Horns vs. No horns. What do you like best?

[Amina]

Thanks for the thoughts, everyone.

Personally, I am just not comfortable causing any animal a third degree burn without any kind of anesthetic or pain reliever. I know everyone says they act fine not long afterwards, but I have read enough about prey animals being able to hide awful pain that I am just not comfortable with it. That's me personally. So the remaining choices are to anesthetize and disbud, or just have horns. Of course I could go with polled genetics as much as possible, too. I don't have children, so that won't be a factor in the decision.

 

[Amina]

I have been looking at research articles on cortisol (stress hormone) levels after disbudding and castration with local anesthetic. Apparently local anesthetic works great for castration if you're going to band them, because the band keeps the lidocaine there in the testicles so you don't need much lidocaine for good pain control. So that's great to know.

It doesn't work as well for disbudding though, because it dissipates quickly from the area, so to get the area good and numb, you'd be using a toxic amount.

 

[EmilyVioletElithabeth]

some of my goats never grow horns. I don't know why but it's grate! the goats that do grow horns are sometimes more pushy with each other and when I have new goat kids they will butt them and I hardly ever see the one with no horns ramming the baby kids. Sometimes one of the horns get under the baby's bell and the goat fling the baby into the air. It's really scary.
I usually sell the ones that are to aggressive with the baby's but. if they are born with horns I keep them and see how they behave when there older.
sometimes there very nice even with horns but sometimes there not

 

[Moody]

I have 6 goats. One milker who was de horned perfectly. Gentle as can be. One milker who has scurs that are very horn like. I need to saw some on the one she didn't knock off last year to keep it from entering her head. My buck has nasty scurs but he broke both off. They are not as thick and don't bleed as badly when he knocks them off or they break off when I saw on them. One buckling I got a few months ago who is getting scurs but they don't seem to be growing fast. One doeling born here and I didn't have the right size tip for my iron so she skated by without burning. She is a real butt head. Has been friendly but does try to use those horns. And the second doeling born here I had the right tip so she was the fist one I tried. She has small scurs that seem wobbly like they will fall off fairly easily. She has been harder to pet, not as friendly, maybe because I caught her and burned her head. Now she has finally forgiven me. She is a little over 4 months old now.

I don't trust animals ever. They get frightened and can easily hurt a person even if they are normally sweet. I have a 4 year old son and a 1 year old here daily. My dogs aren't fully trusted either.

My neighbor had horned goats and their heads were frequently stuck in the woven field fencing. I would find my dogs over there nipping at their heads.

I think it would be easier for me to leave the horns. No burning, no possible scurs until I perfect the amount of time to burn their little heads. But for me, I will torture both myself and a baby goat to get rid of those horns. I like a hornless look better anyway.

 

[SheepGirl]

In addition--horned AND polled animals will get stuck in fencing. It's just easier to remove a polled animal's head without too much fuss in comparison to removing a horned head.

 

[1crazybird]

All my goats have horns. None are aggressive. They all grow nice on their heads and none have gotten hooked on fences.
I agree it is up to the owner. I would debud any kid that I would not keep unless asked not too.
My girls slam heads at times but nothing more then playing. They always seem to stop before they hit. Even my buck seems to know he has them and to be gentile.
At times with my pygmy I think if she jumps up at the wrong time I may lose an eye but I know to watch myself and the children understand to as well.
As for my chickens clover the pygmy tells them to beet it. Lol picture to follow. Lol
I have been around poled goats and think that is as if something is missing.
I would learn to do it myself just so i can have the ability to do so but i think I will leave it up to my friend for now. Same with castration. I will pay and watch. Lol