Ashlee
Exploring the pasture
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I am getting two goats that are 6 months old. They have horns and the rest of mine do not so I was wondering if removing them was at all possible at this age?
removing horns?
- Thread starter Ashlee
- Start date
At this point it would be a vet requirement to surgically remove them or banding them and that takes time.
BottleBabbiesrLife
Exploring the pasture
nope. if you see aggression towards the other goat get tenis balls. it is so painful for them
Are you really wanting to start the argument rolling? To each their own. You like horns, then you're most welcome to buy all the tennis balls you please.
BottleBabbiesrLife
Exploring the pasture
Last edited:
babsbag
Herd Master
I would talk to a vet about removing them. I don't know if there is any advantage to doing them at 6 months vs. later.
I have had a scur removed on a buck and it was really more like a horn. It left a hole in his skull that was open to his sinuses. Then it got infected. It was long healing and pretty nasty. That being said I am going to have to do it again on another buck with scurs. He lives with two other bucks and he has scurs that are currently 5" long, they stick straight up and he uses them like tools of torture. He is short so he can come up under the belly of the big bucks and ram them really good, so far no damage has been done but it is definitely a possibility. I also can't keep collars on the bucks because of the scurs and how he likes to fight with the bigger bucks. He rules the field in spite of being small.
I used to raise Boers, all of them had horns. I hated them as I would get my fingers smashed between horns and collars when I had to lead the goats. The horns do make good "steering wheels" but I don't have the grip strength to control a stubborn goat so I depend on collars. But the goats themselves were never a problem with each other. Now I have all Alpines and LaManchas and it is a different story, none of them have horns as they are way to aggressive with each other and my dogs. The thing about horns is that if there is any damage is can be quite severe (dead) and there are no "do overs" and I would rather not take the chance. As far as tennis balls, etc...I have 50 goats and that would be a full time job.
My boers did get their heads wedged in a tree a few times, and also in fences when they were kids. That was my biggest fear when it was 114°...coming home to a dead goat.
I have had a scur removed on a buck and it was really more like a horn. It left a hole in his skull that was open to his sinuses. Then it got infected. It was long healing and pretty nasty. That being said I am going to have to do it again on another buck with scurs. He lives with two other bucks and he has scurs that are currently 5" long, they stick straight up and he uses them like tools of torture. He is short so he can come up under the belly of the big bucks and ram them really good, so far no damage has been done but it is definitely a possibility. I also can't keep collars on the bucks because of the scurs and how he likes to fight with the bigger bucks. He rules the field in spite of being small.
I used to raise Boers, all of them had horns. I hated them as I would get my fingers smashed between horns and collars when I had to lead the goats. The horns do make good "steering wheels" but I don't have the grip strength to control a stubborn goat so I depend on collars. But the goats themselves were never a problem with each other. Now I have all Alpines and LaManchas and it is a different story, none of them have horns as they are way to aggressive with each other and my dogs. The thing about horns is that if there is any damage is can be quite severe (dead) and there are no "do overs" and I would rather not take the chance. As far as tennis balls, etc...I have 50 goats and that would be a full time job.
My boers did get their heads wedged in a tree a few times, and also in fences when they were kids. That was my biggest fear when it was 114°...coming home to a dead goat.
