[Jacob-list] trimming horns

[Patchworkfibers]

Some of you may remember when I posted last fall about accidently "training" the 
horns on a ewe lamb.  She had broken her laterals and kept getting her head stuck in 
the fence.  I taped a piece of PVC pipe across the top horns to keep her from 
getting her head through the fence.  After three weeks, I noticed that the horns 
were beginning to take a forward lean, possibly from the weight of the pipe.  I cut 
the pipe off.  A few months later, the growth direction is more towards the back - 
BUT - one of the horns withered above were the tape had been.  Withered is not 
exactly what happed - more of an arrested growth.  The new horn is firm, well 
defined and stable, but the old horn is still at the stage of 3 month old ewe lamb's 
 and is loose where it joins the new growth.  I can only attribute that to the tape 
partially cutting off the blood supply.   I would guess you could take off horns 
with elastrator bands if the lamb was young enough.  I could probably take off the 
weak part of this girl's horn with a band without too much trouble, but I believe 
I've done quite enough "managing" on this one!  
BTW- I am not recommending horn training for any reason.

Linda




On Thu, 15 Jan 2004 16:28:16 -0500, Kelley Rambo wrote:
>Someone asked about training or trimming horns. I have not tried training, but
>have heard that sometimes weights are used to train cow horns.  I use saw wire
>(in the gynecological sections of the livestock catalogues) to trim the horns
>and have cotton balls, vet wrap, yarrow, homeopathic arnica & hypericum on
>hand.  I usually give them the hypericum and arnica before I start (1 dose of
>200c each).  If they bleed (which I try to avoid if I can), I will cover with
>fresh yarrow (if available) and pack with cotton balls and cover with vet
>wrap.
>
>My vet mentioned and I also read just the other day that some horns can just
>be banded and then they fall off.  Does anyone have experience with that on
>Jacob horns?
>
>Kelley
>
>
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