Post by Lannie on Oct 19, 2008 14:36:42 GMT -5
What a day! LOL! I thought this was supposed to be easy. We have dehorning paste, and today was the day we decided to use it on Cricket. She has little tiny 1/4 inch buds, so I figured it was now or never. Yes, I've been procrastinating mostly because I've been so busy, but also (I'll admit it) because I was nervous and unsure about how to go about it.
Well this morning Rich and I made a plan. We gathered up all the supplies (the paste, the battery operated clippers, rubber gloves, a little splint of wood to apply the paste, duct tape, and a rope), and decided to put her down on the ground on her side, and while I held her down, Rich would clip the hair and apply the paste. She's only a little over 5 weeks old, but she's awful big and feisty, so we figured we might have to hog-tie her once she was down, thus the rope.
All I can say is.... HA! The best laid plans... and so forth.
Cricket would NOT go down. I knew exactly what to do - I've seen all those steer wrestling things on the TV rodeo! You stand next to her, grab the opposite flank, lift and flip! Easy, peasy, or so it looks on TV. In real life, however, those guys on TV are a LOT stronger than me! I'm just lucky I didn't get kicked (and she was trying!).
Then I thought maybe if we tripped her... so I told Rich to get the rope around her back legs and push her sideways so she'd lose her balance. That almost worked. Her back end went most of the way down, but she kicked the rope free, tried to kick Rich, and was back on her feet like lightning.
After about 10 minutes of this, we'd both worked up quite a sweat and Cricket was breathing really hard and obviously quite frightened, so I thought maybe if we just let her stand up while we did it, it wouldn't be as scary as us trying to throw her down. LOL!
I stood on the lead rope to keep her from throwing her head up, and held onto either side of her halter, and she stood like a trouper for Rich to clip the hair on her head. She didn't seem to mind the noise of the clippers at all. Then he smeared the paste on, and I stuck duct tape over them. She had it off in 5 minutes.
I went back in the house to take all the supplies back, and came right back out, and one of the pieces of tape was completely off and the other one was almost off. The directions that came with it didn't say anything about covering it (although I know a lot of people on here do), so we went back and got the paste again, reapplied lightly where she'd rubbed it off and let her loose in her pen. (Bandit's out in the pasture today.)
Then I guess it must have started burning. I thought this method was supposed to be painless. I think we did it right, but maybe we didn't. She started waving her head around and scratching with her hind feet, so then she had the paste on her hooves and fetlocks. Then she had it smeared on her forehead and some got on her eyelashes! THEN, I panicked! So I grabbed her to hold her still while Rich ran for the duct tape, and he got two long pieces across the top of her head, around the halter, and taped back onto itself. It seems to be secure for now, but the poor little thing is banging around out there with her head up in the air, bumping into the fence, and acting like it really hurts. The directions say to "isolate the calf" for 6 hours, then I assume we can wipe the stuff off? Does 6 hours sound right to you guys? Some time back I thought I read something about 3 hours, but I don't remember, and then I'm thinking someone else said "overnight." This particular box of paste says 6 hours, though, but it doesn't say to wash off the excess. That's just a given, right?
I figured I'd give her some time to get used to it... maybe she'll settle down and take a nap later. Rich just went out and checked on her and she still has the tape on. None got in her eye, by the way, I was quick enough to wipe off the little bead that was on her eyelashes.
What a horrible experience for both of us! No doubt easier than burning them off with a hot iron, but still obviously painful. I just hope this works, because I'd hate to have to have them burned off later by the vet if this doesn't take. And if we ever have to use this stuff again, I will NOT wait 5 weeks! No sir, I'll have those horn buds pasted at 2 weeks max! When the calf is still little!
~Lannie
Well this morning Rich and I made a plan. We gathered up all the supplies (the paste, the battery operated clippers, rubber gloves, a little splint of wood to apply the paste, duct tape, and a rope), and decided to put her down on the ground on her side, and while I held her down, Rich would clip the hair and apply the paste. She's only a little over 5 weeks old, but she's awful big and feisty, so we figured we might have to hog-tie her once she was down, thus the rope.
All I can say is.... HA! The best laid plans... and so forth.
Cricket would NOT go down. I knew exactly what to do - I've seen all those steer wrestling things on the TV rodeo! You stand next to her, grab the opposite flank, lift and flip! Easy, peasy, or so it looks on TV. In real life, however, those guys on TV are a LOT stronger than me! I'm just lucky I didn't get kicked (and she was trying!).
Then I thought maybe if we tripped her... so I told Rich to get the rope around her back legs and push her sideways so she'd lose her balance. That almost worked. Her back end went most of the way down, but she kicked the rope free, tried to kick Rich, and was back on her feet like lightning.
After about 10 minutes of this, we'd both worked up quite a sweat and Cricket was breathing really hard and obviously quite frightened, so I thought maybe if we just let her stand up while we did it, it wouldn't be as scary as us trying to throw her down. LOL!
I stood on the lead rope to keep her from throwing her head up, and held onto either side of her halter, and she stood like a trouper for Rich to clip the hair on her head. She didn't seem to mind the noise of the clippers at all. Then he smeared the paste on, and I stuck duct tape over them. She had it off in 5 minutes.
I went back in the house to take all the supplies back, and came right back out, and one of the pieces of tape was completely off and the other one was almost off. The directions that came with it didn't say anything about covering it (although I know a lot of people on here do), so we went back and got the paste again, reapplied lightly where she'd rubbed it off and let her loose in her pen. (Bandit's out in the pasture today.)
Then I guess it must have started burning. I thought this method was supposed to be painless. I think we did it right, but maybe we didn't. She started waving her head around and scratching with her hind feet, so then she had the paste on her hooves and fetlocks. Then she had it smeared on her forehead and some got on her eyelashes! THEN, I panicked! So I grabbed her to hold her still while Rich ran for the duct tape, and he got two long pieces across the top of her head, around the halter, and taped back onto itself. It seems to be secure for now, but the poor little thing is banging around out there with her head up in the air, bumping into the fence, and acting like it really hurts. The directions say to "isolate the calf" for 6 hours, then I assume we can wipe the stuff off? Does 6 hours sound right to you guys? Some time back I thought I read something about 3 hours, but I don't remember, and then I'm thinking someone else said "overnight." This particular box of paste says 6 hours, though, but it doesn't say to wash off the excess. That's just a given, right?
I figured I'd give her some time to get used to it... maybe she'll settle down and take a nap later. Rich just went out and checked on her and she still has the tape on. None got in her eye, by the way, I was quick enough to wipe off the little bead that was on her eyelashes.
What a horrible experience for both of us! No doubt easier than burning them off with a hot iron, but still obviously painful. I just hope this works, because I'd hate to have to have them burned off later by the vet if this doesn't take. And if we ever have to use this stuff again, I will NOT wait 5 weeks! No sir, I'll have those horn buds pasted at 2 weeks max! When the calf is still little!
~Lannie