Getting late for disbudding?

Bleating Lamb

Is it getting a bit late for disbudding baby calves horns?,even though it's cold there's plenty of flies around.Am a bit afraid of possibility of having maggot problems if I do last few calves.

High bike

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Is it getting a bit late for disbudding baby calves horns?,even though it's cold there's plenty of flies around.Am a bit afraid of possibility of having maggot problems if I do last few calves.

have a few to do myself next week and going to chance it,don't think it's too warm yet

Limestone Cowboy

Done them every month of the summer and never had one make maggots.

patsy_mccabe

I'm doing some tomorrow. Never even considered maggots before. Seal the exposed flesh with the hot iron and then spray well with the Alamycin.

Base price

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

I'm doing some tomorrow. Never even considered maggots before. Seal the exposed flesh with the hot iron and then spray well with the Alamycin.

Or a smear/spray of Stockholm tar and tbh I would not be worried as Limestone said. Different if you were sculling when you have to be aware of the weather be it frost or fly strikes.

muirsin

Sorry for jumping in on thread .How do people find limousin .mine are slow to show buds .if they are very small at say 2 weeks do you go ahead any how. It will be May before they properly showing.

High bike

muirsin wrote: »

Sorry for jumping in on thread .How do people find limousin .mine are slow to show buds .if they are very small at say 2 weeks do you go ahead any how. It will be May before they properly showing.

Have a few Charolais here the same ,tried em last week at 2/3 weeks and very little showing so left em for a week and see

tanko

muirsin wrote: »

Sorry for jumping in on thread .How do people find limousin .mine are slow to show buds .if they are very small at say 2 weeks do you go ahead any how. It will be May before they properly showing.

Lims have to be the slowest breed to grow horns, you could leave them for a month or two.
Salers are a great breed to grow horns, you'd nearly see them growing.

Base price

muirsin wrote: »

Sorry for jumping in on thread .How do people find limousin .mine are slow to show buds .if they are very small at say 2 weeks do you go ahead any how. It will be May before they properly showing.

Continentals are slow to develop buds compared to FR and native breeds. Personally I wouldn't be in a hurry to go in with the dehorner. Leave them for another 3 weeks to a month.

Genghis Cant

Base price wrote: »

Or a smear/spray of Stockholm tar

I'm not overly gone on Stockholm tar in this situation. I don't like it directly on a wound, and it's messy stuff.
I'm a big fan of Sudocrem.

charolais0153

Alumuium spray is brialliant for any open wounds on animals. Great for the horns and we had a ram that a harness was on that cut into his chest like a seatbelt and the aluminum spray had it healed in a few days

Base price

Genghis Cant wrote: »

I'm not overly gone on Stockholm tar in this situation. I don't like it directly on a wound, and it's messy stuff.
I'm a big fan of Sudocrem.

I never suggested to use it directly on a wound, nor would I recommend doing so.
I use Stockholm tar to preventive flies in mild weather particularly with the unseasonable mild/dry Spring weather that we are experiencing now.
Btw I'm also a big fan of Sudocrem where application is relevant and appropriate.

Genghis Cant

Base price wrote: »

I never suggested to use it directly on a wound, nor would I recommend doing so.

I didn't suggest you did!
I only cleared up any ambiguity that a reader who may know no better have.

kerry cow

When I debud I scoop it out while my neighbour just burns a ring down and leaves it once the shell is gone and a ring is burned . Any opinions

Base price

charolais0153 wrote: »

Alumuium spray is brialliant for any open wounds on animals. Great for the horns and we had a ram that a harness was on that cut into his chest like a seatbelt and the aluminum spray had it healed in a few days

Never use aluminium spray on a open wound as it creates a seal which can harbour bacteria.

Genghis Cant

kerry cow wrote: »

When I debud I scoop it out while my neighbour just burns a ring down and leaves it once the shell is gone and a ring is burned . Any opinions

I do the same as your neighbour. It's enough hardship on man an beast without going any further.

Base price

Genghis Cant wrote: »

I do the same as your neighbour. It's enough hardship on man an beast without going any further.

Why would debudding/dehorning be considered hardship ? !!!!!!

patsy_mccabe

Base price wrote: »

Never use aluminium spray on a open wound as it creates a seal which can harbour bacteria.

Caesarean here last week and vet used it on the outside stitched cut.

charolais0153

Base price wrote: »

Never use aluminium spray on a open wound as it creates a seal which can harbour bacteria.

http://www.vet-medic.com/cats-c67/first-aid-c100/vetoquinol-aluspray-aluminium-spray-210ml-p7709

Product Details
Aluspray is a great product for applying to wounds and acts as a protective barrier stopping further infection.
Aluspray acts as a protective bandage for wounds in small and large animals. Allows wound to breathe, yet will not allow dirt or insects to infect wounds. Aluspray is a water-resistant aerosol bandage for use on large and small animals An aluminum powder based spray that adheres to cuts, scrapes and wounds. Keeps dirt and bacteria out while allowing wound to heal and breathe. Apply after disinfecting the wound.

Mooooo

Base price wrote: »

Continentals are slow to develop buds compared to FR and native breeds. Personally I wouldn't be in a hurry to go in with the dehorner. Leave them for another 3 weeks to a month.

Have two bb calves here 2days old with good butts of horns. Even within breed there is a big difference. Helped a man dehorn limos a month old I was wondering were they aa it was that hard to find horns

Genghis Cant

Base price wrote: »

Why would debudding/dehorning be considered hardship ? !!!!!!

We have decent handling facilities. Even so, handling suckler calves, injecting them, pollying them and dealing with the cows at the same time is hardship.
On the Grand scale of things not serious hardship but hardship all the same particularly when you start gouging out the bud.

Biscuitus

kerry cow wrote: »

When I debud I scoop it out while my neighbour just burns a ring down and leaves it once the shell is gone and a ring is burned . Any opinions

Tried that one year on one side and ended up with a one horned heifer :mad:. I just scoop them out and seal with silver spray. Never any problems.

Capercaillie

Base price wrote: »

Never use aluminium spray on a open wound as it creates a seal which can harbour bacteria.

if the wound is sterile (like c-section wound) you can use. otherwise as you said not good.

croot

Capercaillie wrote: »

if the wound is sterile (like c-section wound) you can use. otherwise as you said not good.

Would the hole not be sterile after the hot iron has burned out the bud?

Capercaillie

croot wrote: »

Would the hole not be sterile after the hot iron has burned out the bud?

The burnt area would be. However the adjacent tissue is not disinfected, like the way a vet would do for a c-section.

The man in red and black

Biscuitus wrote: »

Tried that one year on one side and ended up with a one horned heifer :mad:. I just scoop them out and seal with silver spray. Never any problems.

Big fan, rightly or wrongly, of scooping out the whole bud. The people on here aren't getting any regrowth obviously but I have seen plenty around the place regrow after only burning a ring. Strangely enough I seem to see alot of regrowth on certain farms that switch to gas dehorners, perhaps not hot enough?

Who2

The man in red and black wrote: »

Big fan, rightly or wrongly, of scooping out the whole bud. The people on here aren't getting any regrowth obviously but I have seen plenty around the place regrow after only burning a ring. Strangely enough I seem to see alot of regrowth on certain farms that switch to gas dehorners, perhaps not hot enough?

I scoop out as well. Burning a ring only works on some, it seems to stunt the growth of the horn alright but when they get to year or year and a half there's too many stumps and half arsed lumps of horns.

patsy_mccabe

I've always scooped out the bud. I also cut back the hair well back with a curved scissors. I then make an X shaped cross the exposed bud with the side of the tip. Its a job I hate doing so I want to make sure it is done right the first time.

Lizard_Moon

AFAIK once you burn completely through the skin there is no horn growth as it has no blood supply. Problems occur is any scrap of skin still attached or if horn bud too big.

_Brian

kerry cow wrote: »

When I debud I scoop it out while my neighbour just burns a ring down and leaves it once the shell is gone and a ring is burned . Any opinions

Never dig them out here, ensure the iron is hot, straight down, wee rock over and back. Aluminium spray all over.