Calf Disbudding
Most dairy animals naturally grow horns that must be removed to prevent harm to people and other animals. Horns can be removed from calves while the horn is still in the bud stage (disbudding), or by method of amputation in older animals (dehorning).
The best method of removing horns in cattle is disbudding at the earliest possible age. Disbudding is the removal of the corium while still in the bud phase. The ideal time to disbud is when animals are very young and when the bud is just erupting. This reduces the likelihood of complications, such as infection or bleeding. However, the age that disbudding occurs is also dependent upon the removal technique. These include electric hot-iron disbudding and paste disbudding.
Horns begin to grow at or soon after birth. Horns grow from buds that float freely in tissue while the calf is young. However, at about 2 months of age, the horn bud attaches to the skull and grows as an extension of the skull. Once the horn is attached to the skull, part of the tender sinus above the eyes merges with the horn; consequently making hot-iron or paste disbudding no longer an option. The removal of horns in older animals—referred to as dehorning—is a more painful surgical procedure because of the fusion of the sinus and horn. Dehorning can lead to bleeding and a higher risk of infection. Additionally, if the procedure does not completely remove the corium (horn-growing cells), horn tissue will continue to grow.
Local anaesthetic and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are administered to alleviate pain during and after disbudding. Additionally sedatives are used prior to disbudding to ensure ease of handling, and to protect the person and animal from harm during the procedure. Sedatives, however, do not serve as pain relief, only to pacify behavior; therefore, a pain management protocol is still necessary. The best time to de-bud a calf is between the age of 1 to 6 weeks age with a hot-iron disbudder using short- and long-term pain management protocols developed with your veterinarian.