold the animal so we can remove their horns.

Instructions 2. The next morning before you go out to dehorn make sure to have all injections and tools ready so you don’t have to struggle.

Reason: This slows down the speed of the blood and when you cut the horns there will be less blood loss.

1. Gather all the cattle you are going to dehorn and pen them up a day early with no food or water.

3. Run cattle through alleyway towards cattle chute.

4. Catch cows head in chute

gate.

5. Give the animal its injections

6. Cut the horns off

• These people are using a different type of tool almost like the keystone dehorners to remove the horn. When you do it this way they will eventually grow back after time.

7. Pull out the bleeders with the hemostats. Try to pull any bleeders out before you attempt to clog them by burning them.

8. Burn the bleeders so they can stop bleeding.

Burning off any bleeders that we missed.

9. Burn the opposite side.

We used the keystone dehorners to cut these horns to a certain length.Different

style also known as tipping

We cut them to our length of preference.

Burning any bleeders we missed.

There are two ways to dehorn• Regularly: You first inject the animal with penicillin and tetanus on the side

shoulder of the animal subcutaneous. Then you will use the Barnes dehorners and place them around the horn. As quickly as you can separate your hands and scoop the horn off the animals head. Then you pour some blood clot powder and spray some blue topical lotion and you’re done.

• Surgically: You first inject lydacaine into the side of the horns in a clockwise or counter clockwise manner. Then inject the animal with penicillin and tetanus on the side shoulder of the animal subcutaneous. Wait a couple minutes then with scalpel remove or cut any skin between the horn and the skin. You will separate the skin from the horn. Then when finished you will use the Barnes dehorners and place them around the horn. As quickly as you can separate your hands and scoop the horn off the animals head. Then with the hemostats you will pull out all visual bleeders. These hemostats will clamp and then you will twist them till they come out. Afterwards you will pour a little bit of blood clot powder and then sew up the hole with the skin around the hole using the needle and thread.

Second choice• There is an optional way that you can trim the horns instead of getting rid

of the horns. This is called tipping. You will first inject the animal with the penicillin and the tetanus, and then you will use the keystone dehorners and place them around the horn. You can adjust to the length you prefer. Then you pull the two handles together and this will cut the horns to a certain length.

Congratulations!!!You have completed my tutorial and now know all the steps in

dehorning your own cattle.

Making it TSTC Property