|
|
Post by cascade on Jun 6, 2015 15:03:39 GMT
I find it humorous that the radical fundamentalists on the Traditionally Horned Dexter Facebook Group allow the practice of de-horning and they even put de-horned dexters on their "Traditionally Horned Dexter" lists. Many of the radical fundamentalists among the group are opposed to 100% naturally hornless (polled) dexters, but they support burning, gouging, and cutting horns off of "horned" Dexters.
Horned Dexters are great, and 100% Naturally Hornless (Polled) Dexters are great.... but De-horning Sucks.
|
|
|
|
Post by jamshundred on Jun 6, 2015 18:50:22 GMT
Kirk,
I doubt there is a more radical fundamentalist preservationist in this breed when it comes to dehorning. My views on this are well-known and often ridiculed. However, it is an upstream battle with mainstream cattle folk and the vet profession supporting it. Cows came to earth with horns for varied reasons. Most of the reasons have not changed. Using this barbaric torture as a method to genetically engineer a breed from it's foundation is unacceptable, and you guys are doing it for ego and profit, not for the sake of the cows themselves. But since you like tags and monikers. . . . . yours is . .. . . radical baloneyist.
Judy
|
|
|
|
Post by cascade on Jun 6, 2015 19:28:24 GMT
Some cows come to earth with horns.... and some cows come to earth 100% naturally hornless.
The same thing happens in our heritage sheep and heritage pigs on our farm.
Some of our heritage breed Icelandic Sheep are born with horns, and some are born 100% naturally hornless (polled).... We like them both....The horns offer some advantages and some disadvantages.... that's why nature has allowed for both variations... In some cases, the horns help, in some cases they get caught in shrubs and can trap the sheep and kill them. Nature has allowed both options to assure that different sheep survive in different situations. We like the horns on sheep because we can literally, take the sheep by the horns for control.... but sometimes we hate the horns when they accidentally bruise us.
Some of our heritage breed American Guinea Hogs have big tusks, while some have practically no tusks at all... Tusks have their advantages and disadvantages... In some cases they are helpful and some cases they cause problems for the pigs.... That's why nature has allowed for both variations. We have some of both.
The way we raise dexter cattle on our farm (VERY naturally and very close up and hands on and with very little handling equipment), having a herd of 50 horned cattle would be a nightmare, so we're happy most of ours are 100% naturally hornless (polled), but, if we only had a few dexters, or didn't work with them so very closely, we'd be happy to have horns. We keep the horns ON any dexters that are born naturally with horns, and find horn-loving homes for them.
Other than the presence or absence of horns, we see ZERO difference between our horned animals and our naturally hornless (polled) animals. There is no other difference. Both are 100% natural as nature intended, and both are great.
|
|
