Disbudding and the clear benefits of added pain relief

More vets in Ireland are beginning to offer knock-down sedation for dehorning, writes farm vet Hazell Mullins.

Calves over four weeks old require veterinary supervision for the local anaesthetic application.

I never saw myself as a researcher, but last week I conducted a clinical trial of sorts on my farm. It may have been unintended, but the results spoke for themselves.

It’s that time of year when the dehorning iron is brought out of storage, and the annual task of disbudding is upon us again. Disbudding involves removing the unattached horn bud whereas dehorning is when the horn bud has attached to the skull.