MANAGEMENT OF DAIRY CATTLE 211 



a young animal is dehorned unless the horns are properly 

 removed; that is, cut sufficiently close to the head. The 

 horns should be cut from a quarter to one half inch below 

 where the skin joins the horns, leaving a rim of the skin on 

 the horn removed. 



The best method of dehorning is to use caustic potash on 

 the young calf. To use this successfully it must be done be- 

 fore the calf is more than three days old. The hair is clipped 

 away from the small buttons which may be felt, and which are 

 the future horns. A stick of caustic potash is then moistened 

 a trifle and rubbed on the spot until the skin bleeds slightly. 

 Care must be taken to avoid getting too much water on the 

 animal, or it may run down the head, taking off the hair, and 

 even getting into the eyes, with serious results. If sufficient 

 caustic potash has been applied, a dent will be felt in the skull 

 after a few days, and no horns will ever develop. 



Dehorning of grown animals is best done in cool weather 

 of spring or autumn. If done in hot weather, means must be 

 taken to keep flies out of the wound. In raising pure-bred 

 animals for sale it is advisable to leave the horns on, as they 

 can be removed, if the buyer wishes. 



Directions regarding methods of tying animals for dehorn- 

 ing with the saw or clippers and details about the work may 

 be found in Farmers' Bulletin, No. 350, and in the 24th Annual 

 Report of the Bureau of Animal Industry, U. S. Dept. of 

 Agriculture. 



Marking Cattle. In breeding pure-bred cattle it is very 

 essential that some practical system of marking the individ- 

 uals be adopted. Even if a breeder feels that he can de- 

 pend upon memory alone, it is not advisable to do so. The 

 records of some valuable herds have been lost through the 



