# Goat Horns



## sweetshoplady (Jun 22, 2009)

Without getting into a debate about which is better, I don't have any of the stuff to disbud my new kids.  Nor can I locate anyone nearby who does this.  I am not sure if I could do this on my own even if I did have the equipment.

Will having horns be a "flaw" as far as someone wanting to buy them as a future milk goat, or as a pet?  Because the sire is not registered, the kids will not be.  But they should be a nice good producing milk goat as they're all dairy and their mamas are good producers.


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## helmstead (Jun 22, 2009)

Whether or not it's a 'flaw' depends upon the buyer.  I personally will never sell a horned large breed goat.  My disbudded Nubian doe accidentally broke my nose last year with a toss of the head...if she had been horned, I probably wouldn't _have_ a nose anymore!

I bet I can find someone around you to help disbud.  Let me know if you want me to help you track down someone.


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## sweetshoplady (Jun 22, 2009)

Sent you a pm.   Yes, please.  I had 2 more born Saturday.  Little bucks.


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## bheila (Jun 22, 2009)

I was able to find someone to disbud my kids through a friend who knew a big breeder that disbuds hers.  I made sure to have them lined up well ahead of time before my does were supposed to kid.  It seems to be easier to find homes for hornless goats where I live, that doesn't mean there aren't people who won't buy a horned goat.  The first 3 goats I bought are horned


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## sweetshoplady (Jun 22, 2009)

I asked about a month ago at my local feed store if they knew of anyne who could help me disbud.  They said yes, but to come back when the goats were born.  After the goats were born I asked them when they delivered my feed.  They then talked of a dehorning process, but since I thought I had found someone to help disbud, I stopped looking for help.  I have disbudded mama goats and do like the lack of horns.  So foolish me, doesn't know what to do.  I am not sure how much time I have to safely disbud.  My oldest kid is a little over a week and has little nubs on her head that I can feel. (not see).  The other 4 kids are 2 and 4 days old.

The 4th doe I think is due in a couple weeks.

The daddy goat does have horns.  From what I understand, its preferable to have them disbudded rather than dehorned later on as dehorning can have a lot of complications - and I'd rather not risk that.


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## helmstead (Jun 22, 2009)

We do ours around 14 days old...you've got time even to order an iron from Hoegger's, go get your lesson on the older kids...then do your own once you have an iron.


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## bheila (Jun 22, 2009)

If you aren't able to find someone to disbud them for you....you can always band them if you feel like that's something your comfortable doing.  I'd rather band the horns then have the vet dehorn.  I myself have never done it BUT.......I'm seriously thinking about it, my 25lbs wether all of a sudden thinks it's okay to horn my 2yr old daughter.  I can't have that happening.


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## ()relics (Jun 22, 2009)

did you mention the breed?  boer goats should have horns...unless they have been wethered...The  accepted practice was to dehorn all goats until recently.....but now the usbga and the abga have changed their minds and have switched  to the belief that horns are good again....look at past champions....2005+/- and older all animals are dehorned...check winners from the last few years,  they all have horns......The horn set is now considered toward the final score of a show animal...again wethers are accepted as dehorned.....Not my idea but the usbga/abga...


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## nightshade (Jun 23, 2009)

horns or no horns really does not matter to me but I have talked to a lot of fokes that wont buy a goat with horns for safety reasons, fear of them hurting other goats or their own children. My personally though like to see a goat with horns especially bills, but that is just my personally preference. To me there is nothing more gorgous then a large breed goat like a Spanish with their curling horns.

 I have never debudded a goat and worry about doing it. But think I can get the lady I bought most of my goats from to possibly do it for me or possibly have my MIL come down from New York to do it.


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## Roll farms (Jun 23, 2009)

A doe w/ horns won't fit in my milking stanchions so, in my case, that would be a 'no sale' factor.  If I can't milk 'em, I won't buy 'em.
And dehorning an adult is not something I'm willing to put them through.
I always disbud our keepers and leave it up to the buyers on the ones I sell.  
I also offer to disbud for local folks who don't have an iron.


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## norcal (Jun 23, 2009)

I'm sorry to jump in here, but.............
Can the disbudding NOT take?   I've got some little cone shaped spots where the horns are on my little guys.   ???   I'm really hoping they "took".


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## kstaven (Jun 24, 2009)

There is always a potential that disbudding doesn't work as planned.


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## norcal (Jun 24, 2009)

I figured. 

hope, hope, hope, hope, hope, hope, hope.......


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## Rence (Jun 25, 2009)

sweetshoplady said:
			
		

> Will having horns be a "flaw" as far as someone wanting to buy them as a future milk goat, or as a pet?  Because the sire is not registered, the kids will not be.  But they should be a nice good producing milk goat as they're all dairy and their mamas are good producers.


For me, horns would be a deal-breaker on a potential herd addition, even with the best milking bloodlines.


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## currycomb (Jul 7, 2009)

lost a good goat with horns, she ran loose for several years, then one day i could not find her. couple days later i did, hung in fence, by her horns. there is dehorning paste that works, but you must follow directions, especially about the vaseline above eyes, and holding the still for half hour or so. we use the hot iron, not expensive, under 40.00 thru jeffers livestock supply. we also give tetnus antitoxin when dehorning. we also tattoo at same time. where are you that needs your goats disbudded?  oh, and we had bad luck with dehorning an older goat, was given sedative to remove a large scur(get these when disbudding not done correctly), she never woke up, bloated and died. was really upset, she was a great young doe with a week old doe kid on her side. vet did not warn of this complication, and we had never had a case of bloat, so did not reconize it. so better to disbud when young IMO.


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## Griffin's Ark (Jul 8, 2009)

We don't disbud or dehorn, but we would if someone wanted us to.  We like our dairy goats with horns.  They are great handles.  The big thing to remember is they are dangerous, so are guns and knives.  Treat horns like you would any dangerous weapon!  lf your area is an area where people are looking for disbudded kids more often than not, then go with the disbudding.  Our area in Virginia is not a good area for disbudding, so we don't.

Chris


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