Question on dehorning

[forbes family farms]

When the vet dehorns the calves should the person that is showing them go out of the barn? Thanks

 

[shortyjock89]

Sometimes if a calf associates certain people with significant amounts of pain, they can be a little wary afterwards.  To be safe, when we take our calves to get dehorned (we get almost all of ours done cosmetically), I take them in, and then I stand someplace where they can't see me while they do the whole procedure, and then I come back.  I've never had one get scared of me that way, but I really just do it to be sure.

 

[cowcrazy]

I agree with you OFS.  I watched them dehorn a Brahman cross one time and he never forgot it. He tried to pin me up against the wall every time I tried to tie him. Now I just stand where they can't see me.

 

[M Bar]

Make sure the sign of the moon is right as well

 

[chambero]

I definitely think there is something to it.  Way back when I showed, I was never allowed to be around when my show calves were even given shots, let alone dehorning.  I run my sons off when we have to do anything on our calves they don't like.

 

[Vacanballs]

They are animals.. just do it.. they will not remember.. give me a break

 

[shortyjock89]

They are animals.. just do it.. they will not remember.. give me a break

U serious?  You're telling me that if you beat a calf they won't remember that either?  I just gotta call BS on that one.

 

[Hofstatter Farms]

I will say that they do remember things, its like a breaking them to lead, they learn/remember that. However I dehorn all of our calves and break them, at least when I'm home, and i never have a problem you have to regain their trust is all and that don't take long if you use the right techniques. A big one is putting a ring in a bull and regaining the trust so that he will let you grab it again. I rung Shooter and to this day he won't let me grab his ring, I can rub his back, head, neck, put a halter on him, but he won't stand there and let me grab his ring.

 

[herfchic]

I would say that the showman should go out of the barn.  When we have put rings in the bulls, I always leave the barn, and my dad stays in there to do it.  A majority of those bulls ended up puppy dogs with me, but hated my dad.  Someone once told me that the showman should never be the person to lead the calf to be dehorned or a ring put in, but lead them away if they can.  Don't know if that works. 

 

[afhm]

Give them some rompun or something along those lines so they don't remember it and you'll be fine.

 

[inthebarnagain]

They are animals.. just do it.. they will not remember.. give me a break

Not ALL animals will remember, but I guarantee the worse the experience, the more they are likely to remember.  They aren't near as stupid as you think.

 

[farmboy]

i pulled a wart out of my steers ear a week ago, he doesn't like me messing around with him a lot anymore

 

[knabe]

it's amazing how stupid animals are sometimes.  i rarely wear sunglasses at home and one day i got out of the car with them on and one of my dogs would not quit barking, had her damper up.

oops, that proves they are smart.

by the way, she hates men with hats on because our next door neighbor throws rocks at her to "train" her to quit barking at him.

 

[herfchic]

Oh, they remember alright.  We always have trouble clipping heads if we have ever pulled a wart off that calf's face. 

 

[lowann]

They are animals.. just do it.. they will not remember.. give me a break

Believe me, they remember!! The good, and the bad.
I sold a cow, didnt see her for two years, she walked right up to me like she had never left the place.

 

[blackcows]

They are animals.. just do it.. they will not remember.. give me a break

If you don't think cattle have a memeory you must not have spent much time around cattle.  Why do you think electric fences work?  Try bucket feeding cattle for a few days and I will promise you it won't take them long to come running when they see you with a bucket.  Run a calf through a chute and treat it for a few days and see how much more diffictult it becomes.  Check out a dairy farm and watch how well the cows move into the parlor.

 

[knabe]

there is a human bias to overestimate the effect we agree with and underestimate the effect we disagree with and instantly get defensive when questioned with the opposite bias.

 

[shortyjock89]

there is a human bias to overestimate the effect we agree with and underestimate the effect we disagree with and instantly get defensive when questioned with the opposite bias.

TRUTH!

 

[brandisshortys]

I helped in the cosmetic dehorning of my shooter heifer calf and she is just as mild and gentle as can be with me.  She really doesn't even mind her head touched.

 

[shorthorn boy]

Cattle have excellent memory there is no doubt about. I think that it all depends on the animal when it comes to how they react after something is done to them. For example we have this cow that HATES my day and I think its because he was the one that always gave her the shots and I was always there too when she would get the shot but she had no problem with me, she would let me pet her on the head and neck as if nothing had happened. I also had this calf that was puppy dog tame but once we dehorned him he never liked me again.