THE DEHORNING OF CATTLE. 



SIMPLE METHOD OF RESTRAINING THE ANIMALS. 



The dehorning of cattle can be very satisfactorily performed with- 

 out other apparatus or instruments than a good strong clothesline and 

 a clean sharp meat saw, or a miter saw with a rigid back. The same 

 simple means for controlling the animal is just as applicable when 

 dehorning clippers are to be used as when the horns are to be removed 

 with the saw. The head of the animal is secured to the horizontal rail 

 or stringer which holds the upper ends of the stanchion boards. The 

 animal is put in the stanchion in the usual manner; then one end of a 

 heavy clothesline is passed around the upper part of the neck and tied 

 in a knot that will not slip, otherwise it will choke the animal. The 

 free end of the rope is now carried between the horns, through the 

 stanchion to the front, up and over the horizontal stanchion rail, then 

 down underneath the neck and up and over the top of the stanchion rail 

 to an assistant, who should hold it firmly. Now open the stanchion, 

 allowing the animal to withdraw its head; then, keeping the rope tight, 

 pass it once around the muzzle, up and over the stanchion rail, and 

 through to the front again to the hands of the assistant, who should 

 stand 3 or 4 feet in front of the animal and hold the rope firmly, but 

 prepared to release it when told to do so by the operator. The ani- 

 mal is now ready for the dehorning operation. 



It is necessary that the rope be held by an assistant, as in the event 

 of the animal struggling during the operation so as to throw itself off 

 its feet, or if there appears to be danger of its choking, the rope may 

 be slackened promptly at the word of the operator and the animal 

 partly released. This, however, is rarely necessar} 7 , for as soon as 

 the head is secured the operator snould be ready, standing at the 

 right shoulder of the animal with his saw, and proceed to saw off first 

 the right and then the left horn. Figure 1 shows the animal and the 

 operator in position for the dehorning operation by this method. It 

 is a good plan before commencing the real work to experiment upon 

 an animal in the matter of control by tying the head to the stanchion 

 rail as described. 



If the stanchion rail is too wide to permit of properly securing the 

 lower part as well as the upper part of the animal's head, the turn of 

 the rope around the muzzle may be omitted and the last lap of the 



350 



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