6 



FARMEKS* BULLETIN 949. 



heals very slowly. The loss of blood from older animals will also 

 be more likely to cause trouble than with younger animals. Although 

 some stockmen prefer using the clippers altogether, it is much safer 

 to use the saw altogether than it is to use the clippers altogether. 

 A desirable compromise would be to use the saw on the hard, brittle 

 horns of the older animals and the clippers on the soft, tender horns 

 of the younger animals. 



Whichever instrument is used, care should be taken to cut enough 

 of the horn to insure that unsightly stubs will not grow out. From 



Fig. 2. — Dehorning clippers. The cutting edges are formed of two V-shaped knives 

 which come together and give four cutting surfaces. When the handles are pulled 

 together the horn is cut in four different places, which lessens the tendency to crush 

 the horn, common with square-edged blades. 



one-eighth to one-half inch of skin should be taken off to insure 

 this. (See fig. 4.) When this is done the horn-forming cells are 

 probably destroyed, which prevents further growth of horns. If 

 none of the skin is taken off the stubs of horns will grow out and 

 sometimes are almost as effective in hooking as the original horn. 

 Occasionally, too, such a stub will grow down into the eye of the 

 animal, which makes it necessary to perform the operation again. 



TREATMENT AFTER DEHORNING. 



Cattle should never be dehorned during warm weather, that is, 

 weather that is warm enough to cause danger of the wound becom- 

 ing infested with screw worms. If there is any danger of flies what- 

 ever, some fly repellant should be applied to the wound immediately 

 after the animal is dehorned. Either coal tar or pine tar is very 



