Pros & Cons of leaving horns?

[Wags]

I don't want to start any battles, but as a newbie I would like to hear opinions on the pros and cons of leaving on the horns.

Also how traumatic (and expensive) is it to remove yearling heifer's horns?

I'm asking because I'm supposed to go look at a couple of horned yearling heifers this weekend.

Thanks!
Jane

[marion]

I'm in favour of dehorning. The vet could do the yearlings quite easily and it shouldn't be expensive. Thirty plus years and hundreds of goats, and ten years of cows, I have found it much safer for both animals and owners if they are disbudded very young. Especially so if you are in a geographic location where they will be housed during inclement weather, and if you need to handle them at close quarters for milking etc. Disbudding when very young is fast and effective. Dehorning later is less desireable but still worthwhile, if you buy a horned one you want to milk.
If they will be in the fields most or all of the year raising their young, and you don't need to milk/handle them much, you may want to leave them to grow horns. It can make them less desireable though, for future sales...marion

[windmill]

The first year horns were cool. Then I got over them. The females had a pecking order when it came to eating and it was strictly enforced. Horns came off. Everyone got along. The younger the better. I de horned my 5 year old herd bull. He was pissed at me for over 6 months. He got over it But it took a while. I feed him cubes by hand last week. Also when I de horned them it cut the flys off of them by 60%.

[Wags]

Thanks everyone!

[Wags]

I'm going to be getting two horned yearling heifers next week, and am thinking that dehorned is the better option for our situation. Can anyone enlighten me as to what is involved and what potential cost is? Thanks!

[Wags]

I got my girls last Wednesday and have an appt for them to be dehorned next week. So they will have been here almost two weeks at that point.

I've heard it is better to do it sooner than later, but other folks have told me not to do it in the summer.

Oh and they should be old enough to breed by Oct/Nov - so I was thinking it would be better to have them dehorned now rather than doing it about the same time as I am wanting to AI them.

What do you think?

[windmill]

All of mine have been de horned between May and July had ear tags put in and a back pour on them had no problems. They should spray a silver cover on the open spot to cover the wound.

[Wags]

Thanks for the info.

[sengdroma]

In the Uk they are now breeding polled Dexters as an alternative.

[tiffin]

Breeding polled is here in the states also. Big controversy about it but it's here. I have one polled bull calf. I tried for 5 polled calves and just got the one. I like the shape of his head and it did save some money with the vet.

[ctownson]

The earlier you do this the better. I use an electric dehorner on all my calves when they are only a few weeks old. Once you can feel the horn bud, trim around it and then do the procedure. If a vet does not do this often, you will quickly learn to do a better job on the calf than they do. If you wait and do the procedure later, it can definitely be very bloody - that's why its best to do it in the winter. Get some blood stop powder to pour on after the procedure. I have done it at various ages, and the younger the better.

[woodprairie]

I bought a very gentle 3 yr old with huge horns and decided they had to go. My vet got them off in 15 minutes, very little bleeding, no temperament change, no drop in milk production. I am very happy, and she still likes me.

[Honeycreek Dexters]

just 1 more point to consider is if you ever do take them to market it is another reason to dock the price. they say the horns bruise the meat of other cows in your bunch
hcd