DEHORNING AND CASTRATING CATTLE. 



7 



i. — Correct position 



removal of horn. 



satisfactory. Both are nonirritating and adhere well to the skin 

 and the wound. Whichever of these is used, if too thick to apply 

 conveniently, m a y 

 be thinned with fish 

 oil or linseed oil. 

 Either an ordinary 

 paintbrush or a swab 

 made by tying a 

 rag on a stick may 

 be used to apply 

 the tar. 



The practice of 

 placing a piece of 

 cotton outing flan- 

 nel over the wound 

 made by dehorning, 

 as advocated by 

 some stockmen, usu- 

 ally meets with poor 

 results, except pos- 

 sibly when the cattle 

 are to be turned into 

 fields where they 

 will be exposed to burs or to severe winds. In such cases the cloth 

 protects the wound to some extent. Ordinarily it requires too much 

 time and trouble, and not .~>0 per cent of the cloths will stick after 

 they are put on. The practice of using a hot iron to sear the wound 

 and stop the bleeding is not practicable nor is it necessar}'. 



If in spite of all precautions the wound becomes infested with 

 screw worms they may be removed by saturating a piece of absorbent 



cotton with chloro- 

 form and inserting 

 it into the wound, 

 or by pouring gaso- 

 line into the horn 

 cavities. The chlo- 

 roform or gasoline 

 will kill the screw 

 worms, after which 

 they may be re- 

 moved with a pair 

 of forceps, a probe, 

 or by forcing the 

 animal's head to one side and allowing them to drop out. Carbolic 

 acid or some other efficient disinfectant may be used for killing the 



Fig. 4. — Horn after 



proper cutting, 

 attached. 



Note hair and skin 



