MINOR SURGICAL OPERATIONS 295 



Age.— Young calves to be treated by the caustic method, must 

 be treated at about 3 to 5 days, preferably not over 7 days old. 

 After this age it is better in most cases to wait until cattle are 

 about two years old. Young cattle at two years handle and 

 dehorn more easily than when much older. Aged cattle may be 

 dehorned but the horn is hard and more brittle. 



Caustic method.— This is applicable only for young calves. 

 Clip the hair around the horn button; apply a broad ring of 

 vaseline around the button, then the caustic. This is a stick of 

 either caustic soda or caustic potash. Wrap paper around one 

 end of the stick to protect the fingers. Dip the other end in a 

 cup of water. Shake off surplus water and rub the button with 

 the moist caustic; then turn the calf over and treat the other 

 side in the same way. Treat each button two or three times at 

 intervals long enough to let the horn button dry. Do not allow 

 water from the caustic to fall on or run down over the skin, 

 and do not allow treated calves to be out in a possible rain for 

 a week or more. 



If this operation is properly done, there follows a smooth 

 poll. 



Older cattle should be well confined that the horn may be 

 removed with saw or clippers. It is well to take about a quar- 

 ter inch of skin and hair entirely around the horn. When 

 hastily done on a struggling animal, the cut is apt to be too 

 high at some point and an unsightly stub results. For young 

 cattle, the clipper is quick and satisfactory. For older cattle a 

 narrow blade saw (e.g., "meat saw") usually does better work 

 than the clipper. The blade should be about an inch wide and 

 well stretched in a strong frame. The saw has a further ad- 

 vantage in dehorning old cattle in that it causes less hemorrhage. 



Where many cattle are to be dehorned, it usually pays to pre- 

 pare a good chute intended especially for this purpose. Cuts 

 and directions for constructing such chutes are given in federal 

 Department of Agriculture and various state bulletins. 



A few cattle may be dehorned by throwing or by securing the 

 head to a tree or to an overhead stanchion support. 



Suggestions. — If dehorning is carefully done at a proper sea- 

 son, dressing or treatment of any kind is not iisually needed. 

 Serious hemorrhage is rare and may be controlled by pressure 

 pad and bandage or by lightly burning the bleeding point with 

 the red hot end of a small bolt or end gate rod. 



