THE DEHORNING QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 486, 20 April 1909, Page 2

THE DEHORNING QUESTION.

Now tliat' the man with .fho'-clippers i is.. .. making his annual round (says a write?,lyin 1 "Tho i Canadian. Dairyman^),-,'thp dehorning . question again becomes a live. one. While the practico of dehorning is not as prevalent ~ as formerly, especially among, milcli-.'oows, • . yet there are in all probability to-day .in the' yards and stables of tho farmersof-this covintry, ■ many milch cows that have shrunk), in ... • their milk; flow and lostvin.cqndjtion, !as t 'w«U ' ' as young cattle .'that , havo -lost ill flesh very; seriously, ..owing to i-tho 'illeffects of this operation. _ That the practice of dehorning is desiivable, except perhaps in the case of the pure .> breeds,is a generally accepted fact by our dairy men and feeders. . Granting .this, the question , arises, is there la; method of- dehorning that will avois tho : ; sori- ,- s oils losses.,entailed .ujy. the ordinary /process,., . ; . •I^o^..aiiswcr.;is"de6idedly..rt , }'os," l ,by« > dch?>.rn- 1 - ! .- - . . ing the, ybuh £ calves with caustic. j ust',.as the, ; •horn, is starting!, . 1 " . We find many writers condemning this practico. ' They sfiy that oalves-dehornod in .this way. aro whon j grown,. 'frequently, very rough with their Now: ; these men are simply accepting, a common .theory that, liko many other theories,is .found'uiwnjclobo examination' to haVo very 'littlb. facKtolsuß: tain.it.;'.lt Iprovo'n • experience,' that' 1 fcalvps'; dehorned caustic do not dovelop tlie objeotibnablo, troi-it, ro- ; f erred' to. \There; are herds of dairy ■ cattle ..i11..... ilhis country :that;.havo never, grown: a/horn, and yet are just as quiot and peaceable as could bo wished; and- those covs T\ero , all ~ dehorned with caustic when thoy were young calves.' So mueh for theory, i lx r '.'X Then, again','.' theso-i writers.; say' They prefer,;, dehorning with' tho.- clippers,., becaliso, .. once liaving 'knowii'the" Uko of horns, they become, more' docile, to ;los9, thejn.,in t ',this Way.": . To follow the sairie line of argument, . .1 suppose tlioy woiild say, "Don't liother .■■■■ with your, young-colts until you, want to.-uso - 'them. and • then .break them by force,' they r . .will havo-isd'' be\'Cohqnered; then,-' and that ■ 'will-' mako.vthcnv. more,vdocilo, ! ''' .Tlio -argu*. - ; ment. is altogcther'fallacious,?in- olio case as' 1 • r In the other j and does .nbtjargua i high'COnception •• of eitheP'dairyiiigf or 'horsemanship! -• « • Sucli" dofiilityus'ithe. docilityj of'fear,' .:and ';ftttr v >' ineither'rindustry. :;'t•••■;;-kv, Let r our dairymen experiment for them, selves alongithe line of dehorning their young-.-, calves, and very few of . them will ;want:<ta ; return to- tho needlessly cruol. and '.wasteful ;.- method- of . cutting off the horns that nevfer ■ should have been allowed to grow. ■ .