69 



CONCLUSIONS. 



It seems to be established beyond reasonable doubt that dehorning, 

 by effecting a change in the disposition of the animal, greatly increases its 

 marketable value, besides enabling the owner to handle his stock with greater 

 ease, economy and safety. This increased value is made up in a variety of ways : 

 In the case of steers raised for the export trade, the owner is enabled to feed loose 

 in large stables and adopt improved methods of saving manure, and, as the unruly 

 disposition has been largely subdued, less food is required in bringing the animal 

 to a prime condition. The stock can also be cared for by fewer men. It was 

 claimed by witnesses in the British trials, as well as before the Commission, that 

 on the English market buyers give about $5 per head more for dehorned animals* 

 owing to the belief that they put on flesh better. Farmers and butchers also 

 testified that they suffered serious loss from the cattle using their horns upon 

 each other. The same advantages in the care and management of dairy stock 

 were claimed by practical dairymen after one or two years experience, and experi- 

 ments conducted by the agricultural stations amply justified their contention 

 that, so far from being seriously interfered with, the milk supply was improved 

 in every way as a result of the operation. 



Outside of any financial consideration we have to consider the comfort of the 

 animals themselves. The Commissioners were much impressed with the evidence 

 that the removal of the horns prevents a good deal of suffering. It was con- 

 tended by witnesses that the aggregate of suffering in the life of a dairy cow was 

 much greater than the suffering involved in dehorning, and with this opinion the 

 Commissioners are inclined to agree. A perusal of the evidence will show thai 

 the suffering occasioned by horns is neither rare nor trivial, and we commend to 

 the consideration of humane people this aspect of the question. 



All the evidence, in fact, goes to show that the possession of horns by cattle, in 

 addition to causing great and prolonged suffering, means a loss in the aggregate 

 of hundreds of thousands of dollars to the farmers of this country. The dairying 

 and cattle exporting industries are two of the most important in Ontario, and 

 anything materially affecting them must affect more or less all classes and 

 interests in the province. The total number of cattle owned in Ontario last year 

 according to the Bureau of Industries, was 1,978,8 15. Of this number 773,234 were 

 milch cows ; 359,318 were store cattle over two years, and 839,547 young and other 

 cattle. The exports of cattle from Canada into Great Britain were 108,289, and 

 the value was $8,623, '202. As the large proportion of this trade goes from Ontario, 

 it will readily be seen that if the statements of witnesses are correct — that dehorn- 

 ing increases the value $5 per head — there would be a total increased value for 

 export cattle from Ontario of nearly $500,000 per year. 



