DEHORNING

Grey River Argus, 28 May 1935, Page 8

DEHORNING

A SUBSTITUTE. (To the Editor.) Sir.—T understand that, many farmers on the West Coast are under the impression that dehorning is compiil- - this misconception may have arisen owing to the introduction of a Dehorning Bill in Parliament several years ago. hut- it did not heroine law and therefore no one is obliged to sill ject their cattle to this barbarous operation. As a member of the Executive of the Federation of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals—' comprising 14 Societies out of 17 in the Dominion—l would like to eniphas < ise the fact that the Federation is definitely opposed to dehorning of grown cattle. At the last Annual Conference a deputation wailed on the Minister of Agriculture, requesting him to bring in a Rj].] providing for the prevention of the growth of horns by the application of caustic potash, or other approved preparations, to the horn buds of young calves. There is no question as to tin l cruelty inflicted in dehorning grown cat th*. In England it is illegal to dehorn an animal over one month old without the use of a general anaesthetic of sufficient power to prevent the animal feeling pain. The following is the opinion of Lt. Col. P. .1. Simpson. D.S.P., T.D., J.P. F.R.C.V.S., President of the National A eterinary Medical Association of Gt. Britain: “Re dishorning of cattle. I consider it a very cruel piece of work. If om* wishes to convey to the lay mind lhe amount of pain inflicted om* can compare it to sawing through the nail an 1 quick of the human finger. This description is, T think, a faithful one. more especially in lhe case of olde r animals and one must add the pain inflicted in sawing through the honey core. My personal opinion is .that >1 , is one of the most painful surgicalj interferences that can he done without the use of a general anaesthetic.” At the recent annual conference of the Institute of Stock Inspectors hell in Sydney, Mr. C. J. Woolett, the Pre sident, declared that the operation, unless performed while the animal is very young is “diabolically cruel,” and other members provided gruesome details of its effects—horns wrenched out of the skull, streams of blood “five feet long,” cattle driven mad by the

torture, ami by the irritation <>f the disinfectant with which the cavity is plugged. This gathering of experts was almost unanimous in its condemnation of dehorning, and several members spoke apprehensively of the effect that these disclosures might have upon tin* S.P.C.A. It is high time New Zealand fell into line with the Old Country in adopting more humane methods in the treatment of stock generally, especially as regards dehorning an-: slaughtering. The British Ministry of Agriculture has published a leaflet (enclosed) giving instructions for destroying the horn buds. I shall he glad to send a copy to any farmer interested. Yours, etc.. F. J. MARFELL, lion. Sec. Waikato Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Anima 1 ? (Inc.). (•ENCLOSURE). Dishorning cattle, by sawing off oi otherwise entirely removing lhe horns after they an 1 partly or fully grown, thereby causing great pain to the animals. is prohibited by the Anaesthetic Act, 1919. which requires that where the animal is over o.ne month old it must be under the influence of some general anaesthetic of sufficient power to prevent the animal feeling pain during the whole of the operation; ami the Ministry therefore desires to call lhe attention of breeders and stockowners to a method of preventing the growth’ of the horns by the application of caustic potash to the horn-buds of young ca ves. If performed in the manner set out below, and with proper regard tn the precautions which follow. the operation is comparatively painless, and can be done quickly and with ease:— Clip the hair from the top of the horn when the calf is from two to five days old. Flight I\ moisten the end of a stick of caustic potash with water (or moisten the top of the horn-bud) and rub the tip of each horn firmly with the potash for about a quarter of a minute, or until a slight impression has been made on the centre of the horn. The horns should he treated in this way from two to four times at intervals of five minutes. If. during the interval of five minutes after one or more applications a little blood appears in the centre of the horn it will then only he necessary to give another very slight rubbing with the potash. The following directions should be carefully observed: — (1) The operation is best performed

when lhe calf is under five days old and should not be attempted after the ninth day. (2) Caustic potash can he obtained iron) any chemist in the form of a white stick. When not in use, d’°'i d be kept in a stoppered glass bottle in a dry place, as it rapidh deteriorates when exposed to 'the air. (•D One man should hold the calf while an assistant uses the caustic. (4) A piece of tinfoil or brown paper should he rolled round the end of the stick of caustic potash which is held by the fingers, so as not Io in jure the hand of the operator. (•») The stick should not he m»u-ton-ed too much, nr the caustic max - e« : .U to lhe skin around the horn : les-., troy the flesh. For the sum* - a son the calf should he kept from .ailing wet for some days after the o . ration. (6) Great care should be taken that the calf does not suck the -w until the caustic potash has lost its corroding power, otherwise there is a bility that the cow’s udder may bp jured. (7) Care should be taken to rub on the centre of the horn, and not round the side of it. NOTE:—Caustic Potash is poisonous, and must therefore, be kept in a safe place.