Opinions on disbudding/leaving intact

[Cara]

Does electric fence make it easier or more difficult to have horned goats? Currently I have 8 strands of wire put up, but I may switch to electric netting so that I can move them around.

 

[redhen]

Sure it IS up to the owners to be careful....but....still, accidents can/will happen. its just not worth the risk to me. That being said....my doe is growing back one of her horns(its still very small though)..i wont, at her age now..get her done again...because for older goats its torture/cruel to them.

 

[chels23]

Having an electric fence just means that you don't have to worry about getting horns stuck. I have boers and pygmies they have horns and I have never had one get stuck in the fence. I think that having the horns removed is completely up to the owner. If I had a dairy goat or my son was old enough to play with the pygmies I would consider getting them removed. I wouldn't have it done to an adult only a baby.

 

[griffin45]

I have to add my two cents... We don't dehorn or disbud our goats. If you find a vet that will dehorn I would not ever give them my business. Learn about dehorning! Ugly nasty procedure. Disbudding on the other hand is not so bad with an electric iron, but I see no point in it for our situation. and you need to do it in the first week of the kids life. Maybe I am to kind hearted but there is no way I could do that to a week old kid, not let it be done to one of mine. At some point I will butcher that same goat, but I can't seem to inflict pain and suffering needlessly.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
ooh! such a lesson i learned!..i learned this the hard way!..it broke my heart to see my doe in such pain! she was to old to get dis-budded..so, i had to de-horn her!...UGH!..it was SO bad!!..

...and she cried from the pain...and i had to change her dressings and hear her scream...and a horn is STILL growing now!! NEVER, ever do this to your goat!!!...early/kid dis-budding is the way to go.....NO de-horning....

....

 

[kstaven]

Personally I don't dis-bud any of ours. But I do understand the potentials and reasons why people may want to do it.

I do note that no one here has mentioned elastrators. It is another option for dealing with getting rid of horns on kids.

 

[gypsy2621]

Even after getting hit in the throat by an 8 week old tossing her head back I still wont disbudd ,yes them pointy little horns hurt but it didnt break the skin and she didnt do it to be mean ,m she was avoiding the serynge
Years ago there used to be a product to put on the goats horn tips, they were little little brass balls came in many sizes from tiny to large.
I keep telling Bailey in a few more days we are going to Dremmell the very points down and she can have a brain message at the same time.
I am neither for nor against disbudding , thats a personal choice,and dependant on each individual situation.

 

[helmstead]

I have a thread here on elastrator dehorning...just use the search feature to find it.

Dremmeling those sharp tips works very well, and the goats actually ENJOY it which cracks me up. I have one doe, LG, who was a rescue and was severely deformed. Her horns grow terribly deformed, and one curls back to where it could grow into her scull. We have to cut it with the Dremmel cutter (1/2" at a time) and she likes it, too. Guess it is a brain massage

 

[greyfields]

Disbud or dehorn. Have a vet do it and save yourself the worry.

 

[Teach97]

budding is too simple to do and to costly to pay a vet...if you are going to raise goats for any time just get the equipment it is easy. We don't have horned goats because we only have 4-h projects...but have been around them and goats in fences is not fun! That is my two cents!