The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-06-17
How and Why to DishOrn.

For number of years we have been
wishing that we could do away with
horns in our herd. During that time
we have had two cows with ribs broken
by being hooked, and have had num-
Der of bad gashes TO dress. These have
caused us many times to wish that horns
would not grow on dairy cows. Still,
we were afraid that dishorning was
very painful (never having seen it
done) and determined to breed the
horns off. So for several years we bred
to mulley sires, and secured number
of cows without horns. You may
imagine our disgust, when they came
into milk, to find that there was not
good one among them. After trying
for some time, we bought a Holstein
bull and raised good cows; but they all
had horns. Yet our experience with
mulleys was not all thrown away, for
we found them so much safer and less
breachy that we were even more
anxious to own a good herd without
horns.
A number of farmers near here felt
as we did; so we engaged man who
owned a pair of clippers, to come and
take off the horns. He agreed, if we
would furnish fifty or one hundred cat
tie, to take them off for ten cents per
head. was wondering what kind of
place to build to hold the cows while
being dishorned, when the man and his
assistant drove up to the barn. He in
quired whether had any old-fashioned,
stiff stanchions. When shown some,
he said that they were just the thing
and told us to put the COWS in them.
His assistant stepped into the manager,
took cow by the nose with his right
hand, her right horn in his left, turning
her head little to one side. The other
man slipped on the clippers; his assist
ait let go of the horn below the clip
ners md took hold above. The handles
were brought ..ccocether and the horn
was off. The assistant Al. once stepped
to the other side, took the cows nose
in his left hand and her left horn in his
right. The operation was repeated,
and the COW was let loose.
l did not know what day the dis
horner would come, and had not
watered my COWS. l let them go at
once TO the tub, and they all drank as
usual. To see whether they were in
pain, put them back in the barn and
fed them, and they all ate as though
nothing had happened. l have never
been able, from that day to this, to tell
whether they were in pain. l was
weighing the milk from each COW at
the time, and there was no change in
the number of pounds, except with one
COW. 1t was not quite week after she
had calved, and l was slowly adding to
her grain ration. She gave, the day
before dishorning, thilty-one pounds,
that day thirty-three, and for the next
few days thirty-fve, thirty. seven,
thirty-eight, forty and fortytwo pounds
respectively, and in the next thirty
days, on dry feed, gave 1,l99 pounds.
Before dishorning 1 had intended,
when selected calf for raising, to
dishorn with caustic potash; but have
changed my mind for this reason: Two
! Of the animals operated on were but
little over one year of age, and they
can butt and fight like mulleys.
don't like this; for although mulleys
are better than cows with horns, dis
horned COW is much better than null
ley. l would advise that COW be at
least two years old before being dis
horned. By that time they have learned
to use their horns, and will never use
their heads, like mulleys. Our cows do
not seem to know that their horns are
off, and try to hook as in aye olden
time;" but as they allow for the length
of their horns they entirely miss, and
only make polite bow.
Another thing have learned is that
clippers can make clean, smooth cut
on horn. l had an idea that they
might splinter the horn, and 80 make q
bad job of it, and that the saw, though
slower, would perhaps be the most hui
name in the end. l examined each
horn as it was taken off, and they were
all cut smooth and clean. We dishorned
in February. think that any time in
cold weather will do, if there is time tC
heal before flies come. My barn is
warm or, perhaps, would have hest
tated about dishorning in 30 cold time
but some of my neighbors who let theil
cows stand in cold stables, or rur
around a straw stack, had just as gooC
success as did, and the cold did mo-
seem to make any difference.-Rura
New Yorker.