DEHORNING AND CASTRATING CATTLE. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Page. 



Scope of bulletin 



Dehorning 



Use of caustic for young calves 



Dehorning with saw or clippers 



Treatment after dehorning 



Dehorning chutes— plans and methods... 



6 

 8 



5 



3 

 3 

 4 



Castration of cattle 



Time to castrate 



Throwing the animal s . . 



Materials required 



Method of operation 



Castrating large animals 

 Aftertreatment 



9 

 9 

 10 

 1(1 

 11 

 12 

 12 



SCOPE OF BULLETIN. 



THE EXPEKIENCED stockman is familiar with all the opera- 

 tions and methods that are outlined in this bulletin; it is there- 

 fore to the small stockman or the man who is just starting in the 

 cattle business that this bulletin is designed to be helpful. It is 

 intended to present some facts and explain certain methods of 

 dehorning and castrating clearly and concisely so that they may be 

 easily understood. The article is not designed in any way as a 

 treatise on either of the two subjects. 



The farmer who maintains only a medium-sized farm herd of cattle 

 can not devote his entire attention to them as the ranchman does, but 

 must give a part of it to other farm duties ; therefore it is to his 

 advantage, ordinarily, to dehorn, castrate, brand, and possibly vacci- 

 nate all at the same round-up. 



The practice of dehorning cattle is almost universal so far as high- 

 grade beef steers are concerned. The majority of feeders and prac- 

 tically all the well-finished steers that appear on the markets of 

 to-day have been dehorned. It is often desirable to dehorn the heifers 

 as well as the steers, especially where they are to be fed in troughs 

 for a part of the year. Various methods have been followed and 

 various devices used in dehorning. In some instances the cruel prac- 

 tice of throwing the animal on the ground and chopping its horns 

 off with an ax has been followed, while in other instances, and espe- 



42663°— Bull. 949—18 3 



DEHORNING. 



