# scur horns



## RockyToggRanch (Dec 11, 2010)

I know you've probably answered this a million times, but I'm asking anyway...

My buckling has scur horns that are not loose. One is growing toward his skull now and is actually touching his skin. His sire has scurs, but has always knocked them off before they get that long. What do I use to cut them? Tin snips? and how far back do I cut?

Someone suggested banding them and using duct tape to keep the bands in place. 

Any suggestions? Other than never having a vet disbud again?

I'm guessing they're about an inch wide and 1/2 thick at the base, but much smaller at the ends.


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## ksalvagno (Dec 11, 2010)

It might not be the vets fault. My boys have scurs and they were disbudded by very experienced goat breeders. So far I haven't had to snip any so I don't have any advice for that. I just know to do small snips because you will eventually hit the blood supply. Good luck with it.


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## helmstead (Dec 11, 2010)

Scurs and bucks are just a fact of life.

I would use a dremel or bone saw cord on the one touching his skin.  You can eventually band them off if you want to...but if they're no bother to you other than the obvious dangerous one...trimming it that way once or twice a year should suffice.

My little rescue goat, LG (see website) has not only deformed legs, but deformed horns.  One curls back and does the same thing.  We've done both the dremel and the bone saw.  I've come to prefer the bone saw (less chance of goat moving = cutting into goat's head).  

You may or may not get blood.  Typically, the top inch or two of horn/scur doesn't have any blood supply though.


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## DonnaBelle (Dec 11, 2010)

My rescue goat had horns that were very very very, did I say very sharp!!

I had our farrier come out to do her hoof trimming the first time.

He says:  I'm going save your life and work on these horns.

So he used his nippers, started cutting off small segments until he could see the blood barely come.  We then sprayed the tips with some antiseptic, and he suggested putting a drop of gorilla glue on the blunt end to close the open wound.

Along those lines, DH puts gorilla glue on his finger tips that crack and bleed in winter.  It really works.  The tips have time to heal under the glue.  I usually spray them with some antiseptic that's not greasy before he applies the glue.

Good ole' Gorilla Glue.

DonnaBelle


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## helmstead (Dec 11, 2010)

I forgot to say...if the scur is FLAT it won't have a blood supply.

If the scur is flat with a little rounded area in the middle...it does have a blood supply.

If the scur is ROUND, it's a botched disbudding job and is actually a deformed horn...and will have a full blood supply.

Those flat scurs, no matter how solidly attached, can be yanked off.  Our buck Rider had one flat scur (flat but fat) that was completely attached, no wiggle at all - which we removed with horse hoof nippers (grabbed the scur with the nippers, dug in a bit, and twisted).  Came off in one big piece.  Yes - the nubbin under it did bleed a bit, but just a bit.  We then burned it again.  Done deal.  Smaller flat scurs can be removed with pliers, just grab and twist.  The more frequently you remove them, the more damage is done to the growth cells...the smaller and less frequent regrowth is.


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## RockyToggRanch (Dec 11, 2010)

It's flat with a rounded center. I'll look for a bone saw at tsc today:/


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