Farm Animal Welfare

Cattle Dehorning and Disbudding Welfare

Dehorning and disbudding are painful procedures widely performed without adequate anaesthesia or analgesia.

Key Facts

Disbudding of calves by caustic paste or hot iron causes significant pain
Dehorning mature cattle carries higher risk of pain and bleeding
Local anaesthesia and NSAIDs reduce pain but are not universally used
Polled genetics offer the most welfare-positive solution as a permanent fix
EU regulations require anaesthesia for dehorning but enforcement varies

Welfare Considerations

Dehorning without adequate pain management causes unnecessary acute and sustained pain. The precautionary principle and available evidence strongly support routine use of local anaesthesia and NSAIDs. Polled genetics would eliminate the need entirely.

What You Can Do

Advocate for mandatory anaesthesia and analgesia for all dehorning procedures
Support breeding programmes selecting for naturally polled cattle
Ask dairy and beef producers about their pain management protocols for disbudding