DEHORNING CALVES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1746, 10 May 1913, Page 8

DEHORNING CALVES.

THE USE OF CAUSTIC POTASH.. . Following recent discussions on the practice of dehorning cattle, the following remarks from a Canadian farm journal aro of interest:—"lnstead of dehorning calves by the painful method of sawing or clipping, caustic potash should be applied as soou as'the "button-like" horns can be. felt, after the calf is three days old. ' There is no danger that tho calves will suffer from blood-poisoning or other infection of the wound. • The College of Agriculture of the University of Wisconsin .has used this treatment for the past few years with the greatest success. "The application of tho caustic potash should not be postponed, or it may give unsatisfactory .results. To /apply the •potash, the hair is removed from about the horns close to the skin. The potash is moistened slightly and rubbed over the skin which covers the. point of the i.orns, until the skin 15 white. l, lt is 110't necessary to rub the skin until blood comes, as this will causo unnecessary soreness. One such treatment is usually sufficient to prevent the growth of the horns. , "The following precautions should bp ; taken: Tho caustic should bo wrapped in heavy paper to protect the hands of tho operator. . It should not bo moistened too much, or else the liquid will run. down the sido of the calf's head and causd unnecessary pain.. Tho calf must ,be fecurely fastened so that the head may be held still to avoid applying the caustic anywhere except over the horns. One stick of caustic potash, if preserved in a tightly-corked bottle, will serve to dehorn \uany calves." '