40 



fully twice as many animals can be kept and fed in the same amount of barn 

 or lot space. I have never known any one who has practised dehorning on a 

 • ige scale who would be willing to discontinue the work." 



R. R. Dinwiddie, Veterinarian, Arkansas Station : " I have experimented on 

 about twenty head and am in favor of dehorning. Disbudding under three 

 months is preferable, either with the gouge or caustic. There is less pain and 

 the results are as good. The advantages of the operation are: it partly prevents 

 accidents, and facilitates feeding where many animals are unconfinsd or tied close 

 together. I believe the operation, as a rule, is a humane one. 



C. S. Plumb, Director, Indiana Station : "I usually remove the horn by the 

 application of a little caustic potash just as it appears upon the surface of the 

 skin The horn of a yearling is removed with less pain than that of a six months 

 old animal for the reason that the sensitive tissue comes up around the base of 

 the horn in the younger animal much further and has to be cut through. There 

 is a very trivial amount of blood escapes during dehorning. The horn should be 

 taken off about half an inch below where the flesh comes up around the base. I 

 thoroughly believe in disbudding. In my experience, calves do not show any 

 indications of pain, and it would save lots of trouble in the future. Dehorning 

 promotes docility, prevents goring and similar injury either to cattle or to men, 

 enables proprietors of bulls to handle them with greater ease and safty, enables 

 one to stable a much larger number of animals within the same enclosure, enables 

 the weaker ones of a herd to secure a reasonable part of their rations, in the 

 winter enables animals to bunch together and keep warmer and thus economise 

 in the use of food ; dehorned cattle, ship with greater safety than horned ones if 

 in closed cars or vessels." 



W. A. Henry, Director, Wisconsin Station : " The practice of dehorning 

 cattle, both dairy cows and steers, is exceedingly common in this State. In some 

 sections fully two-thirds of the cattle have their horns removed. The practice 

 was entered on here and there by enterprising farmers and dairymen, who were 

 driven to it by injuries to stock by goring, and the frequent loss of human life 

 through fractious bulls. Neighbors usually protested at first, but after a little 

 gladly accepted the lesson and put it into practice on their own farms. The 

 usual plan in this State is for some one to go about the country dehorning herds, 

 charging such prices as will bring him three or four dollars a day for the work. 

 Last fall in looking over the cattle coming into the Chicago stock yards I estimated 

 that fully a third of the animals which I saw that day were dehorned. Obser- 

 vation from the car window show that the practice is common in Illinois, Iowa 

 and Nebraska. 



George W. Curtis, Director, Texas Station : " In removing the horn, saw 

 from the top of the crown downward and outward, following the natural curve 

 of the head, so as to leave the animal polled in appearance. The saw should get 

 close to the base, even taking in a little skin, as in sawing too far from the head 

 the bleeding will continue longer and may result fatally. 1 have tried knobbing 

 and tipping and consider both practically worthless with vicious animals. 

 Removing the buttons from calves I don't think any less painful than dehorning. 

 We mind it less, however, for the reason that the animals are smaller and weak 

 and cannot make so much show of resistance or pain. When practiced for 

 vicious or unruly animals and for feeders, the results certainly justify much 

 more pain than is given in the operation." 



F. A. Gulley, Director, Arizona Station : " I have practiced dehorning for 

 five years — on 100 head experimentally and 2,000 head on a ranch. If cattle 

 are driven or heated just before the operation they are apt to bleed considerably. 



