Animal Management Practices

Castrating, Dehorning, Docking, Identification, Ear

Notching and Teeth clipping



By: Dawson Shannon
Conventional Presentation
Teacher Edition
August 5, 2014
References:
Chapter 4: The pig. (n.d.). Chapter 4: The pig. Retrieved August 5, 2014, from
http://www.fao.org/docrep/t0690e/t0690e06.htm
Gardner, F. D., & Agee, A. (2013). Successful farming: traditional methods and techniques for every
farm. New York: Skyhorse Publishing.
Herren, R. V. (2000). The science of animal agriculture (2nd ed.). Albany, N.Y.: Delmar Publishers.
Lee, J. S. (2004). Introduction to livestock & companion animals (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.:
Pearson/Prentice Hall :.
Sheep 201: Docking and castrating. (n.d.). Sheep 201: Docking and castrating. Retrieved August 5,
2014, from http://www.sheep101.info/201/dockcastrate.html
Thompson, J. E. (2004). The appliance of pig science. Nottingham: Nottingham University Press.
When To Castrate Beef Calves. (n.d.). BEEF Magazine. Retrieved August 5, 2014, from
http://beefmagazine.com/health/0401-castrate-calves-timing
. (n.d.). . Retrieved August 5, 2014, from
https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/LiteratureReviews/Documents/practices_piglets_bgnd.pdf
. (n.d.). . Retrieved August 5, 2014, from
http://www.esgpip.org/PDF/Technical%20bulletin%20No.%2018.pdf
. (n.d.). . Retrieved August 5, 2014, from
https://utextension.tennessee.edu/publications/documents/pb1684.pdf


Tools needed for Animal Management Practices

Burdizzo $ 13.99-$ 58.99

Cauterizing Docking Iron
$197.85

Ear Notch $ 15.99


Emasculator
$ 24.99 - $ 149.00

Elastrator $ 9.99 - $ 24.99
Elastrator bands
$ 3.99 for 100

Barnes Dehorner
$ 35.99 - $ 75.99


Electric Dehorner
$ 49.99 - $ 75.99

Branding Iron
$ 300 with numbers 0-9

Electric Branding Iron
$ 97.95


Ear tagging gun with all
Numbers and letters $ 62.95

Scalpel
$ 10.00

Ear Tag Gun with
ear tags $ 41.98


Wound Powder $ 5.79

Penicillin $ 9.95
Needle and syringe $1.50

Tetanus Anti-toxin
$ 4.75


All-in-one-tool
$ 82.95

Livestock suture kit
$ 6.99

Iodine Product
$ 8.99

Animal Management Practices

Animal management uses a variety of different types of equipment.
Chutes to restrain the animal from moving side-to-side or front to back. The Chute is
normally equipped with a head restraint of some sort and bars that open on the sides of
the animal for easy access. Sheep and Goat chutes are normally raised off the ground to
help the person with the procedure.
Dehorning boxes can be homemade to fit all the producers needs. They are normally
made into a little box with a V shape cut out on the front for the head to poke out of. This
allows the producer to have full attention to the head with the kid or lamb not being able
to move.
Blocking Tables can act as restraints as well. In most cases of management the blocking
table is the easiest to maneuver around.
There are many different types of restraints but the chute, blocking table, and Dehorning
box are most common.
Castration:
Castration is a procedure in which the testicles of a male animal are removed. Testicles
produce sperm along with hormones that can affect growth and behavior.
It increases the safety of the handlers and profits of the producer.
Castrated males tend to have a better meat quality.
Castrated males are preferred at sales and slaughter houses.
Most market classes at major shows are consisted of castrated males but females
are prohibited.
Castration of pigs is to eliminate the foul odor and taste they produce in their
meat.
Methods of Castration are Surgical and Non-surgical/Banding.
Surgical Castration:
Surgical can be done with a Knife, All-in-one-tool, razor blade, or scalpel.
On Cattle, Goats, Sheep and Horses an Incision is made at the bottom of the
Scrotum.
On Pigs a 1 inch incision is made about the size of the testicle. You dont want
the incision to high because it wont drain.
The testicles are grasped with hands or All-in-one-tool and pulled to extract as
much of the spermatic cord as possible.
Cut the spermatic cord to remove the testicles.
Apply Wonder Dust and give a Tetanus Anti-toxin to prevent animal from getting
Tetanus.
Non-surgical Burdizzo
This is an instrument developed to castrate as a Bloodless Castration. The
instrument will sever the spermatic cord from the testicle and stop all blo0d flow.
This castration does not injure the scrotal sack but after about six weeks
termination of the testicles should be complete.
Non-surgical Elastrator or Banding
Can be used on Cattle, Sheep, Goats, horses or other livestock with descended
testicles.
Grasp the scrotal sack to insure both testicles have descended.
Using the Elastrator with a castrating rubber ring insert the scrotum with the two
testicles in the middle of the stretched rubber ring.
Position the band at the top of the scrotum making sure both testicles are still
descended and below the rubber ring.
After releasing the band it will begin to cut off the blood flow to the testicles.
After the band squeezes off the blood vessels and all the tissue dies below the band
they eventually fall off. Normally takes 10-14 days for completion.
A Tetanus Anti-toxin should be given to prevent the animal from getting tetanus.





Incision spot for Crushing site for
Surgical Castration Burdizzo tool
Dehorning:
We Dehorn because:
Dehorning prevents injury to the handlers and other animals they come into
contact with.
Reduces the risk of carcass bruising for producers.
It increases carcass quality and pricing from not bruising.
Show stock look more appealing to the eye and professional.
Dehorning styles consist of Chemical, Electric, Barnes, and Surgical Dehorning.
Chemical Dehorning:
Cut hair 1 inch away from bottom of horn bud.
Using petroleum jelly make a circle around the hair line that was not clipped.
Apply the Caustic Chemical (sodium or potassium hydroxide) with gloves to the
hair bud inside the petroleum jelly.
The animal should be kept away from its mother until the Chemical is dry. Animal
can cause burning to the udder or legs of the mother if not dry.
A scab will form over the hair bud within a couple of days and between 1 to 2
weeks the scab should fall off.
Do not allow animal to go outside if its raining because the Chemical can run into
the animals eyes causing serious injury.
Electric Dehorning:
This process is used to destroy the horn-producing cells and prevent future growth
with a hot iron.
Cut hair around the horn bud to make it easier to see and perform the procedure.
Heat the iron up to correct temperature. (There are many different types and sizes
of electric dehorners so time may vary on how long it takes to heat to proper
temperature. If dehorning many animals in a sequence, the dehorner may not
reach full temperature between each use.)
Apply the iron around the horn bud rotating it around the bud but staying flush
with the skull.
The iron should be applied for 10-15 seconds depending on the size of the animal
and type of iron being used.
Do not leave iron on too long because it can cause damage to the skull.
Horn bud will have a copper looking ring around the outer side and eventually fall
off completely.
Barnes Dehorner:
Very useful in calves 2months of age to 1 year.
The dehorner removes the horn bud and horn producing cells by gouging or
cutting the tissue out.
The instrument comes in various sizes so make sure you have the right size needed
to cut the horn or horn bud and to of an inch around the horn bud.
When using the instrument line the dehorner up along the longest side of the skull
with the horn and open at a rapid motion with a twist at the end.
When instrument is completely open the operation is complete.
You can reduce the bleeding by cauterizing the artery with a hot iron or clamping
it with forceps.
Applying wound powder will help with bleeding; Penicillin will start the healing
process, and giving a Tetanus Anti-toxin will prevent the animal from getting
Tetanus.
Wound should be watched for flies and infection. (In my opinion this method
should be done only in late fall, winter, and very early spring before insects begin
to start moving about. Flies can produce eggs which can turn into maggots. Also
infection is greater in the spring, summer, and early fall.)
Surgical Dehorning:
Local anesthesia should be used to surgically dehorn any animal.
Clip hair away from horn bud or horn if developed.
Cut hair line around the horn bud with scalpel to pull away for stitching up later.
After hair line is pulled back, use the Barnes instrument, Wire dehorning cable, or
Keystone Dehorning clipper to remove the horn bud or Horn that has developed.
Before sewing up the skin make sure all hair line horn producing cells are removed
from skull and flush with an anti-biotic.
Using a surgical sewing kit, sew the incisions up and apply a fly spray or paste (that
has been tested and approved to use around cuts) around the stitches to keep the
flies from laying eggs and pestering the animal.
The animal needs a Tetanus Anti-toxin to prevent tetanus.
Check stitches in 7-10 days and if sealed up the stitches can be removed.

Ring produced from Iron Non Dehorned Brahman Barnes dehorning instrument

Surgically Dehorned Brahman calf
Tipping Horns:
If an animal has already established horns a procedure that can be done is tipping.
Tipping can be done with an electric saw, hand saw, dehorning cable, or
appropriate pliers.
Depending on the length of the horns will determine the amount being cut off.
Normally making the tip of the horn blunt instead of pointed is the object of the
procedure.
Stock shows do not allow horns that have not been tipped. All horned market
goats must be tipped to insure safety.

Dehorning cable Saw for Tipping Tipping with pliers
Tail Docking:
Tail docking is:
A practice used by cattle, sheep, and pig breeders.
To prevent fecal matter from collecting on the tail of sheep and cattle.
To improve milk production, cleanliness, and udder.
To eliminate the cannibalism or tail biting of undocked pig tails which causes
infection and injury.
Tail docking can consist of Banding, cauterizing, and surgical docking.
Banding:
Banding is the most common use of tail docking in sheep and cattle.
Using the elastrator and an elastrator band the tail is fed through the expanded
elastrator band and placed according to the animal.
Dairy cattle will place the band 2/3 from the top of the tail head.
Sheep producers not raising show sheep will apply the band approximately 1/3
from the top of the tail. The tail needs to cover the rectum and the vulva but not
be any longer.
Show sheep will need to have the band placed all the way up the tail against the
pin bone and tilted upward. This will give the lamb a better appearance and not
look narrow down his top line.
Cauterizing Docking Iron:
Cauterizing is burning the skin or flesh (sometimes a wounded area) with a heated
instrument to typically stop bleeding and/or prevent the area from becoming
infected.
The iron is heats up and comes equipped with a razor sharp edge to cut through
the tail of a young lamb or calf while cauterizing the tail.
This decreases the bleeding and allows for docking the tail any length.
Surgical Docking:
This is the second most common type of tail docking.
Can consist of using a knife or scalpel to cut through and amputate the unwanted
tail.
After amputating the tail, the tail stub can be cauterized by a hot iron, stitched up
with suture kit, or doctored with Wonder dust to stop the bleeding.
Animal should be watched carefully to insure that no infection has developed.
Teeth Clipping:
Piglets are born with outwardly projecting canine or needle teeth. The
piglets can suffer from facial lacerations and their sows may have lacerations
on their udder. Sows may spend more time laying on their bellies if udder is
lacerated or piglets still have needle teeth to protect themselves.
Within one week of age the teeth can be blunted or shortened by
grinding the tip, clipping the tip, or clipping the tooth at the gum line
with pliers.
Clipping the teeth can save time and labor cost to sows and piglets.
In some cases the sow will get restless and lay on the piglet because of
discomfort of the teeth.
Identification:
When selecting an Identification system make sure it fits your production. ID should be
visible enough for the producer and cost efficient. The ID should be of some help for
record keeping and source for ID of owners stock.
Ear Notching:
Ear notching is mainly found in pigs but can be
used in other species as well.
Shortly after birth the piglets are ear notched with
the V shaped ear notcher.
Right ear (the pigs right ear) is the Litter number.
Left ear (the pigs left ear) is the Individual pigs
number.
On this diagram the left ear can actually be notched twice in the 1 spot to make a
#2 pig and twice in the 3 spot to make a #6 pig.
The right ear can also have 2 notches in each quadrant of the ear other than the tip
(81 spot).
Many cattle, sheep, and goat producers will use a certain ear notch to show that
the animal has been worked or for other management reasons.
Branding:
Branding methods have been used since the Ancient Egyptians for proving ownership of
lost or stolen animals. Two methods of Branding are Hot and Freeze branding. The Brand
is burned or frozen into the hide of the animal to show identification and some producers
will brand numbers as well for record keeping.
Hot Branding
Can be done with an electric or fire brand.
Heat the iron up in a fire pit or other heat source. If iron is black it is too cold, if
iron is red it may be too hot, the iron should be a gray ash looking color.
Apply hot iron to shaved hide and hold firmly for 15 seconds.
Hair follicles will die and the hide will scab over.
Freeze Branding
Branding iron should be cooled with a liquid nitrogen or dry ice.
Shave hide and apply alcohol to area for branding.
Apply branding iron and hold for 25-30 seconds.
This method does not scald the hide but kills the hair follicles off and turns them
white. Best on black and Red calves.
Tagging:
Tagging is a simple universal way to identify animals.
Companies can customize the ear tags to have brands, numbers, or letters for
producers satisfaction.
Tagging should be done by using an ear tag gun and punching an ear tag through
the ear.
The ear tag gun will attach a back to the ear tag for stabilization.
Summary/ Review:
Castration is important to producers for certain reasons safety, meat quality, and favored
for show stock.
Dehorning should be done at a young age to insure less stressful.
Docking is important for producers to have cleanliness and safety from others coming in
contact.
Identification can be shown using ear notches, tagging, and Branding.


Review question:
What is piglets teeth called that need to be cut or grinded down to protect sow?
Canine or needle teeth
What tool is used in castration for severing the spermatic cord?
Burdizzo
When dehorning, castrating, or docking what should the producer make sure to give the
animal?
A Tetanus Anti-toxin
What is the Pig number and litter number? Pig number is 4 and the litter number is 38