Cattle sometimes appear with prominent horns, while others are hornless. Understanding the presence or absence of horns involves exploring their natural biology and various management practices. This article examines what determines horn development.
Horns on Female Cattle
Female cattle, known as cows, can grow horns. The presence of horns is determined by their genetic makeup, rather than their sex. Horns are permanent structures distinct from antlers, which are shed annually. They consist of a bony core covered by a layer of keratin, the same protein found in human fingernails.
Horn development begins early in a calf’s life. Calves are born with horn buds, which are small areas of tissue on their heads. Around two to three months of age, these horn buds merge with the frontal bone of the skull. Horns continue to grow throughout the animal’s life.
Many cattle breeds naturally develop horns in both males and females. For example, female Texas Longhorns, Highland Cattle, and Ankole Watusi are known for their distinct horns. While female horns are typically smaller and less robust than those of males within the same breed, they can still be quite noticeable.
Factors Affecting Horn Presence
Despite the natural ability of many female cattle to grow horns, a significant number are observed without them. This is primarily due to two factors: genetic traits and common management practices.
Some cattle breeds are naturally hornless, a characteristic known as being “polled.” This trait is genetically dominant, meaning that if an animal inherits at least one copy of the polled gene, it will be born without horns. Breeds such as Angus, Red Poll, and Galloway are well-known examples of naturally polled cattle. Selective breeding for the polled trait allows farmers to raise hornless herds.
In breeds that naturally grow horns, management practices are employed to prevent or remove them. These practices include disbudding and dehorning.
Disbudding involves destroying the horn-producing cells in very young calves, typically before they are eight weeks old, while the horn bud is still unattached to the skull. This procedure is less invasive than removing established horns.
Dehorning, conversely, is the removal of fully developed horns from older calves or adult cattle. Both disbudding and dehorning are performed for safety reasons, reducing the risk of injury to other animals and human handlers, and facilitating easier management in confined spaces. Pain control measures, such as local anesthetics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are recommended during these procedures to minimize discomfort.