CHAPTER XVII 

 MANAGEMENT OF DAIRY CATTLE 



Dehorning. For the ordinary business herd there is 

 every reason why the animals should be dehorned. Before 

 domestication horns were useful as a protection against 

 other wild animals, but horns on a dairy cow of to-day serve 

 no useful purpose, and are the source of much annoyance. 

 They are responsible for frequent injuries, often serious, and 

 especially to the udder. Dehorned cattle may be housed in 

 a much smaller space; and when they are fed and watered 

 together in the ordinary manner, there is a material saving 

 in labor. Horns on a bull are extremely dangerous. The 

 only case where it is advisable not to remove the horns is 

 with high-class animals that are likely to be used for show 

 purposes. While the scale of points for the various breeds 

 allow only one or two points for horns, a dehorned animal 

 loses much more than that score card indicates when in the 

 show ring. Dehorned animals are occasionally found in the 

 show ring, but the leading show animals are practically all 

 horned. 



Dehorning may be done on the grown animal by the use 

 of the saw or clipper, or on the calf with caustic potash. 

 When using the saw or clippers, the animal should be at 

 least one year of age, and preferably two, or there is danger 

 that scurs will later develop. This will always happen when 



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