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Steer Horns

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Ted

11-07-2003 04:49:48




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It seems everyone is entitiled to an off the subject question ocassionally and I need to ask one now. I have a steer that weighs approx 400 lbs. I need to cut its horns off. He uses them at the feeder with his "friends" and I don't want him to use them on me or my children. I should have taken care of them when he was a calf but now I must deal with the problem. I have a cutter that I used to watch my grandfather use but this is another thing I wished he taught me about before he left. A Vet bill is out of the question.
Any helpful advice would be appreciated.

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Bill Smith

11-10-2003 14:33:43




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 Re: Steer Horns in reply to Ted, 11-07-2003 04:49:48  
My first thought would be, let the vet do it. My local vet (cattle oriented animal clinic) does it and, on just one would be pretty inexpensive. While you are there, watch him do it and maybe you will learn enough to attempt it yourself next time. I have done stuff myself before to save money, and wound up in the hospital myself which cost me alot more in the long run. I ussually leave horns on my butcher calves. They get all the grain that way and that sure makes the meat better. Didn't have to sort the butcher calf off everyday to feed him his grain. He ran the bull and the other cows off at his feeding time and I didn't have to do it. lol

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Ted

11-10-2003 10:40:28




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 Re: Steer Horns in reply to Ted, 11-07-2003 04:49:48  
You guys talked me into the project. My brother comes home next week-end for deer season so he will help. He won't add any experience but he will add some size. For those interested I will let you know after the job takes place.
Thank you for inputs.



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ih_bug

11-09-2003 20:17:55




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 Re: Steer Horns in reply to Ted, 11-07-2003 04:49:48  
shoot him and eat him and nobody gets hurt . and dehorn the next one as a calf



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Jimmy King

11-08-2003 11:00:31




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 Re: Steer Horns in reply to Ted, 11-07-2003 04:49:48  
When I used to buy Holstein Steers 350-450 lbs. alot of the time I would clip them off about 4 inches with hedge trimmer shears, that seems to kill the horn and leaves a blunt end. Caution reading between the lines, do not make pets out of cattle they can be very dangerous even without horns.



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jerry

11-07-2003 18:13:35




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 Re: Steer Horns in reply to Ted, 11-07-2003 04:49:48  
If you can get him tied up and isolate his head (squeeze chute), take a hand saw and cut them down (the more teeth the cleaner the cut). Usually cutting them to a 50 cent piece diameter does it. Watch out for squirting blood on you and whatever is around! You can see about getting some blood stopping medicine at the farm store, or cauterize it with red hot iron. (no soldering iron as this will poison him.)
Come out from the base of the horn about 4inches or slightly more if the base is very large. The horn is capped over some marrow. (kind of like under a fingernail.)
All of this is much easier described than done. These can end up being the stories around the local morning coffee hang out :)
If he is tossing them around and you have small kids, a cow is easier to see go than a kid.

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F-Dean

11-07-2003 12:26:29




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 Re: Steer Horns in reply to Ted, 11-07-2003 04:49:48  
These guys are right. It can be a messy job for an experienced cattleman. For some reason, I always ended up as the person shoving the calves into the de-horning chute!
You might consider putting weights on the ends of the horns to turn them down and make them less dangerous. Also, the process is less dangerous.



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Bill Ramsey

11-07-2003 07:22:39




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 Re: Steer Horns in reply to Ted, 11-07-2003 04:49:48  
A 400 lb steer is no big job. Here in Texas we don't always have a chute. We rope the head and heals and strech him out he will go down then tie his feet hard and fast . Then use tree lopers if the horns are to big to take of with sharp knife below base of horns. If you have a chute with head gate catch his head and use nose tongs to pull his head to one side. Take them off and carterize with hot iron. I've not always had the luxury of having help. Look at the almanac and do it by the signs. Some may not believe in the signs but it works. My nickels worth. LOL Bill

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TimV

11-07-2003 05:58:30




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 Re: Steer Horns in reply to Ted, 11-07-2003 04:49:48  
Ted: While I respect the fact that you can't afford a vet bill, if this is your first de-horning, you might be better off biting the bullet and paying the vet to do it. Dehorning grown animals (and 400-lb steers come close enough to fitting in that category) is NOT a do-it-yourself project, particularly if it's your first time. I HAVE seen cows bleed to death from a botched de-horning, and it's tragic, both for the farmer and (of course) for the cow as well... At a bare minimum, you're going to need the proper equipment, which includes a pair of horn shears (though a hacksaw will work in a pinch), foreceps, clotting powder, a nose lead or halter, a STRONG stanchion or crush, and at least one helper. Nebraska Cowman's instructions are pretty good, but be prepared for blood EVERYWHERE! This is not a job for the faint of heart.

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Haas

11-07-2003 05:46:22




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 Re: Steer Horns in reply to Ted, 11-07-2003 04:49:48  
This brings back memories of watching my Dad dehorn cattle when I was a boy on the Farm in Missouri. You'll need to have a really strong place to hold the steer and there will be plenty of blood. If you've not done this before, best to find a neighbor or someone with experience to help.



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zoidberg

11-07-2003 05:45:07




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 Re: Steer Horns in reply to Ted, 11-07-2003 04:49:48  
use a cable saw, your vet should have one for sale, The wound will be cauterized during the cut and you won't get any bleeding, or some of the local yards use a calicrate bander around the horn. Fasten the band tightly, give the tetanus shot and wait. They say the horn will drop off just like the scrotum does. We have not used the bander for horns but it is something to think about. A live calf with horns is worth more the a dead polled one. Good luck.

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Steve W

11-07-2003 05:16:59




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 Re: Steer Horns in reply to Ted, 11-07-2003 04:49:48  
I agree with Rusty Farmall. You need someone with experience, and a really strong stantion to hold him. A 400 pound steer can really do some damage when provoked.

Take Care
Steve



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Nebraska Cowman

11-07-2003 05:02:09




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 Re: Steer Horns in reply to Ted, 11-07-2003 04:49:48  
A cold day will help the blood to clot faster. Take the horns off close to the head, I think the old rule was to take ½ inch of hair. do you have a good place to catch the critter? I've done lots of them with a rope halter and a hacksaw. Some tricks to stop bleeding. Pull arteries with forceps; singe arteries with a hot iron. There is a comercial blood stop powder that you can buy but I find plain old barn cobwebs work just as well. A real hard case can be helped by tying a balertwine around the base of both horns. I have never had one bleed to death yet. If they loose enough blood then the pressure goes down and it clots naturally I think. Feeding clover hay before dehorning is a no no as it is an anticlotting agent. Good luck.

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dhermesc

11-07-2003 05:51:49




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 Re: Re: Steer Horns in reply to Nebraska Cowman, 11-07-2003 05:02:09  
I agree, if you haven't done this before your a lot better off getting some help from somebody who has and also has a good squeeze chute. Getting them locked in good and tight so you can work will make the job a lot easier on you and the steer.

The cold weather is a real good idea for clotting and there is a lot less chance of picking up an infection or a parasite in the wound.



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rustyfarmall

11-07-2003 05:00:55




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 Re: Steer Horns in reply to Ted, 11-07-2003 04:49:48  
Removing the horns from a steer that size would be a major surgical procedure, well maybe not major, but still there will be a lot of bleeding involved, and even if you don't want to call the local vet, you will still need some help, and a chute to hold the steer in so he can't run off. This is not a do-it yourself operation.



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