Dexter Cattle For Sale Discussion Board

After a 5hr run down to the 'local' abattoir with sheep we came home to a yearling heifer trapped in a corner being savaged by a grown heifer.

After shooing her off her and seeing her horns dyed red I rang the vet before even inspecting the damage.
Once in the crush and we could see, my god! I have never seen anything so horrific, it was like a shark attack!

The heifer had put her horn in though the vulva and then torn it out upward..over and over and over again.

Her vulva and anus were shredded and a good portion of her rump also. Now for the good part, the vet.
Ian Miller of Donald Macgregor, Wick. Without a second thought or suggestion of PTS started reconstructive surgery, thankfully she had little to know nerves left and didnt require an epidural so she remained standing (and eating, her resilience was remarkable! ). He worked on her for 2hrs solid.

The main points were that by some miracle only 7/8 of her rectum were detached, so as it was still there Ian was able to rebuild a lot of surrounding tissue and repair the anus, she will not however ever be able to be serviced or calved.

She is now passing solids and liquid, so prognosis is better as long as we can avoid infection.

The heifer was de-horned the next day. No one will ever convince me again that they do not do any damage with their horns to one another!

Annoyingly that heifer is a gentel beast, but the youngsters mother is a nut job. (We were sold her as 'a bit lively' which she was fine in the field but once she sees hurdels she gets nervous and once inside down right dangerous (going in the building is like getting in a Spanish bull ring)) she had bullied the heifer in to a corner along with the youngster and wouldn't let her out, so the heifer had taken it out on the youngster in front of her.

I wouldn't say that was a horn issue - you may have cut the wrong end off! Hope she wasn't in calf and you can cull ASAP.

If I am reading your post right put them both in the trailer and save yourself a trip

Horrific for the heifer, and for you to find her like that. Could have been you having serious surgery - or worse.
We used to keep a herd of Longhorns, and whilst they were gentle and docile individually, they were complete bitches to each other. I personally would never keep horned cattle again, not just the damage to each other but the risk to yourself as well. With the Longhorns it was being on constant alert when handling them - cattle should be a pleasure not a liabability to own.
Similarly ANYTHING of dodgy temper should be killed ASAP. If really dangerous shoot it in the field. Bad temper is genetic. People should have the guts to kill nasty animals and not be irresponsible and sell them on to others (usually beginners), unfortunatley that does not always happen.
I hope your heifer recovers long term. Sorry you have had to learn the hard way, but hopefully others will read your posting and think about the message.

Best Wishes

Lisa Bell

I to would never keep anything with horns, it can work two ways, my very first dexter had lovely horns they swept up and fortunately she was a gentle cow and never used them on anyone, however sadly she suffocated herself by some how catching her horns under a tumbler while lying down she must have been trying to lick an itch from the way she was catch, so as there is no need for cows to have horns in this day and age, horns are a no no for me.

As for cows beating ones another up, pecking orders can be the cause of some nasty fights and you certainly don't want horns into the equation.

I hope your heifer recovers and if the other one is in calf, once she has reared her calf I would seriously consider her future.

Thanks for posting this dreadful story.It must have been very distressing for you. I spent an afternoon with a freind this week who was having 6 of her cattle dehorned. In between my gofering and dodging squirting blood I was toying with just how neccessary it was to de horn my two calves. The rest of my girls are dehorned or naturally polled and are in calf to a naturally polled bull as I am not a fan of horns.

However I do have a heffer calf and a steer calf who have horns. Although I agree that this story reveals as much about temperament as it does about horns, it's an upsetting and expensive way to learn that you have an agressive cow.

I think I will give the vet a call on mon and price up the cost of dis budding them while they are still young.

Top marks to your vet though.

Sue - Howards other half

Terrible for you and fantastic vet to get in there and deal with it rather than making what perhaps was the easy call.
I once had a very short conversation with Beryl about horns - very short indeed - and it left me in no doubt as to the right way to go. One we have just bought in had a full pair, the day after she arrived they came off.
Its simply not worth it for us or the other stock.

No horns here. Only ever had one, and never, ever again. Mate up the road has Highlands. They are calm and easy to handle but I will not go anywhere near the b*&^^*&^dy things. One twitch of the head and you're in trouble.

Both in the freezer after drugs have passed their date if I were you.

I don't think we should be so hard on horns. They are a problem where we restrict their access to resources such as food or water, and they need more space in buildings & trailers but in terms of personal danger I have kept horned cattle since purchasing a pair 10 years ago and I'm yet to have a serious injury from horns. Plenty of injuries from feet, but noone ever feels the need to cut those off.

I thought an update might be of interest.

The young heifer has recovered remarkably and whilst she doesn't have a sphinkter muscle anymore and is incontinent the vet did such a good job she would pass as normal to anyone unknowing.
She will be going in the freezer eventually but I will wait until she is of suitable size.

The heifer whom commited the damage has been a model citizan since de-horning and being a gentle beast with ourselves was permitted to stay pennding calf. She had him without assistance and was impecibly behaved with us in the box playing with him for the week afterwards.