All dehorning methods require restraining the animal and locating the horn bud. After that, paste application boils down to just five basic steps:
- Trim away hair on and around the horn bud.
- Lightly brush the horn bud with a wire brush.
- Apply a ring of Udder Balm or Vaseline®; around the horn bud, beyond the paste application area.
- Apply a thin film of Dr. Naylor Dehorning Paste to each horn bud.
- Allow the calf to rest out of rain and away from other animals.
That’s it. Now, some producers or veterinarians may choose to use nerve blocks and/or sedatives, and that’s fine. Just don’t skip any of these five steps. It’s particularly important that you contain the paste to the application area, and keep the calf out of wet weather and away from its dam or herd-mates until the paste has dried.
If you’d like to see the application process for yourself, take a look at the instructional video below. It shows Dr. Naylor Dehorning Paste being applied to a calf. It’s intended for cattle producers, but owners of lambs or kid goats will find it helpful as well.
What's been your experience using dehorning paste?
