24 DEHORNING CATTLE 



handles of the clippers was broken, which we replaced by a 

 strong hickory one. This is liable to occur ; hence it is advis- 

 able to have an extra handle. 



The bulls did not seem to bleed as much as many of the cows, 

 nor for so long a time. They lost little, if any, appetite, and the 

 removal of their horns has made them comparatively quiet and 

 gentle. Up to the present time they have been used for service 

 repeatedly and without any apparent loss of power or inclina- 

 tion. Previous to dehorning, it was our custom to hitch one at a 

 time to a ring and chain, shown on the cover page, this being sus- 

 pended from a strong cable running the length of the yard, thus 

 giving each daily exercise. This same figure shows the present 

 method ; all run together, can be left out longer, and get more 

 exercise from playing with one another, and there is scarcely 

 any danger when handling them, all three being driven in and 

 out together like calves. One can scarcely realize the differ- 

 ence in the amount of work, to sav nothino^ of the lessened dan- 

 ger. 



The following day, April 30th, the men dehorned the re- 

 mainder of the herd, twentv-two cows. The work was begun 

 at about 8 a. m., and all was completed in one hour and forty 

 minutes. The time necessary, therefore, for one operation was 

 on the average only four and one-fourth minutes. In each case, 

 the blood spurted out in a single jet, one from each horn, to a 

 distance varying from three to six feet, gradually subsiding as 

 it began to clot. Nothing was done to check the flow from the 

 last animals, and they stood the test fully as well as the others. 



Two Holsteins, one thoroughbred Durham (Dorothy), and a 

 thoroughbred Jersey ( Madge Berg 3d), seemed to be the least 

 afiected of any of the cows. They scarcely seemed to notice 

 the operation at the time ; also recovered quickly. The loss 

 of milk was very small in these cases. One Holstein actually 

 gained in quantity, which, however, was due to the fact that 

 she had calved on the 25th, and had not yet reached the limit of 

 her production. Her increase was constant until the maximum 

 was reached. 



In point of breeds, the Ayrshires were the most seriously af- 

 fected. At the time they seemed to stand it the best, but with 

 the exception of one (Bonnie), they all showed considerable 



