Banding Horns

[aggieterpkatie]

I actually read a book recently that said banding horns is less traumatic than burning, and that for making wethers, that cutting was less traumatic than banding.... the latter seeming odd/nonsensical to me... but that is just me.
I think banding would work the same with horns as it does for making a wether... as long as one uses proper medicine to keep any potential infection away. though

I think that any procedure that is done quickly and over with quickly is less painful than one that is drawn out, which is why I prefer cutting when castrating, and using a docking iron when castrating tails. Oh yeah, and disbudding over banding horns. I mean, when I take bandaids off I prefer to pull them off quickly instead of slooooowly ripping them off. I'm sure we've all had male animals who have been in pain for a while after a banding. I know my buck-now-wether this year had a horrible time after I banded him. I had to treat him with antibiotics and he lost a good deal of weight because it took so long for his scrotum to finally fall off. I know when I band tails of sheep (because I can't afford a docking iron) it takes weeks to fall off, and there's an open wound for those weeks. Surely that can't be comfortable.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

I actually read a book recently that said banding horns is less traumatic than burning, and that for making wethers, that cutting was less traumatic than banding.... the latter seeming odd/nonsensical to me... but that is just me.
I think banding would work the same with horns as it does for making a wether... as long as one uses proper medicine to keep any potential infection away. though

I think that any procedure that is done quickly and over with quickly is less painful than one that is drawn out, which is why I prefer cutting when castrating, and using a docking iron when castrating tails. Oh yeah, and disbudding over banding horns. I mean, when I take bandaids off I prefer to pull them off quickly instead of slooooowly ripping them off. I'm sure we've all had male animals who have been in pain for a while after a banding. I know my buck-now-wether this year had a horrible time after I banded him. I had to treat him with antibiotics and he lost a good deal of weight because it took so long for his scrotum to finally fall off. I know when I band tails of sheep (because I can't afford a docking iron) it takes weeks to fall off, and there's an open wound for those weeks. Surely that can't be comfortable.

Docking the tails of sheep????? how long has this been happening, and why is it happening?

 

[elevan]

Each farm has the RIGHT to make a decision for their own farm based on a number of factors (religion, economics, opinion, and others). Let's not make this thread a debate about whether horn banding is right or wrong because there are no easy answers.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Docking the tails of sheep????? how long has this been happening, and why is it happening?

Your joking, right?

Virtually all sheep are docked unless it's someones pet and they don't do it. They get horribly dirty nasty flyblown tails if they are left on and not kept clean and tidy. Having rescued one neglected pet sheep that was tailed I can tell you it's no fun for the human and especially not for the sheep. Fat tailed sheep are the only ones that normally keep their tails.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

Each farm has the RIGHT to make a decision for their own farm based on a number of factors (religion, economics, opinion, and others). Let's not make this thread a debate about whether horn banding is right or wrong because there are no easy answers.

I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong, just stating my personal feelings/thoughts/what I read... It was a book in Home Depot btw, I didn't catch the author, but it was entitled "Raising Goats"... and it had a pic of a cute baby goat on the cover.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

Docking the tails of sheep????? how long has this been happening, and why is it happening?

Your joking, right?

Virtually all sheep are docked unless it's someones pet and they don't do it. They get horribly dirty nasty flyblown tails if they are left on and not kept clean and tidy. Having rescued one neglected pet sheep that was tailed I can tell you it's no fun for the human and especially not for the sheep. Fat tailed sheep are the only ones that normally keep their tails.

No, not joking. I don't know any sheep farmers who dock the tails. Even the sheep at our local fair were all tails intact. I guess the sheep farmers in NH/ME are very good about/have more time for keeping their herds clean and tidy.

Well, that tells me that if I ever look into sheep, I want to get some from one of the local farms.

*Just want to make it clear that I am in no way bashing those that dock their tails or have docked tailed animals, just stating that if they are docked for cleanliness, then it stands to reason that herds with tails intact must spend a decent amount of time & effort in keeping the sheep very clean, like OCD clean.*

ETA: make that CDO, it's like OCD only all the letters are in order, just as they should be.

 

[elevan]

We're done here folks. Thanks for participating.

Management practices vary from area to area. Simply put each farm is different and each farmer must do research and decide what management style that they will take with their farm. As long as the method is within the limits of the law of the area that the farmer is in there is no right or wrong way.