Unofficial Poll: Do you dehorn/disbud your goats?

[Weeg]

I don’t think it is worth it. I wouldn’t do it, it’s not fair to the poor goat!

 

[azure_]

There's not. This is how vets do it too.

 

[cassie]

How my persistent head /fence stickers get treated. This is a 4 year old doe named Pinky Whitehead who got her head stuck in the fence 3 times in 2 days....

One thing about dealing with goats and other livestock is that you have to be smarter than they are. I will admit I often wasn't, but I congratulate you on your ingenuity. What a great idea!!

 

[Birdsong 82]

Ran across this late. Voted... no. J have nothing against it when done young and correctly of course. I personally love horns though. And it helps when I have some 'free thinkers' or when someone doesn't want a shot, med.. etc. I have something to grab if needed. I know the dangers of getting caught and things like that and fix things like @alwaystj9 ( just not as slick looking. Haha)
But I can understand why some people choose to also

 

[Fuchsia]

We do it to the ones who need it. It is not good to not, because they get stuck and stuff.

I don't recommend watching the disbudding though

 

[BantammChick]

I don't. It seems like it would hurt them, and their horns make it easier to grab them when you need to give them medicine.

 

[lomine]

I have ND and breed for milking. I have all disbudded adults and I have disbudded all kids. Here are my reasons:

- I milk on a stand and pet/cuddle my does. That would put their horns at face level. I've gotten smacked in the face by a hard goat head when they suddenly turn. It hurts but doesn't leave damage like a pointy horn would. I like my eye balls and would like to keep them.

- I often have kids visit and that presents the same horns-would-be-at-face-level dilemma.

- I have a pony and mini horse in the same area as the does. Their heads are right at the level of the horse's bellies. Contrary to popular believe, a horse's skin isn't much thicker than a human's. It would be very easy for the horses to be cut open.

- I live near a mid-size city that allows backyard goats but the law prohibits horns. If I didn't disbud I couldn't sell to anyone in the city and none of them could buy from me.

- Same would apply to any 4-H kids that might want to buy a goat from me for showing.

- I read the horror stories of goats that got their horns stuck and died. Didn't want to chance it.

While disbudding can be hard for some to watch, I really don't think it's as bad as most think. The iron is so hot the nerves are cauterized almost immediately. Yes, the kids will scream, but they'll also scream when they're put in the kid box. They're upset and they scream. Goat kids do that. As soon as they're out of the box they stop screaming and cuddle into your arms with no signs of distress.