Horn Talk Blog

This week's blog post is written by Dr. Aurora Villarroel, an Extension Veterinarian at Oregon State University. Dr. Villarroel's objective is to enhance the health of food animals in Oregon, especially ruminants. She currently teaches courses at the School of Veterinary Medicine related to cattle, sheep and goat medicine and surgery. Her research interests include veterinary epidemiology, herd health and production medicine, with special focus on dairy cattle. She is the recent author of "Dehorn Calves Early."

 

By Guest Blogger: Aurora Villarroel, DVM, MPVM, PhD, Dip.ACVPM, Extension Veterinarian, Department of Animal Sciences, Oregon State University

I have noticed that the caustic dehorning paste is rarely used in farms in the U.S., and I keep hearing dissatisfaction among dairy farmers that have tried it. I started using the paste in Spain more than 20 years ago, and in my experience it is the best dehorning method available, by far.

There are two things you need to pay attention to: timing and housing.

Timing: the secret for the dehorning paste to work well is to dehorn before two days of age! The main reason for this is that after two days of age, calves can figure out how to scratch their heads against something to rub the paste off, and they can stand on three legs to scratch with the other. Additionally, applying the dehorning paste immediately before feeding colostrum (preferably with a nipple) will reduce signs of pain. While the calves concentrate on nursing from the bottle, the paste will be working. Human doctors do the same thing with babies – distract them by making them nurse when they have to do procedures such as needle pricks to get blood samples.

Housing: calves need to be protected from rain for 24 hours after applying the paste. If rain falls over the active dehorning paste, there will be run off towards the eyes that can blind the calf.

Like with any other product, follow manufacturer directions (package insert); the amount of paste to apply on each horn is equivalent to a dime. Using too much paste is the most common mistake of beginners. It will result in big bald spot around the horn area, but the hair will grow back in a couple of months.

Clients who have switched to paste dehorning in newborn calves are very happy with the results: quick, simple and painless.

Dehorning paste typically contains two caustic substances: calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide. When applied to the horn bud, the paste causes a chemical burn that destroys horn-producing cells. A thin film about the size of a nickel is all that’s required. When horn-producing cells are destroyed, horns don’t grow. It’s as simple as that.

Make no mistake: caustic paste is strong stuff. You definitely don’t want it running out of the application area (into the eye, for example), or getting onto other animals – or on you! That’s why it’s important to apply a protective ring of Udder Balm or petroleum jelly around the horn bud prior to application; wear gloves during application; and keep the animal indoors, out of rain and away from other animals, for six hours.

You may also want to consider administering a topical anesthetic or sedative beforehand. Although paste disbudding has been shown to be less painful than hot-iron disbudding, it is still uncomfortable. On the other hand, don’t be alarmed if the animal doesn’t react to dehorning paste application. One of our guest bloggers, Jeanne Wormuth of CY Heifer Farm, usually dehorns 3 to 5-day-old calves when they’re relaxed after a big meal. She tells us some of the calves actually sleep right through the procedure.
 
What have been your experiences with caustic dehorning paste?

Morris, NY (March 8, 2011) – With increasing public interest in farm animal handling practices, a new Website – Dehorning.com – has been launched to share science-based information and facilitate discussion about cattle dehorning. The Website is sponsored by H.W. Naylor Company, Inc.

“Consumers have shown a growing interest in how animals, especially dairy and beef cattle, are raised and cared for,” says David Lucas, president, H.W. Naylor Company, Inc., who grew up on a dairy farm. “When it comes to dehorning, however, there hasn’t been a place on the Internet for accessing credible research, articles and professional recommendations, and having a place to talk about it. That’s why we created dehorning.com.”

Dehorning.com provides:

• An explanation of the difference between dehorning and disbudding.
• Photos and information about various dehorning methods.
• Dehorning and disbudding videos.
• Access to research articles, which visitors can vote and comment on.
• A blog about farm management practices and science-based research related to dehorning and early-age disbudding.
• Answers to frequently asked questions.

Visitors to the site can subscribe to the blog via e-mail and RSS feeds, and join Facebook and Twitter pages. The site also invites producers, handlers, food retailers, veterinarians, researchers, academics and others with experience and interest in dehorning to become a guest blogger.

“I’ve been raising dairy replacement heifers at our biosecure facility for more than a decade and we now dehorn about 2,000 calves each year,” says Jeanne Wormuth, manager, CY Heifer Farm, Elba, NY. “Dehorning.com is a wonderful resource and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in how dairy cows and beef cattle are raised and treated.”

About H.W. Naylor Company, Inc.
Founded in 1926 by upstate New York country veterinarian Howard Naylor, the H.W. Naylor Company, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of topical medications for livestock, equine and companion animals. The company’s products, marketed under the brand name Dr. Naylor, include Dehorning Paste, Udder Balm and Hoof ‘n Heel. Learn more at www.drnaylor.com.

 

"Dehorn Calves Early" (Hoard's West - Nov. 2010) is authored by Aurora Villarroel, DVM, Assistant Professor, Rural Veterinary Practice, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University.

Dr. Villarroel says "... in my experience dehorning paste is actually the best [dehorning] method available. However, you need to pay attention to two things to make it work well: timing and housing." Her article includes a step-by-step paste dehorning process. Read the full article...

"Paste Those Horns Away and It's Easier for You Both" (American Agriculturist - July 2010) is authored by Linda Greenwood from Greenwood Dairy, Canton, NY.

Greenwood has been using dehorning paste for five years and does more than 600 calves a year. She writes, "... if you follow the directions that come with it [the dehorning paste], you'll be pleased with the results." Read the full article ...

For today's blog post, Jeanne Wormuth, Manager, CY Heifer Farm shares her insights and experiences dehorning calves.

CY Heifer Farm raises 4,000 calves for 10 dairies in central and western New York. Jeanne began working as operations manager at the heifer farm 12 years ago when it was owned by Agway. CY Farms, owned by Craig Yunker, purchased the heifer facility in 1995.

 

 

 

By Guest Blogger: Jeanne Wormuth, Manager, CY Heifer Farm, Elba, NY

I’ve been raising dairy replacement heifers at our biosecure facility for more than a decade. We now dehorn about 2,000 calves each year. A few years ago, one of our employees accidentally burned herself while using a butane dehorner. We wanted a safer alternative, and our veterinarian suggested caustic paste. We decided to give it a try, and now all our calves are dehorned with paste.

Calves arrive at our farm when they’re around 3 days old. We apply the paste that same day, after they have eaten and are a bit sleepy. It’s obviously less stressful for them than the butane burner. Some shake their heads a bit, but many don’t react at all. There’s definitely less risk of injury to our employees – they just have to wear a pair of protective gloves.

Now, you do have to take your time and go through all the steps – shaving, brushing and application. You can’t take short cuts or speed it up. That’s probably the one disadvantage of this method compared to a hot-iron. But when you consider the improvements in employee safety and animal welfare, paste disbudding is definitely worth the extra steps.

Some farmers are reluctant to use dehorning paste because they think it doesn’t work. I’ve heard those rumors, too. But I’ve dehorned thousands of calves and can tell you if you use dehorning paste correctly, it is every bit as effective as a hot-iron. It’s definitely a lot less stressful – for both the calves and the crew!

All dehorning methods require restraining the animal and locating the horn bud. After that, paste application boils down to just five basic steps:

1. Trim away hair on and around the horn bud.
2. Lightly brush the horn bud with a wire brush.
3. Apply a ring of Udder Balm or Vaseline^®; around the horn bud, beyond the paste application area.
4. Apply a thin film of Dr. Naylor Dehorning Paste to each horn bud.
5. 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?

In 2008, when I was working on product development for an international milk replacer company, I had the opportunity to acquire the H.W. Naylor Company. This 80-year-old, upstate New York manufacturer of topical livestock medications is well known for its Udder Balm, antiseptics, hoof treatments and other products that improve animal hygiene and comfort. Having grown up on a farm, where I learned to do hot-iron dehorning, and having worked in the dairy business for more than 20 years, I was familiar with most “Dr. Naylor” products, but not its dehorning paste. So, like anybody buying a business, I did some research. What I found baffled and concerned me.

I was surprised to learn dehorning paste was among the least popular methods of horn removal among cattle producers. Dehorning is a necessary animal management practice, of course, and, aside from raising hornless (polled) animals, the vast majority of producers dehorn their cattle. But most choose hot-irons, saws, Barnes, keystone dehorners or obstetrical wire for this procedure. Why, I wondered, were these more invasive, labor-intensive methods preferred when paste seemed so much easier?

I was also frustrated by the scarcity of dehorning information on the Internet. Pulling together the various research papers, articles, guidelines, statistics and professional recommendations took many hours. If there was a central online clearinghouse for all things dehorning, I couldn’t find it.

Around the time I was researching the dehorning market, the animal welfare movement was gathering steam, particularly in respect to animal handling practices and food safety. Food, Inc., a blistering documentary on commercial farming, was playing in theaters. Several national food recalls were going on. The American Veterinary Medical Association was updating its Animal Welfare Policy regarding dehorning and castration. Then came the hidden-camera exposés of, among other things, dairy farm workers burning horns off animals that were clearly too old for that procedure. All these incidents only served to fan the flames of mistrust in a culture where 98 percent of people no longer have direct ties to agriculture.

I realized a product like Dr. Naylor Dehorning Paste – which offers a bloodless, yet effective method of horn removal – might be an attractive alternative for livestock producers looking to adopt more humane animal handling practices. And keep their farms off the evening news.

While I personally believe paste disbudding is the best method for horn removal, I feel it’s important for others to learn as much as possible about the management practice of dehorning and draw their own conclusions. I decided to launch dehorning.com in order to:

1. provide a comprehensive, science-based resource for dehorning information for both cattle producers and non-farm audiences;
2. stimulate active discussion about dehorning among producers, veterinarians, consumers, food retailers, researchers and anyone else interested in the subject; and
3. educate producers and others about the benefits of disbudding calves at an early age as advocated by the American Veterinary Medical Association and many other organizations.

Clearly, if more producers start using dehorning paste, my company will benefit. But it’s even more important for producers and consumers to know the facts.

So, let’s talk horns.

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