Horny Little Calves

July 14, 2009

When Keith and I completed our organic certification survey in April of this year, we also decided to stop dehorning our calves. Our reasons were many. Our SOLE reason was, we both hated the process. Keith had been the one brandishing the dehorning tool for years and I had only helped a handful of times but we both felt bad doing it. The mornful crying, violent head tossing, post dehorning disorientation, reek of burning flesh and hair was just too cruel. Once I learned to get out the way, however; my injuries decreased, but the calves suffered a little discomfort as well.

So we stopped dehorning and now we wait. Other organic farmers who have taken this same route tell us the calves will be happier, healthier and will adapt well to using their horns just as nature originally intended. We do have many coyotes in our area and it would be ideal if a our herd was able to defend itself better. Our older farm dogs went to the big farm in the sky last summer and our new farm dogs (a lazy boxer with a reclining chair fetish and a border collie mix in training), aren't completely up to snuff yet as far as herd protection goes.

Non-organic farmers and our college-educated-ag-major-son think we are INSANE with a capital CRAZY for not dehorning. They tell us horror stories of cows tossing each other up in the air like circus jugglers or holding each other hostage with their horns , trapping the weakest of the herd against the barn while the stronger, color-wearing, bovines munch down the best pasture. They frighten us with images of lacerated udders , ripped apart milk tanks, beheaded farmers, and punctured tractor tires. But we are not afraid. (OK, a little maybe. But we're still going to give it a try. I wonder what color helmet my husband wants for milking time?)