Horns on weanlings "mart"

kay 9

Have a few weanlings around 8 months old left to go to mart but they have small horns. Will they accept them or we better to skull them? Thanks for reading

_Brian

They all seem to accept them. Actually they seem to take animals with horns of all sizes.
I hate to see it though as I've seen a few animals injured in the mart with broken horns.

If you get someone tasty to skull them they will look good for sale.

Kovu

If they're only 8 months, the horns will only be wee nubs and be grand for sale. As Brian said above though, they'll look tidier if they're skulled. Mightn't be enough to offset the cost of skulling though.

tanko

Don't skull them now, still lots of flies about.

Muckit

I wouldn't do them at this stage unless you are selling them in a few months time as it will take a good while for them to heal up afterwards and cattle that are freshly done look cack imo

kay 9

Sorry for the belated reply folks. Going to leave them be this time so. Hate skulling them anyway tbh. The last 3 bulls so will run them through as is. There is still alot of flies as posted above. Every year we seem to miss the latter calves and skulling is a pain in the hole to say the least. Thanks again.....

Sami23

Hi, just wondering what technique ye use for taking off horns off say 2 year old cattle. Horns approx 6-8 inches long.
We usually tie around the horns with baling twine and tighten with a nail and then saw off the horns with fine tooth saw. The annoying thing with this is you have to bring in the animal again after a day or two to cut off the twine.

So has anyone got any other method or do ye think I would get away without the twine ?

Reggie.

Sami23 wrote: »

Hi, just wondering what technique ye use for taking off horns off say 2 year old cattle. Horns approx 6-8 inches long.
We usually tie around the horns with baling twine and tighten with a nail and then saw off the horns with fine tooth saw. The annoying thing with this is you have to bring in the animal again after a day or two to cut off the twine.

So has anyone got any other method or do ye think I would get away without the twine ?

Yeah debud them as calves and it saves all that hardship.

kay 9

Sami23 wrote: »

Hi, just wondering what technique ye use for taking off horns off say 2 year old cattle. Horns approx 6-8 inches long.
We usually tie around the horns with baling twine and tighten with a nail and then saw off the horns with fine tooth saw. The annoying thing with this is you have to bring in the animal again after a day or two to cut off the twine.

So has anyone got any other method or do ye think I would get away without the twine ?

Injection, then saw enough off that there is a complete ring of hair/skin on the horn so they don't grow back. Then whilst they're still restrained, you will see the vein spurting on some of them, with a tweezers or something small twist and pull out slowly until it contracts and breaks. The key in this is to do it slowly or you'll have trouble with bleeders. Don't just pull it straight out. Never needed twines or ropes with that technique. Then spray with some alu spray and fly deterrent.

kay 9

As reggie suggested though, doing them as calves is the right way.

Reggie.

kay 9 wrote: »

As reggie suggested though, doing them as calves is the right way.

They are alot easier handled at a few weeks old too

AntrimGlens

I usually end up doing a few for an elderly neighbour every year and the best method i've found is to get a piece of fine wire about 3 ft long tie each end to a piece of half inch alkethene pipe and then get the wire in tight to the head around the horn and slowly pull back and forward. much easier than a saw as you can roll with the animals movements and its tidy too, also a good workout when you've done about a dozen.

J.O. Farmer

AntrimGlens wrote: »

I usually end up doing a few for an elderly neighbour every year and the best method i've found is to get a piece of fine wire about 3 ft long tie each end to a piece of half inch alkethene pipe and then get the wire in tight to the head around the horn and slowly pull back and forward. much easier than a saw as you can roll with the animals movements and its tidy too, also a good workout when you've done about a dozen.

That wire would be skulling wire. It works with not a lot of bleeding. It's better than a saw as it will almost cauterise the wound with the heat generated. It leaves a neater looking job too. You need to go slow to get a start but you can go quite quickly when you get a grip you'll need help to hold the horn for the last bit.

Sami23

Reggie. wrote: »

Yeah debud them as calves and it saves all that hardship.

Agree completely, its only da odd that gets missed as calves. Maby 1 every 2 years.

rangler1

Sami23 wrote: »

Hi, just wondering what technique ye use for taking off horns off say 2 year old cattle. Horns approx 6-8 inches long.
We usually tie around the horns with baling twine and tighten with a nail and then saw off the horns with fine tooth saw. The annoying thing with this is you have to bring in the animal again after a day or two to cut off the twine.

So has anyone got any other method or do ye think I would get away without the twine ?

Last time I got cows dehorned, the local guy used something on his angle grinder like this
http://www.medi-nova.it/electric_dehorning_saw/prodotto_en_1322.aspx

Took them off in a second, never even caught them, cows didn't even know what happened

greysides

For general information, as the subject is being discussed:


The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 has been commenced and came in to force on 6th March 2014.

Amongst its provisions are:

Disbudding/Dehorning

Farmers (or Veterinary Practitioners/Nurses) may perform the disbudding / dehorning of:
* cattle up to 15 days of age without use of anaesthesia or analgesia;
* cattle between 15 and 28 days but only with use of appropriate local anaesthesia and analgesia (as per a veterinary prescription issued by the farmer’s Veterinary Practitioner in relation to the animals undergoing the procedure);
*sheep and goats up to 8 days of age without use of anaesthesia or analgesia;
Irrespective of the legal allowance to not use local anaesthesia, for animal welfare reasons the use of local anaesthesia and appropriate analgesia should be encouraged.

For cattle over 28 days of age, and sheep and goats over 8 days of age, only a Veterinary Practitioner may disbud/dehorn, and in this case the Veterinary Practitioner must by law, use appropriate anaesthesia and analgesia.

onyerbikepat

rangler1 wrote: »

Last time I got cows dehorned, the local guy used something on his angle grinder like this
http://www.medi-nova.it/electric_dehorning_saw/prodotto_en_1322.aspx

Took them off in a second, never even caught them, cows didn't even know what happened

Holy Cow! That thing could do some damage in the wrong hands. :eek:

Reggie.

rangler1 wrote: »

Last time I got cows dehorned, the local guy used something on his angle grinder like this
http://www.medi-nova.it/electric_dehorning_saw/prodotto_en_1322.aspx

Took them off in a second, never even caught them, cows didn't even know what happened

Lad uses one of them here aswell. Great job. Done in seconds

kay 9

greysides wrote: »

For general information, as the subject is being discussed:


The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 has been commenced and came in to force on 6th March 2014.

Amongst its provisions are:

Disbudding/Dehorning

Farmers (or Veterinary Practitioners/Nurses) may perform the disbudding / dehorning of:
* cattle up to 15 days of age without use of anaesthesia or analgesia;
* cattle between 15 and 28 days but only with use of appropriate local anaesthesia and analgesia (as per a veterinary prescription issued by the farmer’s Veterinary Practitioner in relation to the animals undergoing the procedure);
*sheep and goats up to 8 days of age without use of anaesthesia or analgesia;
Irrespective of the legal allowance to not use local anaesthesia, for animal welfare reasons the use of local anaesthesia and appropriate analgesia should be encouraged.

For cattle over 28 days of age, and sheep and goats over 8 days of age, only a Veterinary Practitioner may disbud/dehorn, and in this case the Veterinary Practitioner must by law, use appropriate anaesthesia and analgesia.

Didn't know a vet's supposed to do it after 28 days.

Farmer Pudsey

Sami23 wrote: »

Hi, just wondering what technique ye use for taking off horns off say 2 year old cattle. Horns approx 6-8 inches long.
We usually tie around the horns with baling twine and tighten with a nail and then saw off the horns with fine tooth saw. The annoying thing with this is you have to bring in the animal again after a day or two to cut off the twine.

So has anyone got any other method or do ye think I would get away without the twine ?

Just to clarify have not dehorned since 2013 act came in. Then it was only cattle finished as bulls that were done. Injected them with appropriate anesthesia. Had these extra large rubberbands and put over horns. I then cut but left butts of horns. Filled holes with sudocream and sprayed whole area with stockholm tar 9 use the aerosol spray. After 3-4 days bring in cut rubberbands with a small wire cutters spray again with stockholm tar and keep an eye on. It matters little what time of year as lonf as you keep the stockholm tar applied. Leave them in a field near the shed and feed a bit of ration so you can watch.

Even if you use the vet remember the sudo cream and the tar.

Bodacious

That's some weapon !

No electric most of the places I go though !

Reggie.

Bodacious wrote: »

That's some weapon !

No electric most of the places I go though !

Ya can get the battery ones too I think

Bodacious

Reggie. wrote: »

Ya can get the battery ones too I think

Not a big fan of battery yokes .. Horn up was some disaster .. If you ever go to your electrical recycle centre 90% of the cordless stuff is perfect but batteries are crap. Great tool that though Reggie

rangler1

Reggie. wrote: »

Lad uses one of them here aswell. Great job. Done in seconds

Probably the same guy

rangler1

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Holy Cow! That thing could do some damage in the wrong hands. :eek:

Not really the guard keeps it out from the head, the animal knows nothing about it, no vet would be as stress free for the animal.

on the river

Gas dehoners. Are more efficient then the electric ones