Dehorning - Effects on Performance and Economics

Castration Methods - Performance/Economic Evaluation

Abstract

There are many dehorning methods used today, from complete removal of the horn, to various degrees of tipping horns. The data presented in this paper will only deal with complete horn removal.

When should we castrate calves? Because bull calves grow faster than steer calves, one might be led to believe that the longer we wait to castrate a calf, the quicker he will get to slaughter. Research data at Iowa showed that calves castrated at birth to 3 months of age reach slaughter 11.6 days earlier than calves castrated at weaning.