Related Experiment Videos
Acute cortisol responses of calves to four methods of dehorning by amputation
S P Sylvester1, K J Stafford, D J Mellor
1Department of Physiology and Anatomy, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Objective:
To measure the plasma cortisol response in calves dehorned by four different methods (scoop, guillotine shears, saw, embryotomy wire) for 9 h after dehorning.
Design:
A physiological study with controls.
Procedure:
Horn amputation was carried out on calves restrained manually in a race.
Results:
The four methods of dehorning provoked similarly increased cortisol responses which lasted for 6 h. During the first hour after dehorning the plasma cortisol concentrations were similar to those following ACTH injection. The overall cortisol response to control handling was about 30% of the responses to dehorning.
Conclusions:
The similarity of the cortisol responses produced by the four methods of dehorning suggests that the distress experienced by calves following dehorning by amputation is similar regardless of method used.