Over the years, population growth in Kenya has resulted in individuals owning smaller and smaller pieces of land. Tracts of arable land that once used to be allocated to the grazing of cattle are now wholly utilized to grow food for the large families. As a result, farmers have turned to what is locally referred to as ‘zero grazing’ in animal husbandry.

Zero grazing simply means that an animal is housed and fed from a pen instead of being let to roam free and graze in the fields. It is common to have several cows crammed into a tiny shed in order to save on land. When that is the case, the animals become irritable and fight, resulting in injuries from sharp horns. As a result, the recommended practice is for the removal of the horns as soon as a cow displays aggressive tendencies towards the others.

So what is the procedure for dehorning a cow?

The main dehorning instrument consists of a steel cable that is securely tied to two sticks on both ends. These sticks serve as the handles for the dehorning tool during the operation.

The steel cable is wrapped around the base of the horn and rapidly ‘sawed’ through. The cutting of the horn takes just about as much time as it takes a dentist to pull out a tooth.
As you can imagine, this is a painful operation and the cow makes low mooey groans of discomfort. Of course, the animal has to be pinned down to avoid repercussions.

Next, a red-hot steel bar is carefully rubbed over the raw stump. When I asked for the reason, someone said that this prevents the cow’s brain from pouring out when it lowers its head. Another person said that it seals the horn and prevents it from growing. The second explanation seems to make more sense.

When this traditional form of dehorning is done properly, there should be no bleeding and the only evidence should be a pair of horns, a relieved farmer, and a dazed cow.