Sedating calves to dehorn them

You have to get the Vet to administer. If you inject yourself with chanazol it’s curtains

Isn't sedation overkill? What age & type of calves?

Did a few today myself. All LMx sucklers range 1 week to 4 weeks. Any of the young 1-2 weeks old calves you'd struggle to find the bud so no point. 3-4 week calves no issue. All to do with setup, Condon crate & Gas buddex, done in a few seconds, leaving bud in, with very little stress or strain on the calves. All running around field this evening tails up.

Did you buy some recently? Can't get it here in Clare/Limerick area.

its actually Alfacaine 2% and adrenaline I got it. The label is in German or Dutch.

perscribed by my local vet in West Clare. I can PM you their details if you like

Cheers, I'll ask about it, the next time I'm in.

I presume they were your heifer calves.

I dehorned calves for a neighbour during the week. They were way too strong, to be honest, but he had just bought them a few days earlier. He gets them from the same guy every year and they do well for him. I had to take the top off the bud first before I could get down to the root to remove the bud completely. I did younger calves for him too but they were no bother in comparison. It should be compulsory to dehorn them before a certian age.

I've also noticed that some of the HEx calves that we bought in the last few years are polled. I kept on two heifers (a rwh and a bwh) to run with the bull this year.

One of them is light boned but I put it down to the fact she is out of a FRx cow.

It has to be carried unddr 2 months old, before the buds attach to the bone making it more difficult to remove them

And if the calf doesn’t have horns till three weeks? Or is calved at an out farm? Or was sick the first few weeks and weak so dehorning was out off?

A lot of people see everything very black and white. It’s easy miss one. I am more careful these days to write down who is done and who isn’t. Have one left to do. 4 weeks old and a very stuffy fucker. Not looking forward to him. But the shot of local really is a great job.

Missed one two years ago. Left her for the vet during herd test then and he butchered her I thought. Cut into her skull almost. And she still grew back stubs after.

Knives and blow torches ... ?

?

Torch necessary to cauterise the wound & stop the bleeding.

Interesting one, a week after disbudding, a startled calf bashed his head as he rushed out of a hut, opening the wound. Couldn't stop the bleeding from the artery. Vet injected local a anaesthetic to stop the bleeding from the artery before bandaging him up. (I think the injection was done again given over the occipital nerve)

What kind of Torch? I just go around the hole internally one last time with the dehorner after I have the bud out, to ensure it is well cauterised.

Did our last calf yesterday. Coming on 4 weeks and a stuffy LM fucker from one of our wilder cows. Not fun. Horn bud were tiny. Just about confident they were even there. Couldn’t face leaving him another two weeks to see if they would develop.