# Dehorning with electric dehorner, was this right?



## nathan104 (Nov 16, 2007)

Our future milk cow needed to be dehorned and we had someone help us. She is a 3 month old jersey/cross. My wife was worried about the horns in the future so we decided to have her dehorned. She had about 1 inch horns sticking up. We had someone help us with an electric dehorner. Im wondering if the dehorner used had too big of a ring or if this is how it is supposed to be. The copper burned circle does not actually touch any of the horn, it is a ring around the horn. I though the actual horn was supposed to be burned around the base. But, there is a little space between the burned circle and the base of the horn. The circle is complete and a good copper color. She is very stand offish right now and has always been like a big puppy dog before. Just looks like we branded two big circles on her head. Will these actually heal up and cover back up with hair? I hate to see her in pain. Thanks for any help.


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Nathon usually a calf is disbudded at a much younger age, say three weeks to one month old. At that age you are disbudding, killing the horn bud long before the horn breaks through the skin. Photos would help immensely. Yes the copper circle goes around the horn killing nerves and blood supply to the horn area. Yes if all goes well the horn will fall off and hair will take it's place....Topside

Just went out and took this photo...This calf is three months old and was disbudded two months ago..


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

If the iron was kept on long enough that is it will fall off. The directions say 1 to 2 minutes not just get it hot around the horn.
I did one with an iron one was fine did not leave it on long enough and the calf had one horn. And yes 3 months old the horn has gotten quite a good start.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

We have had sugical dehorning done by the vet and also used the electric iron, and I would prefer the iron. It was over quicker and with less aftermath. Don't worry, your calf will soon forgive and forget and focus on the "wonderful people who bring me food" again.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Dehorning for me is something that I don't like to do but one of the necessary evils of keeping naturally horned animals. (I'm afraid to leave them on for fear of a child or another critter getting the end of a horn when she slings her head over her back to swat a horse fly.)

With removing horns, even as bloody as it is, I prefer to use the traditional dehorning method and then scald with an iron to stop the bleeding. I also prefer cutting over banding solely based upon the fact that I see the removal and don't have to worry about a band slipping or nut crawling. (doesn't happen very often but once is too many for me.)

As far as disbudding goes, I have used my electric branding iron to seer around the base of a horn knub when they're really small and handleable. It just depends on when I get around to it.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

I think maybe your cow will have little nub horns. I`m like Francis, I cut off horns with a spoon dehorner, and I too like to cut calves. I have dehorned so many calves and cattle that I could do it in my sleep. I did go to angus for awhile so I didn`t have to dehorn, but now am back to dehorning calves. >Thanks Marc


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## CrashTestRanch (Jul 14, 2010)

do you put them in a squeeze chute w/head catch to dehorn/cut/band?


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

I have a head gate my father built before I was born that I use. It holds their head still while you cut off the horns, I pull veins so they don`t bleed, then use a blood clot powder if they still bleed some. I will try to get my wife to take some pictures when we dehorn in a few weeks. >Thanks Marc


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

I would say it's incomplete but you might get lucky. If it's done right, you should be able to flip the hard cap off the bud when the ring is burnt down. The way my vet taught me was to burn for 10 seconds, flip the cap off the bud, then burn for 10 seconds more.

Not sure why she should be in pain, Lidocaine and aspirin are cheap.


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## CrashTestRanch (Jul 14, 2010)

springvalley said:


> I have a head gate my father built before I was born that I use. It holds their head still while you cut off the horns, I pull veins so they don`t bleed, then use a blood clot powder if they still bleed some. I will try to get my wife to take some pictures when we dehorn in a few weeks. >Thanks Marc


Cool Marc, I will be looking for the pics ... thanks


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

I am lucky this year when I bought my Jersey calf.
he is polled... YEAH. All I had to do is band him which I did just yesterday.


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## Laura Workman (May 10, 2002)

arabian knight said:


> If the iron was kept on long enough that is it will fall off. The directions say 1 to 2 minutes not just get it hot around the horn.
> I did one with an iron one was fine did not leave it on long enough and the calf had one horn. And yes 3 months old the horn has gotten quite a good start.


1 to 2 minutes?? Yikes!!! I haven't done a cow, but have disbudded many, many goats, and with a good iron, two or three 5-SECOND shots does the job nicely. I would think that with 1 to 2 minutes, you'd have brain damage and a dead calf. No?


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