Does it hurt to dehorn a cow?

It doesn't hurt you, but it is painful for the animal, yes. Use of local anaesthetic is more commonly used with dehorning cattle, as well as the choice to dehorn cattle when they are very young and when the horns are just mere buds--not full grown horns. It hurts an animal worse when you're removing the full horn rather than when they have buds. Another common practice producers are using are using polled bulls over cows to reduce the number of calves with horns and reduce--possibly eliminate--the number of calves that need to be dehorned.

Tipping is also done in older cattle, like with rodeo bulls to make it less likely for someone to get gored. Producers also use horn weights to make the horns grow down and in rather than out and up. Horns that are growing out and up are more dangerous than ones that are pointed down. It does not hurt the animal to tip the horns nor use horn weights.