# Dehorning--worth it?



## BellaLulaFarm (Apr 3, 2010)

Hi, all; 

we were given a 11 month Nubian doe with a left scur.  It was moderate-sized, but she needed some fattening up and TLC before I felt she could take a disbudding/dehorning.  She's now 12 mo, looking much better nutrition-wise, and that scur has grown into a real horn, about 2 inches long.  

I was planning to have my son show her at the County Fair this fall, so we should probably dehorn her--but since it is past the "disbudding" stage, could someone with more experience tell me if the surgery is worth it?  Will it stay gone?  Lots of blood loss?  The vet will put her to sleep for $15, so we'll have anesthesia if we do it (I dont know how much the whole procedure would be yet). 

Thanks!


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## ksalvagno (Apr 3, 2010)

It is my understanding that you can't show dairy goats with horns. But you will want to verify that in your area. Banding the horn may be another option other than surgery. It really is hard on the goats to go under anesthesia.


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## ()relics (Apr 3, 2010)

is it a true horn or is it a scur?


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## michickenwrangler (Apr 3, 2010)

I've seen banding work on several adult goats with only a little blood. It is painful for the animal while the band is on, although they seem to recover quickly.


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## BellaLulaFarm (Apr 3, 2010)

It initally looked like a scur, but now with improved nutrition it looks like a short but real horn, curving back a little, tapered at the point.  

Would a vet do the banding or is it done at home?

Thanks, folks!


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## michickenwrangler (Apr 3, 2010)

You can do it yourself. I've helped my goat mentor with it a few times. Simply put an elastrator rubber band around the base of the horn and wait 2 months +/-  May need to use the elastrator to stretch the band out enough.

If you have anyone nearby who raises calves or pigs, they would probably have one you could borrow.


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## ()relics (Apr 3, 2010)

does the other horn look like it was removed ? generally a person wouldn't just remove 1 horn on a young goat,  if 1 looks like it was removed then probably both have been removed...making this "horn" really just a scur....And scurs can be removed without banding...sometimes they, the goat, will loosen them and they will fall out...other times the scur will continue to grow and left unchecked it can turn around and put pressure on the animals head.  I would grab it and try to wiggle it loose, you may loosen it enough that it starts to annoy the goat enough that she will finish the job on her own time.
.....the whole banding thing...I don't like it and don't do it...others do but I won't...if I want to dehorn a goat, and would only ever dehorn show wethers but I have boers, I do it when they are 10 days or so old...


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## Lil-patch-of-heaven (Apr 3, 2010)

I've wondered about this kind of thing. The main reason I was able to buy my goats so cheaply was that they have horns. From what I've heard of dehorning surgery from books, goat raiders, and vets alike is that it's too dangerous for the goats. 

I had to duct- tape a stick across the Nubians horns to keep her head INside the fence. The alpine/Nubian cross I brought home today has even longer curving ones. 

The taped stick blunts the horns somewhat as well as giving a nice handle for pushing her out when she tries to follow me into the house. I'd love if there were a safe way to remove them but I'm not sure I'd do it if it's going to make them uncomfortable for months.


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## ()relics (Apr 4, 2010)

....hold on...I have completely missed something here...You may want to check your county's rules just to be sure BUT most of the time a animal that is to be shown as a wether must have milk teeth present on the day of the show....That means they need to be under 1 year old...and it sounds like your wether is already at least a year old already...If in fact he is over a year old, and after checking your county's rules for age of wethers on the day of the show, and find that he will be too old to show as a wether then , in my book, there is no reason, at all, to add the extra stress and potential for "other bad things" with a procedure that he really doesn't need.....call your county agent or 4H goat superintendant and find out.....I would be shocked if he was showable, age being the disqualifying factor....JMO.....


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## ksalvagno (Apr 4, 2010)

According to the original post, this is a dairy female.


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## ()relics (Apr 4, 2010)

...but if it was


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## Unspoken Rule Farm (Apr 4, 2010)

It definitely sounds like a scur. In Upstate New York, we can't show with horns BUT you can usually get away with scurs. Judges here don't make a fuss over it as long as they're not too large but your 2" scur sounds borderline. I'd get a quote from your vet as to what it's going to cost and, as relic said, see if you can hook up with your goat super or someone who has shown goats locally. They ought to know how acceptable your particular goat's scur is. PLUS! They'll be an irreplacable resource when you do start showing! If that doesn't work out, definitely get your son into a local goat 4-H group. Showing is much easier the first few times when you have support!
I'm in a similar situation with the horns, by the way. My yearling buck just threw BEAUTIFUL babies and, with our local buck show coming May 1st, the vet is coming to take his 4 inch scurs off. They're really, really wide at the base. I may ask him to sedate him when he does it. It costs me $50 plus the farm call fee, which isn't too bad considering I need health papers and horse shots done. 
I've never tried to band off horns. I've always, before my buck, bought my animals disbudded or disbudded them before a month of age myself. I have 2 unregisterable does and I was contemplating banding their horns but with a 2 month completion time, I may just have the vet do them, as well. 
The farm call is in for a week from Wednesday. I'll be sure to post here afterwards, assuming I can re-find it! (I'm a relative newbie at this!)


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