You may have seen a cow with a nose ring, but have you ever wondered what it’s for?
Humans have used animals to help with many functions such as transport and farming for many years.
One of the tools to help with these functions is cow nose rings.
Cow nose rings reduce stress during weaning and improve safer animal handling. While the piercing process itself causes temporary pain, healing should be complete in a few weeks. If an appropriate amount of pressure is applied when using the nose ring, it should not cause the cow continuous pain.
There are several types of cow nose rings and multiple ways to use them.
Keep reading to learn how cow nose rings are used, including the piercing process and the types of injuries improper use can lead to.
The History Of Nose Rings For Cows
Although we have domesticated a variety of animals, some animals continue to display occasionally unpredictable or aggressive behavior.
This includes bulls or intact adult male cows.
We have developed techniques to foster safer animal handling as a safety measure.
An example of this is cow nose rings.
The nose, specifically the septum, is a very sensitive area.
By applying slight pressure to this nose area, the handler gains better control of the animal.
Related Reading: The History And Reasons For Cow Bells
Reasons We Use Nose Rings On Cows
Calf Nose Rings During Weaning
Nose rings serve different purposes in cows of different ages.
Like all baby animals, at a certain point, calves must be weaned from their mother.
As part of many weaning practices, nose rings are clipped to calves’ noses to discourage them from nursing and to get the calves off milk.
An example of a calf-weaning nose ring is available on Amazon.
The nose rings used during the weaning process are not true piercings.
Rather, these reusable calf nose rings are simply clipped into place.
This clip-on nose ring has plastic spikes and causes discomfort to the mother when pressed against the udder during suckling attempts.
Because of this, the mother will not allow calves to nurse, facilitating the weaning process.
Using spiked nose rings as weaning devices aims to decrease the abrupt separation of the calf from its mother.
Rather than immediately implementing complete separation between a calf and its mother, calf-weaning nose rings encourage a more gradual decrease in the frequency of nursing.
Calf nose rings are temporary nose rings, with removal taking place after a few weeks.
Nose rings are also used as anti-suckling devices in other animals, including sheep and goats.
Nose Rings to Facilitate Safer Bull Handling
Nose rings are also used in adult cattle to improve the safety of the animal and the handler.
In terms of cattle, mature bulls pose the biggest potential danger to humans during handling because they are strong and often unpredictable animals.
Because of this, it is common practice to leave bull nose rings in place for life.
For safety reasons, nose rings are often required at agricultural events like bull shows.
Different Methods of Using Nose Rings in Cattle
There are multiple ways in which nose rings are used in cows.
The nose ring may be held directly by hand, attached to a lead or rope, or fastened to a bull pole or staff.
Animal handlers may connect a rope or chain from the nose ring to the bull’s horn or head-collar to further improve control.
Sometimes people will leave a chain or rope dangling from the nose ring, which allows an additional manner in which the handler can capture the bull if necessary.
Nose tongs are not nose rings but function in the same manner.
These tongs are used to grab a cow’s septum and essentially serve as temporary nose rings.
A bull-holder, also known as a bull-tong, acts like pliers.
It is only used when a cow needs to be restrained for a short procedure.
A bulldog or nose grip is a removable, temporary ring that does not require piercing.
Therefore, these are not permanent rings and only stay shut until released.
These temporary bull rings are often used as leads in combination with halters during bull shows.
Composition of a Cow Nose Ring
A cow nose ring consists of a pair of hinged semi-circles which close via a bolt.
These rings typically range in diameter from 3.15 – 5.12″ inches (8 – 13 cm).
Cow nose rings are composed of different materials, including aluminum, stainless steel, or copper.
If a nose ring must be removed from a cow, it must be cut or unscrewed.
Is the Nose Piercing Process Painful in Cows?
Nose rings are usually applied when cows are between 9 and 12 months of age.
A professional, ideally a veterinarian, should pierce your cow’s septum.
The septum is a sensitive area for people and animals, including cows.
People often report the septum piercing process itself is somewhat painful.
Therefore, we can likely infer cows experience the same level of pain when nose rings are applied.
Your veterinarian may administer a local anesthetic before piercing to minimize any pain your cow may experience.
Although the piercing process may cause pain, livestock producers can expect their cow’s piercing to heal in a few weeks.
After the nose piercing has healed, your cow should not notice the nose ring unless pressure is applied to it.
Potential Injuries Associated with Cow Nose Rings
As we have discussed, cattle nose rings have multiple potential benefits, such as improving safety for animal handlers when working with an aggressive bull and reducing separation distress during the cattle weaning process.
However, nose rings can result in animal welfare issues and health problems if used incorrectly.
Examples of potential injuries caused by nose rings in cattle are:
- Laceration or ulceration
- Enlarged hole at the septum
- Enlarged slit injury on the side of the nostril
- Bleeding
- Scarring from chronic inflammation or previous injury
- Pus from an infected nose wound
Many of these nose injuries occur due to the inappropriate use of cow nose rings, including excessive pressure during handling.
Therefore, livestock keepers must be properly educated and trained to use a reasonable amount of pressure.
