DEHORNING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1612, 21 January 1903, Page 63

DEHORNING.

HOW TO TREAT CALVES. The process of dehorning has not properly caught on yet, but when dairymen see the advantage of having their milking herd all poleys, more attention will he paid to the matter of removing the horns. The operation of destroying the embryo horn in young calves is very simple. The calf to be operated on should not be more than six weeks old, or perhaps a safer guide is that the operation should be performed before the young horn shoots through the skin, or, as we call it, “bursts the bud.” If tho operation is performed after the horn “bursts the bud.” it is much more severe, and is liable to bleed a good deal.

Tho calf to be operated on should be thrown on its side and held down by an assistant. The operation could bo performed by putting tlie oalf into a corner and tho assistant- getting “strad legs” over his neck, but even then it cannot be held so firmly as when lying flat on the ground, and when held down on its side there is no struggling. First, however, procure a bottle, of horn-kill-ing preparation. This preparation is an especially prepared mixture of caustic potash and lime. A 50 cent bottle contains sufficient to treat about 200 calves. The preparation is in the form of a powder. Before beginning to operate, mix a small quantity of tho powder with water, to make a thick paste about the consistency of ointment. The assistant, having the calf ready and the paste orepared, with a sharp knife shaves the outer skin oif the top cf the horn -bud, not deep, but just sufficient to remove the hard skin. A little blood may show through, but not much. Then with a narrow”, flat stick, rub the paste on to the horn bud until tho surface sears or turns brown and any bleeding stops.