Dehorning Paste

[farmers_son]

I am trying to find where I can buy Dr. Larson's dehorning paste in Canada, preferably Alberta. Can anyone help? I can find Dr. Larson's in the U.S. but they cannot ship across the border. We were able to buy Dr. Larson's last year at the UFA but not this year. It was really the best I have ever used. They say they might be able to order in Dr. Naylor's dehorn paste which was good but Dr. Larsons was really excellent.

We used a dehorn paste a couple of years ago that actually killed a calf so having a good reliable safe dehorning paste is a priority at calving time for us.

[hayburner]

Recommend a Budex get rid of the paste

[farmers_son]

I looked at the Budex last spring.

Would the Budex work to dehorn calves at birth with momma cow insisting the job be done quick or not at all? My impression was the Budex was more for dehorning at branding time as it took time to heat up. I was also wondering about carrying something hot with me while trying to catch the next calf out in the field.

The problem we were having with the other dehorn paste was it was very inconsistent, hot or cold. And when it was hot it hurt the calves.

[hgb]

Have bought all the fancy gadgets, (buddex,butane fired iron sample princaple as buddex, irons at branding)Went back to the dr. naylor's paste, it is far superior to the dominion product. The only availability to Dr naylors has been to purchase through the US the last couple of years. I just fill a 10-12 cc syringe with paste, as a easy way to carry and dispense a precise amount.A tube full of paste can be lost at virtually no cost.The least amount of struggle from the calves is definately with paste. I found other devices cumbersome to carry, run out of power before finishing the amount of calves to do. This product you mention sounds very user friendly if you find a product source please post as I would like to experiment with it. Save your money and stick with a paste that you find does an acceptable job or use hot irons at branding, just my 2 cents worth.

[hayburner]

The reason we switched to the Budex is the inconsistency of the chemical make up of the paste. I know it is alot easier to use but one year we had calves with holes burned thru the hide and into shulls. The flies attacked these and the resulting maggots drove the calves almost crazy. It was the most sickening thing I had seen . Then catch these calves and spray KRS in the wounds and watch the maggots come out by the dozens. We use the Budex on new borns ,just as fast when you get use to it.

[cswilson]

We used to mess with horns on the calves but we get so few that I wire saw them off later on. I hate dehorning paste with a passion.There's only so much a pasture calving Angus cow will let you get away with-two tags is usually one tag more than she likes so that's all they get done to them at birth. Pen calving when you have more time etc I could see a Buddex maybe working ok-I own one but it's at some neighbors lol. Not sure my horse would appreciate a hot dehorner in my saddle bag lol.

[hayburner]

Wison you should invest or make a thicker pair of saddle bags Budex's seem to cool down quite quickly , faster than you can get on that old horse. I run Angus cows and don't have the problem, of coarse the days of horseback and mean cows are over for me I would rather separate the cow from the calf when she goes to the feed line or stock waterer and when she comes back the job is done. Then after the calf is tagged ,needled ,dehorned they go out of the calving facilities. I have tried to get rid of horns thru bull and cow genetics but horns seem to show up ever now and then Good Luck with the calving

[catlman]

In my own herd i have only had one horned calf in the last 3 seasons. but the cows i custom calf regularly throw horns i prefer Dr. Naylors it works the best of the dehorning pastes i have tried and since these cows calve between mid-jan and april it has worked well. The only one i missed was from an a.i. sired that was supposed to be homo polled but wasn't. I looked at a budex and other gagets but have seen too many mess ups. I'll stick with Dr. Naylors.

[coppertop]

Fifth calf crop with no horns here, and that's the way I like it. I used a buddex, Dr. Naylors and dehorning wire in the past but having them all polled is a lot easier on the constitution, mine and the calves !