disbudding

Disbudding is a veterinary procedure used to prevent horn growth in young horned cattle and goats by destroying the horn-producing tissue at the horn bud. It is distinct from dehorning, which removes horns after they have formed. The procedure reduces injuries to animals and handlers and is widely used in dairy farming and other husbandry systems.

Common methods are hot-iron disbudding, caustic paste, and surgical disbudding. Hot-iron disbudding destroys horn tissue by applying a heated instrument to the horn bud. Caustic paste burns away the horn-producing cells when applied to the bud. Surgical disbudding involves local anesthesia and surgical removal of the horn bud tissue, followed by cauterization.

Timing is typically early in the animal’s life, usually within the first weeks after birth when horn buds are small. Early disbudding can facilitate handling and reduce tissue damage. Welfare guidelines increasingly require pain management, such as local anesthesia and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and trained personnel or veterinarians to perform the procedure.

Risks include bleeding, infection, incorrect tissue destruction, skull injury, and regrowth of horn tissue. Proper restraint, aseptic technique, accurate targeting of horn buds, and post-procedure monitoring are important. Aftercare may involve cleaning the area and providing analgesia.

In some regions, breeding for polled (hornless) cattle and goats is encouraged as an alternative to routine disbudding. The practice remains subject to animal-welfare laws and industry standards that vary by country.