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•was not impressed with the idea that there was great suffering from the operation. I observed 

 pus in some cases where the cavity was large. My experience is that there would be in the 

 course of eight or ten days a mucous discharge until the horn closed over. After the operation 

 the animals did not show syinpr,oms of being sick. They did not fail in flesh or seem to do 

 badly. The pain mist have been alight or they would have shown some signs of it. There was 

 a loss of blood, but not of an consequence ; some more than others. I am more in favor of 

 d. horning to-dav than I was at first. It changes the disposition of cattle and makes them more 

 like sheep. In a herd of horned cattle ihere is always a good deal of contention, and one animal 

 will boss ver another. 1 have observed th it No. 1 will be boss of No. 2 ; No. 2 of No. 3 ; No. 

 3 of No. 4 ; and th^n ap-ain No. 4 will be boss of No. 1. There is a marked improvement in de- 

 horned animals drinking. They crowd around the tank perfectly tight, and there is no delay 

 such as formerly. I have two muley cows, and the dehorned animals are more peaceable than 

 they are. When the horns are taken off they lose conceit of themselves and have no further 

 desire to fight. It the operation could be performed on a calf I would favor that, provided it 

 has the same effect as taking off the horns later on. Either way is better than having horns. I 

 am satisfied with the operatl n, and believe it is a ben tit to the owner and to the animal itself. 

 It takes about two months for the horn to heal completely over, where the cavity is a large one. 

 I would not recommend the operation to be performed in the warm weather. Care should be 

 taken of the animal. 1 have not applied anything after the operation, but if there is a cavity 

 and the weather is cold I would advocate the application of tar or something of that kind. The 

 closer to the head the horn is taken ■ ft' the quicker it will heal up. It does not require much 

 skill to dehorn a cow, but of course there are I otches who would make a mess of anything. I 

 have never timed the operation, but I think a horn could be taken off in five or eight seconds. I 

 believe that a fine-toothed, si iti'-backed saw would be the best instrument. 



Oliver Borland, farmer, Dereham township, sworn, said : I have been engaged in farm- 

 ing for over twenty years past, and usually kept from forty to sixty head of cattle, dairying 

 exclusively. I have dehorned forty head this spring, they were mostly from three years old up 

 to eight i r nine ; I am satisfied with the results Before dehorning, I lost a good deal through 

 cows giving bloody milk, and of en part of the b;:g would become disabled through hooking ; 

 sometimes they would not giv.- milk for a week through being chased and gored. Behorning 

 changes the disposition an. I makes the animals quiet and peaceable. Since taking the horns off 

 there is no trouble in the yard or at the drinking trough. I have not performed the operation 

 my>elf, but have witnessed it. I thought it would be a very painful thing, but do not now 

 regard it as such. The acute pain only seems to last during the five or six seconds of actual 

 sawing. Afterwards they did not s< em to mind it much. The milk supply failed a little next 

 day, and then came up again much the same as before. The operation should be performed by 

 someone who has seen it done quite a bit. I would prefer preventing the growth of horns if it 

 could be done as well as when they are older. The operation is not so severe as some people 

 think. I believe animals 'suffer more from the horns than they do in having them taken off. 

 It is about a month since my cattle were dehorned; the cavity is now closed over in most of 

 them, but not all. I did not notice that one animal suffered ujore than another. It does not 

 seem to make much diffeience whether the animal is old or young. 1 could not say that to 

 dehorn requires as much skill as to castrate, but I would not like to see anyone do it without 

 having some previous knowledge of it. I do not think that a skilful buyer would be deceived 

 as to age in buying an animal without horns. 



James Francis Cohoe, farmer, township of Middleton, Norkfolk county, sworn, said : 

 I am engaged principally in dairying, and keep from sixteen to twenty cows. I have not 

 practised dehorning but am in Favor of it, as it would give room in housing. I lost a valuable 

 horse once through hooking, and have known animals to tyrannize very much over each other. I 

 have not witnessed the operation, and have not seen any dehorned animals. 



Isaiah Wallace Elliott, retired farmer, B reham township, sworn, said : I have had 

 nearly fortv years experience with cattle, ami formerly handled from twenty to twenty-five 

 cows. 1 have known cousidei a le injury o be done through hooking. The idea of dehorning 

 was at first most repugnant to me, though I often wished the horns were off. I opposed the 

 practice when 1 first heard of it, but now believe it is a go d thing, and that there is not the 

 great suffering thai home people imagine. I. do not believe that a buyer would be deceived in 

 the age of an animal when he- hums are off. The good effects of dehorning fully compensated for 

 any pain in the operation. My s. n-in-law had about twenty head dehorned ; the next day they 

 shrank a little and tl.ere was a falling off in the milk, but after that there was not much differ- 

 ence. They look we land are milking well to-day. The horns were taken off last fall. There 

 was some dischange from the head ; I think it. was pus and I attributed it to chaff or something 

 of that kind getting in the horn and setting up an irritation. Nothing was put on to cover up 

 he wound ; but I think it woukl be a g >ud idea to cover it a little, particularly in cold weather. 



