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Dehorning
I would have to say that Dehorning is not my favorite job! But for the safety of myself and the lives of the cattle they are better off without the horns.
METHOD 1: The very best way to dehorn is to dehorn when they are between 4 to 6 weeks of age. The horns need to be through the skin but not too big, so that the dehorner can fit over the bud. Use either an electric or a gas dehorned. The aim is to dehorn before the horn attaches itself to the skull which is usually by about 7 to 8 weeks of age otherwise it becomes a little more complicated and messy to dehorn. But not impossible.
METHOD 2: You can dehorn an adult, but best done under a local anaesthetic and not during the summer months.
If a horned highland is to go to the abbatoir or sale yards, the horns are required to be NO longer than the end of their ears.
If you use a Saba saw with a metal cutting blade (White) it reduces the bleeding. They often shake their head and walk off and have been known to eat the hay put in front of them. But do not do this during the summer as it will attract flies.
Horn/poll parentage
The offspring will inherit one gene from each parent, chosen randomly.
Horned cattle carry 2 horned genes! Poll cattle can carry 2 poll genes, or one horned gene and one poll gene! (it will be poll becaue the poll gene is dominant)
Horned sire and a horned dam will produce a horned calf.
Depending on the poll parent if it carries 2 poll genes or a horned or poll gene it can produce a double poll calf or a ph poll calf.
Identifying calves that are horned or poll is not always easy!Feel the top of the head of a newborn calf, you can usually feel the horns under the skin; they will feel like matching little bumps under the skin where the horns would be. If you can' feel the horn buds, it is most likely a poll calf. Check a week later as sometimes it isn't always easy. A peaked poll indicates an animal that is naturally poll. Calves which have a rounded almost flat head are indicative of them developing horns later usually coming through the skin by 6 weeks of age. Six weeks of age is a good time to dehorn as this is before the horn attaches to the skull bone.
Sire Dam Offspring Explanation Horned (Hh) Horned (Hh) Horned (Hh) There is no poll gene in either parentHorned (Hh) Poll (Ph) Horned (Hh) or Poll (Ph) Could pick up either gene from both parentsHorned (Hh) Poll (Pp) Poll (Ph) Must pick up gene from each parentPoll (Ph) Poll (Ph) Poll (Ph) or Poll (PP) or Horned (Hh) Can pick up either gene from both parentsPoll (Pp) Poll (Pp) Poll (Pp) Can only pick up poll genesHorned (Hh) Horned (Hh) Horned (Hh) Can only pick up horn genePoll (Ph) Horned (Hh) Horned (Hh) OR Poll (Ph) Can pick up either gene from both parentsPoll (Pp) Horned (Hh) Poll (Ph) Must pick up gene from each parentPoll (Ph) Poll (Ph) Poll (Ph) or Poll (Pp) or Horned (hh) Can pick up either gene from both parents Poll (Pp) Poll (Pp) Poll (Pp) Can only pick up poll genes
Scurs
Scurs are small horn-like structures that, in young cattle, are usually not attached to the skull. They often look like small horn buds, and can vary in shape and length. In older cattle, they can sometimes attach to the skull like a horn. Having scurs is a separate trait to being polled or having horns.• Scurs are incompletely developed horns which are generally loose and movable beneath the skin, not attached to the skull. • Not all horned cattle carry the gene for scurs and not all polled cattle lack scur gene. The gene for scurs is expressed differently from the gene for polledness/horns.• In males the scur gene is dominant, meaning that if only one of the two genes is for scurs the bull will be scurred. Therefore, it is easy to detect the scur gene in the bull and eliminate it from the herd.• In females the scur gene is recessive, meaning that she must possess both genes for scurs in order for the cow to be scurred. If the cow possesses only one scur gene she will not have scurs herself but has a 50 percent chance of passing the scur gene on to her calf. The smooth polled cow may have the recessive scur gene, resulting in much more difficulty in identifying/eliminating the scur gene from the herd. Facts:• Most scurs remain small but occasionally the scur will grow profusely, grow to the edge of the skull and continue to grow in a downward fashion up to 7 or 8 inches long and appear to be a rigid horn. • Currently there is no test available to test for scurs.• It is now believed that poll bulls that do not carry scurs may be a homozygote poll but not necessarily. However it is believed that for the bull to be a homozygote poll it will not demonstrate scurs. • They can have one or two scurs.• Horned cattle may carry the scur gene, but cannot demonstrate the scur because the animal has horns.• Smooth Poll means without scurs.