Dehorning question

6e · #1 02/18/11, 03:26 PM

We have a Jersey cow, first time heifer that's due in May. We'd like to have her horns cut off...by a vet....as even though she's a pretty docile cow, when they swing their head around like they do, those horns tend to become dangerous. My question is, would it be safe to do it now with her being this close to her due date or would it be better to wait until after she calves and if so, will that make her milk production drop due to the trauma? What can I expect? I've never seen a cow dehorned this late in the game.

Karin L · #2 02/18/11, 03:35 PM

If I were you, I'd leave it until some time after she calves, probably like a month or two after because the stress from hormones and the pain she will be undergoing with calving, coupled with the headache she'll be having a week or so after being dehorned is not something I would like any cow to go through, and may make her pretty cranky if you have to help her pull the calf out or need to separate her and her calf to milk her.

That's just my opinion.

tinknal · #3 02/18/11, 04:57 PM

Have the vet band her. Much less gory and traumatic.

myersfarm · #4 02/18/11, 05:09 PM

I banded mine and I have cut off a many of them....would never do anything now but the band..you have to do it just right to get it to work but NO BLOOD NO PAIN

6e · #5 02/18/11, 05:38 PM

OK, how do you band cow horns? I've read about banding goat horns a little. I can wait. It's not something that needs to be done RIGHT NOW, just something we'd like to get done. :-)

myersfarm · #6 02/18/11, 05:45 PM

I can do better than that here is pictures

http://www.nobull.net/bander/SBdehorning.htm

myersfarm · #7 02/18/11, 05:48 PM

this important part so the band will get small and go into place were horn and skin meet

•Pull the bander and loop ( I PULL REAL HARD )toward you. This will keep the loop close to the head and in the hairline at the horn base.

6e · #8 02/18/11, 06:28 PM

Ah great! Thanks for the pics! :-) Now I'll have to go on the hunt for one of those banders.

myersfarm · #9 02/18/11, 06:43 PM

that you can get from a vet sometimes...they run $250 I have a friend that has one...lots of people have them you can borrow sometimes

ufo_chris · #10 02/20/11, 07:13 PM

I have always heard that this hurts also,the constant pressure,like a constant headache. I guess it would hurt less than regular dehorning but it also lasts longer.
Chris

myersfarm · #11 02/20/11, 07:18 PM

YOU would think if it hurt they would be rubbing against something...but I have not seen that happen after about 5 minutes