De-horning calves

Mac Taylor

Have a few young calves to de-bud, just wondering do lads take the bud out all together or just put the ring of the gas burner around the bud (if that makes sense)

Kovu

I don't scoop it out, see no sense in doing it if you kill the bud correctly by 'circling' the burner round the bud. Hard to explain as you said!

Tis all in the wrist action

Mac Taylor

Kovu wrote: »

I don't scoop it out, see no sense in doing it if you kill the bud correctly by 'circling' the burner round the bud. Hard to explain as you said!

Tis all in the wrist action

Bullock knows all about wrist action seemingly:D:D

Kovu

Mac Taylor wrote: »

Bullock knows all about wrist action seemingly:D:D

Bullock would be the right one to have on a de-horning thread to be fair!!!:p

High bike

Been using the gas for a few yrs now without any problems,got a dehorning gel this year but haven't tried it yet .Anyone any experience good or bad of this ?

frazzledhome

We used to do ourselves but this year two chaps come in every week and do what's to be done. Great saving and calves done and not put on long finger.

Bullocks

Mac Taylor wrote: »

Bullock knows all about wrist action seemingly:D:D

Kovu wrote: »

Bullock would be the right one to have on a de-horning thread to be fair!!!:p

Don't leave the poor fecker with half a horn anyhow , happened me once and I was disgusted for a week after .

Serious reply , we scoop out the full horn . Would this weather be a bit harsh for dehorning ?

Genghis Cant

Mac Taylor wrote: »

Have a few young calves to de-bud, just wondering do lads take the bud out all together or just put the ring of the gas burner around the bud (if that makes sense)

I just burn a nice ring around the bud. Iron red hot. A little pressure N, S, E, and W. No gouging out the bud.

_Brian

Genghis Cant wrote: »

I just burn a nice ring around the bud. Iron red hot. A little pressure N, S, E, and W. No gouging out the bud.

Same.. iron good and hot, roll round the horn roots so there's a definite burn mark all way round.. never take piece out as it falls out after maybe two weeks when the skin is healed.
Had a lad in years ago who dehorned for us and it was savagery he was scooping out so much..

frazzledhome

Bullocks wrote: »

Don't leave the poor fecker with half a horn anyhow , happened me once and I was disgusted for a week after .

Serious reply , we scoop out the full horn . Would this weather be a bit harsh for dehorning ?

A semi I think its called :)

onyerbikepat

A good hot iron and well restrained calf is the answer alright. I just flick off the horn to one side, don't gourge it as such. I make a 'X' shape then across the exposed flesh to cauterise it.

Greengrass1

I scoop them out but I'm thinking I might stop. Takes weeks for them to heal up

freedominacup

Greengrass1 wrote: »

I scoop them out but I'm thinking I might stop. Takes weeks for them to heal up

After this thread I think I'll do the same. Every day is a school day. I never knew you didn't have to take it all out.

frazzledhome

freedominacup wrote: »

After this thread I think I'll do the same. Every day is a school day. I never knew you didn't have to take it all out.

Same here

kay 9

High bike wrote: »

Been using the gas for a few yrs now without any problems,got a dehorning gel this year but haven't tried it yet .Anyone any experience good or bad of this ?

Used the gel the last couple of yrs. No stress on the calf at all it seems. One drop is sufficient. Just keep them clear of the mother for couple of hrs after. We've used everything from gas, electric and saws etc and there is no beating the gel imo. However, you still need them restrained and clip away a little hair if needed. Gel all the way.

Bullocks

kay 9 wrote: »

Used the gel the last couple of yrs. No stress on the calf at all it seems. One drop is sufficient. Just keep them clear of the mother for couple of hrs after. We've used everything from gas, electric and saws etc and there is no beating the gel imo. However, you still need them restrained and clip away a little hair if needed. Gel all the way.

Do they have to be done under one week ? I got the gel but never used it , at a week old I couldn't find a trace of a horn but maybe that's how it should be done ?

Limestone Cowboy

High bike wrote: »

Been using the gas for a few yrs now without any problems,got a dehorning gel this year but haven't tried it yet .Anyone any experience good or bad of this ?

Ya used it here 5 or 6 years ago and had to saw off a load of them the following spring. Always take the bud out, once is enough to dehorn a beast I think. I don't try and dig it out straight away though, burn well around the base of the bud first and it practically falls out itself.

twin_beacon

interesting, we always scooped them out. how much of a "ring" do you need to put around the the bud? might give it a go at the weekend, there are a few that ready to be done.

Sacrolyte

High bike wrote: »

Been using the gas for a few yrs now without any problems,got a dehorning gel this year but haven't tried it yet .Anyone any experience good or bad of this ?

I used it but dident care for it. Having done it 2 years ago i see a good few of my first calvers with little Butty Brennan's this year. Out with the snippers. Great. Another day lookin like Hannibal lector. Now i use the small gas one. Serious heat. And i scoop them out forever.

j banks

Agree with above scoop out if u definitely want no butts

kay 9

Bullocks wrote: »

Do they have to be done under one week ? I got the gel but never used it , at a week old I couldn't find a trace of a horn but maybe that's how it should be done ?

We do them under 2 weeks. Some don't show a bud for a while though especially aax.

trixi2011

If your doing just a ring make sure to rub off the burnt hair after the initial burn as it can seal the horn, you need a red hot iron which will leave a black ring on timber without putting on any pressure on it. make sure you do a full ring and the bud is fully detached and you cant go wrong have hundred's of calves done this way and never had a problem a lot easier on man and beast

Greengrass1

trixi2011 wrote: »

If your doing just a ring make sure to rub off the burnt hair after the initial burn as it can seal the horn, you need a red hot iron which will leave a black ring on timber without putting on any pressure on it. make sure you do a full ring and the bud is fully detached and you cant go wrong have hundred's of calves done this way and never had a problem a lot easier on man and beast

Do you go right to the skull?

trixi2011

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Do you go right to the skull?

full ring prob would go as far as the skull ill throw up a few pic when Im doing some later in the week. The ring burns off all the blood vessels leading to the horn buds they fall out after a week or two

High bike

Bullocks wrote: »

Do they have to be done under one week ? I got the gel but never used it , at a week old I couldn't find a trace of a horn but maybe that's how it should be done ?

The one I got says 8to 15 days old,clip the hair first and keep away from the cow for 2hrs

Midlandsman80

Do any of ye inject calves with local anaesthetic before skulking?

Count Mondego

Midlandsman80 wrote: »

Do any of ye inject calves with local anaesthetic before skulking?

Yes of course, we all do...

Count Mondego

I always scoop it out. The most important thing is a proper derhorner. With the right heat it's out in 2 seconds.

Bodacious

trixi2011 wrote: »

If your doing just a ring make sure to rub off the burnt hair after the initial burn as it can seal the horn, you need a red hot iron which will leave a black ring on timber without putting on any pressure on it. make sure you do a full ring and the bud is fully detached and you cant go wrong have hundred's of calves done this way and never had a problem a lot easier on man and beast

+1


no need to scoop out .. when you detach it with sufficient burn and leave in situe .. it dries up like a mushroom and falls out in one lump.. shave their heads after that the following year and they pollies!!

ellewood

Midlandsman80 wrote: »

Do any of ye inject calves with local anaesthetic before skulking?

Do it here when using gas and the odd one that needs skulling - last year on BB inspection when yer one saw the adrenacane down on med records she was so happy to see it I think if everything else was wrong I think she would still have passed me - She just said its rare to see it and the BB crowd love to see it being used!!

Deepsouthwest

Def no need to take out the bud, it says it on the instructions of the dehorner I have(the one in the blue box as it's known). Just burn a ring around the bud, once u see that the skin is seperated from the horn u can stop. Haven't taken out a bud here for over 10 yrs, have a lad that works with for these kinda jobs, we've prob done over a thousand calves in the 10 yrs, and a horn has never grown. This guy has probably dehorned everyone of these with me. So when he dehorns his calves, he borrows my dehorner, and always takes the buds out!

tanko

Mostly limo calves here, use a gas dehorner when they're a month or two old. Used to leave the bud in but found that there's more chance of butts growing later on.

Always scoop the buds out now, it's a far cleaner job and no butts grow after. My vet has seen some cases where the buds were left in to fall out and maggots appeared to feed on the bud as it died off, not a god job.
That paste stuff is a waste of time imo.

Count Mondego

ellewood wrote: »

Do it here when using gas and the odd one that needs skulling - last year on BB inspection when yer one saw the adrenacane down on med records she was so happy to see it I think if everything else was wrong I think she would still have passed me - She just said its rare to see it and the BB crowd love to see it being used!!

Great to keep Larry and the boys happy. Lets hope none of those calves eventually kill out over 400kgs.

frazzledhome

Don't use anaesthetic here as all calves are done Pre 2 wks old.

See on twitter where the kiwis put calves to sleep for dehorning

Sacrolyte

frazzledhome wrote: »

Don't use anaesthetic here as all calves are done Pre 2 wks old.

See on twitter where the kiwis put calves to sleep for dehorning

Permanently ? You never know with them

The man in red and black

I've seen some photos of that in nz, it looked like it was a convenience thing to sedate the calves and do them on the ground as they hadn't a crate, they were dairy calves. Can't say if it was the rule there or just the custom?

Over here in Canada if I am doing any horns I give some sedation in with the local to make the job alot easier, go along and do all the local/sedation then come back and do the horns in a line. All tied up in tie-stall barns though...bit different!

Shot of Metacam really helps them not go back as much also for the bigger ones I find. Very cheap for 3 days of pain relief for small calves or weanlings

Nettleman

The man in red and black wrote: »

I've seen some photos of that in nz, it looked like it was a convenience thing to sedate the calves and do them on the ground as they hadn't a crate, they were dairy calves. Can't say if it was the rule there or just the custom?

Over here in Canada if I am doing any horns I give some sedation in with the local to make the job alot easier, go along and do all the local/sedation then come back and do the horns in a line. All tied up in tie-stall barns though...bit different!

Shot of Metacam really helps them not go back as much also for the bigger ones I find. Very cheap for 3 days of pain relief for small calves or weanlings

Adrenacaine and alaymycin La Spray for afterwards only costs a few euro, and no need for an expensive crate...?

The man in red and black

Nettleman wrote: »

Adrenacaine and alaymycin La Spray for afterwards only costs a few euro, and no need for an expensive crate...?

The local wears off after about an hour though and I often do bigger ones as lads are calving year round and leave a bunch to be done at once. The Metacam really helps those ones not be off their feed as much when they are a few months old.

I haven't seen a de-horning crate since I was at home in Ireland unfortunately. It's always a case of having them tied to a ring on the wall or the side of a pen so sedation helps massively as you often have no help! Completely different system to Ireland!

onyerbikepat

I was de-horning calves this evening and broke my scissors before I started. Drove me mad, very hard to see where the buds were.

Anyone have a little trimmers or something else they would recommend ?................... Are the curved scissors like the vets use, worth getting.

greysides

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Are the curved scissors like the vets use, worth getting.

Absolutely, don't see how anyone could use a straight scissors. Get a good one though. Maybe ask your vet to order you one.

onyerbikepat

greysides wrote: »

Absolutely, don't see how anyone could use a straight scissors. Get a good one though. Maybe ask your vet to order you one.

Great. I'll do just that.;)

johnny122

onyerbikepat wrote: »

I was de-horning calves this evening and broke my scissors before I started. Drove me mad, very hard to see where the buds were.

Anyone have a little trimmers or something else they would recommend ?................... Are the curved scissors like the vets use, worth getting.

Didn't need any scissors here to see the ones I was doin!!!

High bike

Used that paste about a month ago,no good at all will have to get the gas out tomorrow

kay 9

High bike wrote: »

Used that paste about a month ago,no good at all will have to get the gas out tomorrow

What brand was it? I find it great stuff. Ain't had a problem yet touch wood. Have to skull a few we missed entirely though before the Bastard flies start

High bike

kay 9 wrote: »

What brand was it? I find it great stuff. Ain't had a problem yet touch wood. Have to skull a few we missed entirely though before the Bastard flies start

Its called SH Plus ,did it by the book clipped hair around the bud and put plenty on but no good,the SH must stand for ****e

tanko

High bike wrote: »

Its called SH Plus ,did it by the book clipped hair around the bud and put plenty on but no good,the SH must stand for ****e

:D a neighbour of mine was boasting about how great the paste he used last year was. I see he had to skull most of his weanlings last month.

High bike

tanko wrote: »

:D a neighbour of mine was boasting about how great the paste he used last year was. I see he had to skull most of his weanlings last month.

Never used it before and maybe there's different brands but what I got was useless anyway.Had to skull one myself this year that we missed last year,messy job that I hate.

kay 9

Hate skulling myself. Nasty job. However, I find the paste great tbh. Would go back to burning them otherwise. Can't understand how so many lads find it useless. Even different brands have the same ingredient.

tanko

kay 9 wrote: »

Hate skulling myself. Nasty job. However, I find the paste great tbh. Would go back to burning them otherwise. Can't understand how so many lads find it useless. Even different brands have the same ingredient.

What brand name is the stuff you use?

stretch film

got a loan of a mullinahone gas dehorner lately .. a flame thrower against my candle of a calor....may invest I think

kay 9

tanko wrote: »

What brand name is the stuff you use?

I'm nearly sure it's called Genia. Comes in a little white and blue tub with a sealed bag on it. Can't find it now lol. Old man may have moved it