DEHORNING.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10230, 8 January 1927, Page 3

DEHORNING.

A NECESSARY PRACTICE

ADVANTAGES CATALOGUED

The demand for the adoption of the practice of dehorning cattle is increasing everywhere. The Canadian Live Stock Commissioner recently advanced strong argument in favor of the practice. “Our export trade with Great Britain,” he said, “has been built up with the absence of horns on our cattle as a 'first requisite, and it is imperative that we continue to provide sufficient volume for that market. The same i§ also true as regards our trade with the United States. For the

lack of an hour or so, millions of dollars are being lost to the live stock producers and feeders in Canada, and tho development of our outside trade seriously affected. The Dominion Live Stock Branch at Ottawa has received requests from all parts of Canada that producers and feeders be asked to further practise dehorning, as the present situation as regards horned stock is seriously affecting the welfare of the industry at the present time.

So much lias been written from time to time on the method of dehorning that there should be little need for further reference to it, bijt in a recent issue of the Journal of Agriculture appears a very full and comprehensive article upon the subject, written by Mr. A. it. Youwg, M.R.C.V.S. The writer gives instances of the damaging effects of travelling horned cattle. In one mob of 105 such, received by rail at one meat works, examination after slaughter showed 31 bruised buttocks, 3S bruised sides, 22 bruised shoulders, 33 bruised hips two bruised legs, one bruised back, and 115 horn pokes. In this case 42 hindquarters and 20 forequarters were rejected for export. Other reports state: “On the 16th and 18th instance there were slaughtered 111 head of Polled Angus ex rail. Thirty were found bruised, mostly upon the hip, so it looks as if bruising were done in yards or elsewhere.” “Forty head of polled cattle; several slight hip and shoulder bruises, but nothing serious on the whole. Very clean and no room for complaint.” “Sixteen horned> bullocks, seven carcases badly bruised.” One has only to visit any fat stock yards, and he would see such instances multiplied week after week. The writer of the Journal article proceeds to state that in milking herds, the results of the dehorning operation have been observed by him in some ten thousand cases. None of the. animals died as a result, three slipped their calves, and a few delayed healing up. The milk sup ply dropped on an average, three pounds for the first day, regained two pounds the second day, and back to normal the third day. The subject of dehorning the cattle interests the meat trade, the stock owner, and the consumer, both from the standpoints of the prevention of cruelty and financially. It is claimed for dehorning : (1) That a herd of cows settles down better after dehorning, thereby increasing the quantity, and quality of the milk yield to an appreciated extent. (2) That horned cattle inflict bruising, especially in fat cattle forwarded for slaughter. (3) That horned cattle inflict unnecessary cruelty unon each other. (4) And that many fatalities to human beings would be prevented by dehorning.

WORLD'S SMALLEST FARM.

A NOVEL ENQUIRY

The world’s record for keeping one cow' all the year round on a minimum area of land 'was put up by an English gaoler, writes “Riistieus”. A New' Zealand journal reminds dairymen of the fact in a paragraph stressing the possibilities of production on small areas. All the feed consumed by this wonderful animal in question was produced inside the walls of the gaol, on an area not exceeding a quarter of an aere._ The moral of this interesting little fact is obvious in days when the popular slogan is “more production.” Its application in the dairying industry may be expressed in the one word “soiling”—that system under which a succession of fodder crops is grown and carted for the animals in field or barn, and by which that super-econ-omy is practised which is the essence of all industrial success.

I think I can go one better than the above instance of keeping a cow in a very limited area. Lord Frederic Hamilton, in his delightfully interesting book of reminiscences, “The Vanished Pomps of Yesterday,” relates that when he was attached to the British Embassy at St. Petersburg, (now Petrograd) an attempt was made to assassinate Alexander 11 in his Royal Palace. Fortunately for the Czar something delayed him for breakfast, and the bomb exploded in his absence, but killed several others. As all the servants of the palace were moujilts (uncouth, uneducated Russian peasants), some of thenv were suspected of being concerned with the plot. An enquiry was held and a general clean-up made of the palace. Lo and behold on the top floor a whole colony of the moujik’s relatives were found to be living, their food supply coming from the Royal pantry. Families had actually been reared there. But worse! In one room was found a full-grown dairy cow. It had been smuggled tip there when a calf, the fodder being stolen from the Royal stables. When found it was in full milk and a promiscuous collection of infants were depending on its daily how. Such things happen—in Russia.

WOOL AT 5 1- A LB!

BUT ’TWAS A PET SHEEP

SYDNEY, Dec. 17

An amazing price was paid for fleece at yesterday afternoon’s wool sales.

A buyer for Japan gave 60d a lb for the first lot offered in the bag section—the fleece of a pet sheep owned by the baby son of Mr. A. Shiels, a popular buyer, who lives at Killara. This phenomenal price -was not an indication of the market. It was merely a Christmas box for the happy youngster.at Killara.

Taking the world as a whole, hay is the most important of all live stock fodders; In many parts of the world it is the only . fodder in uso during the ;long : and severe and when of. good quality l and 'fed liberally,'it will keep, store stock in very good condition indeed. ..