THE DEHORNING QUESTION

Shannon News, 27 January 1925, Page 4

THE DEHORNING QUESTION

There was considerable discussion at the half-yearly meeting of the New Zealand Friesian Breeders’ Association, at Palmerston North last month, when Mr W. R. Wright (Rahotu) broached the question of the universal dehorning of cattle. He suggested that the Council pass a resolution in favour of dehorning cattle for show purposes. The president (Mr W. D. Hunt) commented that at a previous meeting a resolution had been passed urging that dehorned cattle should lose no points in the show ring for having been so treated. The speaker added that when he was last in Chicago (U.S.A.) he saw some 16,000 cattle yarded, and not one had horns —not even the purebred cattle. If the speaker had his way he would have ail the cattle in the country dehorned ' Mr Wright then moved an I the president seconded a recommsidation that dehorning be. universally adopted. * - ' , iur ,E. C. Banks (Matamata) sa;‘d ,that show judges liked to see horns 011 pedigree cattle at least, and moved as an amendment that the resolution anent dehorning should apply omy to grade cattle. Mr S. Knight (Ongarue) seconded the amendment.

Mr Wright: Is there anything more beautiful than a show group of polled Angus cattle? The president: I agree that dehorn-

ed cattle look better —largely because of the uniformity which results from the absence of different types of

horns. From a utilitarian point of view horns are no good at all. Mr A. McAnulty (Ashburton) thought that the Government should make dehorning compulsory. “I am satisfied that in generations to come there will be no horns. They are no good from a utilitarian point of view,” he declared. The amendment was defeated and the motion carried.