Study of calves disbudding following injection of clove oil under horn bud

The purpose of dehorning in cattles is to decrease injuries and increase security in farms. Besides breeding managements, different chemical and physical methods are used for dehorning of livestock, depending on their age, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of clove oil on disbudding new born calves following injection under horn bud. 12 five-day-old healthy calves from both sexes were divided randomly into 3 equal groups. In group 1 (T) 0.5 mL of clove oil, in group 2 (Control / C) 0.5 mL of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and in group 3 (N) 0.5 mL of normal saline was injected under left horn bud. Right horn bud in all calves was considered as control group 4 (B) to ensure that all calves are horned. During the study, the rate of horn growth and clinical parameters (Temperature/Pulse/ Respiratory rate) in calves was evaluated in determined time intervals between groups. In the current study, injection of the clove oil stopped horn growth but there were no significant differences in horn growth rate between groups C, N, and B. Injection of clove oil, DMSO and normal saline had no significant effects on clinical parameters, significantly. According to the results of this study, injection of clove oil under horn bud can be an effective method to stop horn growth without any undesirable effects on clinical parameters.