Comparing caustic paste vs caustic stick vs hot- iron+lidocaine disbudding in young dairy calves: behavioral response following disbudding and healing

This study evaluated the behavior of calves following different disbudding methods, and evaluated the scarring between these methods in the weeks that followed. Dairy calves (1 to 15 days of age) were subjected to 1 of 3 methods: caustic paste (CP n = 123), caustic stick (CS n = 123), and hot-iron+lidocaine (HI n = 130). The calf’s latency to approach a person was recorded 1 day and 7 days after disbudding. Calves in the caustic paste group were more likely to approach after 1 sec compared to the other methods. Hot- iron+lidocaine disbudding produced smaller scars (0.47 ± 0.26 in (1.2 ± 0.67 cm) mean diameter ± SD vs CS = 1.5 ± 0.47 in (3.8 ± 1.2 cm) and CP = 1.2 ± 0.35 in (3.1 ± 0.90 cm)), but had greater odds of redness (OR = 6.6), purulent discharge (OR = 13.6), and crust (OR = 48.9) 3 weeks after disbudding compared to the caustic methods. Weight gain at 6 weeks was similar between treatment groups. Horn regrowth at 6 weeks and 6 months after disbudding was not different between the methods used, and thus caustic chemicals were as effective as the hot-iron+lidocaine method to disbud dairy calves.