By Dr Rulien Erasmus & Dr Simon Lashmar (ARC-Animal Production, Irene)

Dehorning is a common management practice used on most beef cattle farms in South Africa. This is done to prevent injuries to other cattle and handlers, to meet breed standards, or for entry into feedlots.

Animal welfare involves that people who work with animals (in any capacity) be mindful of the on-farm practices they use and the conditions in which their animals live. On cattle farms, calves can be regarded as the most sensitive group of animals. Healthy and thriving calves contribute to the productivity of the herd in the future; therefore, calf welfare should be considered important to any beef cattle farmer. As with any livestock production system, good stockmanship is crucial to minimising animal welfare issues in extensive beef cattle production enterprises.

For cattle, horns have been associated with many disadvantages. The main concern with horns in cattle is the potential risk of injury to other cattle, as well as animal handlers. Another big concern associated with horns is the risk of bruising when cattle are transported from the farm to the abattoir. Bruised meat on a carcass is condemned, resulting in an economic impact on farmers. Therefore, disbudding and dehorning are standard practices in most beef cattle operations to produce hornless cattle, and are even recommended to prevent injuries to both cattle and their handlers.

Negative effects of dehorning

Dehorning is a routine management practice performed on most beef cattle farms across South Africa, either to prevent injuries to other cattle or handlers, to adhere to breed standards, or for entry into the feedlot. All methods of dehorning involve tissue destruction and regardless of the method used, dehorning is a painful and stressful procedure for calves, especially since very few farmers administer any form of medication for pain relief. On the majority of beef cattle farms, hot iron cauterisation is the most commonly used dehorning method. The use of caustic paste to chemically destroy the horn tissue is less common but is also painful.

Even though the chronic pain associated with dehorning is difficult to identify and assess, the wound caused by dehorning might take several weeks or even a few months to heal properly. It has also been reported that dehorning influences weight gain negatively, especially during the first two to six weeks after dehorning and this effect may potentially be more significant in warmer climates.

Handling calves

After birth, calves born in extensive production systems may not be handled until weaning, which typically occurs at approximately six months of age. Moving calves to kraals for dehorning and other management practices might contribute to a stressful environment. Calves must always be handled gently and carefully, especially when moved and restrained. When handling calves, they should never be thrown, dragged, pulled, or caught by their neck, ears, limbs, tail, or other extremities. Electric prods and whips should not be used on calves when moving or transporting them. Inappropriate handling of calves could result in injuries and, in severe cases, death. All farm personnel should be properly trained in the care, handling, movement, and restraint of calves of various ages. It is essential to use the minimum amount of force necessary to ensure the safety of both animals and handlers, as well as to minimise potential stress and injuries to the calf.

Recommendations

Horned calves are born with horn buds that will eventually grow into horns. The horn bud is not yet attached to the skull, and horns attach to the skull when the calf is between two and three months old. Research recommends that calves should be dehorned as young as possible (with the use of a hot iron) because the horn buds of younger calves are smaller compared to older calves, which will then minimise the amount of tissue damage and inflammatory pain. The fact that very few farmers use local anaesthesia and/or inflammatory analgesic medications further emphasises the need to address welfare concerns. A welfare-friendly and long-term solution to dehorning is to incorporate polled animals in the herd.

Polledness is easy to observe and can be selected for in a well-designed breeding program. Polled animals will make dehorning redundant, thereby improving the welfare of calves. Polledness is an observable phenotype that can be identified at a relatively young age and remains stable with age. Cattle that are polled have a different head shape compared to horned animals and generally have a narrower, more rounded poll (the central prominence of the head) compared to horned animals that present with a broad, flat poll (i.e., horn crown).