Noodles

[Goat Whisperer]

They get them off even if duck taped on.

…and will get stuck in everything.

 

[Donna R. Raybon]

Animal that is aggressive toward humans needs to be put in freezer asap.

Yes, bucks can be pretty high maintenance in rutt but should NEVER be aggressive to people. Ground work of good manners starts on day one!

 

[heartsizedfarm]

I considered this at one time. I have a four month old Jacob, just castrated this week, ex-bottle baby, what a little monkey! But my vet said they use horns for heat regulation so I shouldn't mess with that. (Sigh) Back to training and firm handling and carrying a rake in the yard!

 

[Genipher]

I didn't realize horns did that! Learned something new!

 

[Southern by choice]

I considered this at one time. I have a four month old Jacob, just castrated this week, ex-bottle baby, what a little monkey! But my vet said they use horns for heat regulation so I shouldn't mess with that. (Sigh) Back to training and firm handling and carrying a rake in the yard!

Yes, this is often stated however there are polled goats and they have no issues so IMO the idea of keeping horns for "heat regulation" is a pretty weak argument. We have had horned, polled, disbudded goats and we live in the South. It is hot and humid, haven't noticed any difference in any of the goats as far as horned, polled, or disbudded.
Sheep, like the Katahdin are naturally polled breed. They are hair sheep and perhaps there is a difference for hair sheep vs wool sheep but they seem to not have issues.

We had Jacobs sheep but we had the two horned. I would never own the 4 horned.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Well, I didn't choose the little four-horned guy. His mama died when he was three days old and my friend who had him works eight hour shifts so couldn't manage the feeding.

So he came to live in my kitchen, along with a very tiny floppy female Cashmere goat baby that had been mum-rejected.

The two are now super-healthy, very bonded, and really cute critters. She's a babe, he's her champion. And I need knee-pads. It's all good.

 

[Donna R. Raybon]

Vets do not like to disbud because they do not know howl!!!! Horns are dangerous to all involved!!!! Bet that vet has not gotten a black eye working a horned ewe!!! At least with Katahdin polled genetics are available. I hated working horned ewes as they would crowd underfoot when BC fetched them and bump me with horns! Yeah, I think the Jacobs are cool- in somebody else's pasture! The double horned ones were freaky looking.

It is harder to find polled goat genetics because of high incidence of polled linked to hermaphrodite.

If you want animal disbudded find a breeder who is good at it and let them teach you how.
You want horn buds just breaking through. Get an iron that is high wattage and labeled for calves. With a hot iron you get copper red ring quick and less stress on baby. Get plans for box to hold baby where they stand and you sit on box while disbudding.