DAIRY STOCK SHOULD BE DEHORNED.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 150, 27 February 1915, Page 2

DAIRY STOCK SHOULD BE DEHORNED.

(By A. B. Nystrom, Dairy Husbandman. Washington State Experiment Station.) Except in the case of cattle that are to be used for exhibition purposes, all dairy animals should be dehorned. In the wild state cattle needed horns I'o. protection, but in the present state of domestication horns serve no useful purooso and are a source of considerable- annoyance. On the adult animal the horns, may be removed by the use of. the saw or clipper. In either case the cut should be close enough to the head to h.-avc a ring of hair on the part that is removed, otherwise there is likely to be a stubby growth of hurn appear in the course of a year or two. The best and least cruel method of removing horns is by means of an application of caustic potash to the horn buttons while the calf is from one to four days old. The hair is carefully clipped from the buttons and the moistened end of a stick of Cfiustic potash is then rubbed on the spot until tha .skin bloods sHghily. Care should be taken to prevent the liquid caustic from running off the button, font if only a small amount is rubbed on there will be no danger, from ibis source. If the caustic has been pro."J.e'ly applied there will be a deu: in the sku 1 ! where the button appeared, and no horns will develop.