La Mancha ears, the cold, and other such questions

[babsbag]

Southern, I have seen people use handle bar grips over the horns, also wrapping them in vet wrap and then duct tape. Had a friend once that used a piece of PVC placed horizontally between the horns and then wrapped into place with vet wrap to keep the goat from sticking their head into the stock panel. I personally like the idea of the bike handle bar grips over then end of her horns.

 

[Cara Peachick]

We have Lamanchas and are in TN, so the cold isn't a huge issue, but I can't imagine their ears ever getting frostbite. Everything is so close to their head.

Ears on goats look funny to me now - like they have something extra hanging off their heads! It's all what you are used to.

My first year having goats, I kept my single kid horned. She quickly learned to flip my collie and then went after chickens. Since then, everyone has been disbudded (even though I HATE doing it!) and I am slowly growing polled genes in my herd too so we will have to disbud less.

 

[Southern by choice]

Well we are scheduled to have Millie's horns removed.
I cannot say I am happy about this but the situation at this point has become very bad.

I am going to start a new thread about the decision, the procedure, and the recovery.

I will explain more on the thread. I will also add this to my article on Horns? Dis-bud? Polled?
http://www.backyardherds.com/resources/horns-dis-bud-polled.31/

@hilarie - thank you so much for your input, as well as all of you for sharing your experiences.

 

[SA Farm]

I'm pro-horns. I had La Manchas years ago and they were great in the cold. Those tiny ears are so close to their head that they don't have the same issues that the 'normal' eared goats have with the bitter cold. (I also agree that the elf ears are adorable and the no-ears creep me out)
They were also great, never had a problem with any of them with their horns. Perhaps because I got them from great tempered stock?
To me, horns are only an issue if the stock is aggressive, in which case the stock gets sold or eaten.
Problem solved.

I would love to get a La Mancha doe and breed mini-manchas, but they really aren't very common where I live and I really shouldn't be adding any more animals to my farm anyway!

 

[hilarie]

Well we are scheduled to have Millie's horns removed.
I cannot say I am happy about this but the situation at this point has become very bad.

I am going to start a new thread about the decision, the procedure, and the recovery.

I will explain more on the thread. I will also add this to my article on Horns? Dis-bud? Polled?
http://www.backyardherds.com/resources/horns-dis-bud-polled.31/

@hilarie - thank you so much for your input, as well as all of you for sharing your experiences.

Southern - Please keep me in the loop. I wasn't thrilled about having William done, but despite the long recovery, I'm SO glad I did it. He's better than ever, shows no evidence of remembering the trauma, is sweet as the day is long (hence his name: Sweet William), and is no threat to anybody. Case closed. If you have ANY questions, please message me. I'm no vet expert, but Ive been thru this once and I'm an APRN and know something about healing. Good luck!

 

[Southern by choice]

Southern - Please keep me in the loop. I wasn't thrilled about having William done, but despite the long recovery, I'm SO glad I did it. He's better than ever, shows no evidence of remembering the trauma, is sweet as the day is long (hence his name: Sweet William), and is no threat to anybody. Case closed. If you have ANY questions, please message me. I'm no vet expert, but Ive been thru this once and I'm an APRN and know something about healing. Good luck!

My thread is here...
http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/decision-to-de-horn-2yr-old-doe.28257/

She was done yesterday- will update the thread in a little while.
and thank you.