I Hate Horns

Not the big, bad, barn wrecker. This is little Bruce

It is no wonder the industry is trending fast toward polled animals. A few of our shorthorn beef steers missed getting dehorned when they were little. That is just trouble waiting for a time zone.

Night before last Liz 'n' Jade's little brute, which has long, pointy, nasty, sharp swords sticking out of his head, decided that he didn't like his stall.

I was milking in the back and when I came back up to put machines in the milkhouse, there he was, with the front of his stall ripped to kindling. He is in a big cow tie stall, with a wooden pallet across the front to keep him behind the tie rail, as he is not as big as a full-sized cow yet.

I figured, looking at the mess, that it was a pine, or some other soft wood pallet and thus understandable that he could tear it to bits.

Nope, when I picked up some pieces they were way too heavy for anything but hardwood.

Bruce has such a cute little curlicue at the bottom of his tail.

We fixed his wagon though. Years ago at a friend's auction the boss bought a big pile of heavy steel calf pen gates. We dragged one of them in and tied it where the pallet was. Then to add a little necessary height, we tied what was left of the pallet to the outside. I can't wait til he tears into that with those darned hookers!