Dehorning of adult cattle is a painful procedure with significant welfare implications, increasingly considered preventable through polled genetics.
Adult dehorning is considered one of the most painful procedures performed on cattle and represents a welfare failure when it occurs preventably. Unlike calf disbudding where horn buds are destroyed before growth, dehorning adult cattle requires removal of developed horn and surrounding cornual tissue. Hemorrhage, nerve damage, and prolonged pain characterize recovery. Local anaesthesia and NSAIDs reduce but do not eliminate pain. Post-operative infection risk is higher in adults than calves. The preventability of adult dehorning through polled genetics makes it a welfare priority that should be addressed at the breeding decision level rather than managed through better pain relief alone. Polled genetics are widely available and economically comparable to horned genetics in most breeds.