The Glenwood post., 1903-12-26
Dehorning Cattle.

shipper, l find by actual experience
that the dehorning of cattle has be-
come an actual necessity. although
very cruel as it is usually done yet no
more so than to let them have their
horns to gore and sometimes kill one
another in the sheds or feed yards.
Ny reasons are these: first we find
that less shed and feed yard is re-
quired for bunch of cattle without
horns as they feed and lie down to-
gether more like sheep and are not
constantly driving and milling around
and they cannot hurt each other should
they fight little for pastime but are
far more agreeable than those with
horns.
1t is also a great advantage in ship
ping as there can be more cattle ship
ped in car and they are not 80 liable
to get down in the car and be killed.
Now while it is admitted by all
cattle raisers to be an actual necessi-
ty, why not adopt the most humane
method of stopping the growth of
horns while the calves are Young and
not allow the horns to grow large and
then saw or crush them off with the
tools now commonly usedt
By observation you will find that
in most all herds of cattle there are
animals with stubs of horns all the
way from two to six inches long and
in many instances the growth of one
horn has been stopped while the other
grows crooked stub.
But the most cruel method in use
by few is the burning off of calves
horns with caustic potash and other
acids to stop the growth, which sell
dom has the desired effect but in
many instances puts the calves blind.
Rope calf on the range and apply
this stuff and should there be a shower
of rain sufficient to wet this potash or
acid inside of ten days after it is ap-
piled, the water will wash it into
their eyes with the above result. This
is common occurrence in showery
climates.
How much better it would be for
all to adopt method that will remove
and effectually stop furthur growth
which can be and is being done by
few of our neighbors. But in order
to do this the proper time and manner
in which the work is done must be
strictly observed. We find by careful
examination that the horns of calves
are already formed at birth, there
being little lump of a horny sub
stance on the skin where the horn will
eventually grow if not removed at the
proper time. This little scab of horn
is connected to the skull bone by
slender flexible ligament but in very
short time these ligaments enlarge
and become stiff and are more of a
eristly substance and from the age Of
two weeks to three months they re-
semble white vulcanized rubber, and
in little time thereafter this liga-
ment begins to turn into bone and at
the age Of four months is found to be
soft open porous bone, and il left
grow longer than six months they
have to be sawed off or cut in some
other way.
Now l claim that the proper time
to make mobiles of calves is under
the age of five or six months or any
time before the bone hardens in the
horn. And the proper way to do this
is to cut and sever the ligament close
down to the skull bone which is very
difficult task If one has not the proper
tool adapted to the work but there ia
such tool or machine gauged to cut
the right depth to destroy and stop
further growth of the horn and as the
incisIons are small, smooth. and uni
form they quickly heal and as the cut
is made as quickly as the snap of q
steel trap the pain il any is over al
most as soon as 1t is begun.
This cheap little dehorner will no
doubt be used by all cattle raisers and
being so cheap and convenient will
also be used by all farmers who raise
but few calves and will fill a long
felt want, and have a universal sale
and prove to be good money maker
for the patentee.