Removing scurs...

[secuono]

Got 3 free goats, two of them the dehorning failed terribly. One looks to be growing back into it's head, behind the horns. The other's are going sideways, also curving down and possibly into the head.
How do I remove them or will they not go through the scull??

 

[AshleyFishy]

Congratulations on your free goat score!

There are a few ways to remove scurs. However with how oddly shaped the scurs on your goats are, I would recommend taking them to a vet for surgical removal. They just saw off the scurs and reburn them, no biggy.

 

[bonbean01]

I have no idea how much a vet would charge to do this. Hope your free goats don't end up becoming very expensive. :/

 

[AshleyFishy]

It is normally not to expensive. Plus I mean they were free so even...say $75 a head is a steal.

 

[secuono]

They can't make me any money being castrated, so $75 each is a lot. I'll call the vet tomorrow and see.
If they do cut and burn, will they grow back? I don't want this to be a continuous bill.


Also, one of the black goats has 'sun bleaching', I have to deworm them and give a copper bolus, but wondered what you guys thought about it?
I'll get a better pic of the rusting later.
What's the best dewormer for goats?


I'm wondering, is it possible that other animals sun bleach when they lack copper? Or is this only a goat thing?

 

[cindyg]

Scurs are not as strong, long or pointed and thus dangerous as full horns. My bucks' just curled and curled and then got head butted off. I have the spiral hanging on the wall in the barn. They bleed and look pretty gross when that happens but don't grow back as much. I don't think I'd go to the trouble and expense of having them cut and re-burned. You could cut the ends of them with a wire saw, just being careful of course not to go too close and hit the blood supply.

 

[secuono]

How do I know where to try and cut them off at?

 

[Catahoula]

Unfortunately there is no guarantee. I had my goats scurs removed twice already and they all grew back...not as big though.

 

[Chevoner]

Does anyone know the average percentage of disbudded goats that will develop scurs? How common is it?

 

[SkyWarrior]

Does anyone know the average percentage of disbudded goats that will develop scurs? How common is it?

From what I've seen, it's common enough. Out of 8 different disbudded goats I've owned, every one of them had scurs. I just took a woman's doe who had a scur that was growing into the doe's skull. The woman gave this doe away free to someone (me) willing to do the deed and put the doe down for meat. (Her vet said to remove this scur would cause the doe to bleed to death.)


I am going to retract my earlier statements about disbudding. I honestly would prefer a hornless goat, but like anything, disbudding has drawbacks. Both my husband and I have decided to put up with horns rather than disbud.