Do you like your bucks with horns?

TennesseeMama23 · #1 02/21/07, 01:31 PM

I have 2 bucks that both have horns. Dh likes that they have horns because they are easier to handle, we haven't seen any problems that horns has caused on our boys, only benefits.

You only hear negativity when it comes to horns, and I agree that I would never want a doe or wether to be horned, but I am not so sure on bucks, maybe cause our bucks are so nice.

farmerstac · #2 02/21/07, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TennesseeMama23

I have 2 bucks that both have horns. Dh likes that they have horns because they are easier to handle, we haven't seen any problems that horns has caused on our boys, only benefits.

You only hear negativity when it comes to horns, and I agree that I would never want a doe or wether to be horned, but I am not so sure on bucks, maybe cause our bucks are so nice.

TennesseeMama23,

Please don't let your guard down with any buck with or without horns. That nice personality is a whole nother critter when he senses a female cycling. Horns are a personal preference. Do your animals have a large field to graze from? If you have an unwanted predator problem then I would say keep the horns. I personally like my guards dogs for homestead protection.

**mygoat** · #3 02/21/07, 02:33 PM

My bucks both have horns. They're minis, but that doesn't mean that they couldn't seriously hurt me. But, they don't. I haven't ever even gotten hurt by thier horns on accident. However, I have been trampled when I was handing out treats.

It's personal preference, training, and personality. From now on, I'll be disbudding all kids that leave the farm, because I can't guarantee that the personality the goat develops and the training it recieves will result in a safe, horned goat. So, to be on the safe side, I'll disbudd.

TennesseeMama23 · #4 02/21/07, 02:57 PM

We never turn our backs on them at all and our children are not allowed around them even for a second. So no worries about that. Dh is the one that deals with the bucks, they are too strong for me to even try to do anything with. He just thinks it is easier to get ahold of them with horns. He thinks without the horns they would be more dangerous to him because he doesn't have anything to grab ahold of.

And no they aren't used for protection or anything they are just in a pen.

shezaruby · #5 02/21/07, 03:41 PM

All our goats have horns. It gives us something to grab onto.

DocM · #6 02/21/07, 03:46 PM

My goats all have collars, better to grab onto. Grabbing a goat's horns only makes it want to use them. I can't think of one logical advantage to having horned goats. Operative word here - logical.

HazyDay · #7 02/21/07, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocM

My goats all have collars, better to grab onto. Grabbing a goat's horns only makes it want to use them. I can't think of one logical advantage to having horned goats. Operative word here - logical.

I go with these people (sorry don't know your name) My first 2 goats had horns but they were does and were only 10 inches and curled backwards and i never did care about it untill i got nubians with-out horns and knew they had to go. I put collars on all of mine and they know their names (yes all 12 know each name) and if they know they are doing some-thing bad or is running away from me i yell their name and they come to me! It is a real live saver.

Woodroe · #8 02/21/07, 05:26 PM

Mother Nature gave them horns, so I feel she was probably right.

Blue Oak Ranch · #9 02/21/07, 06:30 PM

It depends on you, your goats, and your management, mostly....I have a buck that will butt you when there's a doe in heat nearby or in his pen. He's sweet and totally handleable at any other time. He's small, but I'd hate to have him hit my leg if he were horned! Since I hand breed, bucks with horns are a definite no-go.

My bucks are sweet and well-trained (except for the situation above) - I can walk up to them and clip on their collars, and lead them out for clipping, bathing, hooves, shots - I've never needed an extra handle. Even in full rut, the older buck that butts will lead well and behave for me.

I had a Nigie buck that would fight through the fence with another buck - and he smashed the heck out of steel rail pipe corral panels - totally bent them. If he had horns, he'd probably have gotten out!

Cheers!

Katherine

bergy5 · #10 02/21/07, 07:45 PM

All our boys are with. We are now on our fourth buck we have raised & have never had one even try to butt us. If a doe or buck is agressive their bloodlines are GONE! A doe in heat is no excuse. Maybe we have been lucky, but I don't think so.

chamoisee · #11 02/21/07, 08:45 PM

No. My only truly traumatic goat experience involved a horned buck. I find that the beards make a much better and more reliable handle that the horns, because it raises their chin up in the air, making it harder for them to resist or push you around.

Horned goats are harder to build equipment for and more likely to get their heads caught in fencing, gentle or not. Also, even a gentle horned animal can inadvertently turn his head too quickly and nail you or a child in the eye. I don't feel it's worth the risk.

Lastly, a horned buck is almost worthless as breeding stock if I want to sell it to someone else. Very few people will purchase a horned buck. The ones who will are invariably the sort who go on about "tying him out to eat the grass" and who have no intention of buying hay or grain for the animal.

manygoatsnmore · #12 02/21/07, 08:52 PM

NO HORNS, EVER! Yes, I'm yelling! Mother Nature may have made them with horns, but Mother Nature didn't build fences for goats to hang themselves on. Since I have fences, I don't allow horns on the place. Lost a beautiful LM buckling with great bloodlines last year when I broke my own rule, so I'm pretty vocal about this particular subject. It's a safety issue, pure and simple. They are not safe for the human or the goat, either one.

mary,tx · #13 02/21/07, 08:58 PM

The two bucks I have now are very nicely mannered. I never have any trouble with them, and if they don't come where I want them when I call, I lead them with their plastic collars. I would not consider keeping a buck with horns. It's been my experience that a goat with horns has attitude. I've had hornless bucks with attitude, and I definitely would not want to deal with one of them with horns.
mary

jen74145 · #14 02/21/07, 10:21 PM

Y'know, I don't like horns. Just too dangerous for the goat, the handlers, and any critter that gets around 'em. I've seen one goat caught in a fence, and it was awful. Poor thing. I can totally see how they're helpless that way, a passing dog could eat them alive. Not to mention the damage to fences... hey, whatever works for you and yours, but all mine will be hornless, bucks and does alike.

Jillis · #15 02/22/07, 08:15 AM

HazyDay, we were asked, so I am going to share my opinion and not "shut up!"

I will not have goats of any gender with horns. Especially not bucks. I think any goat with horns is more likely to injure a person or another goat or themselves accidently than on purpose.

In my short time as a person interested in and owning goats I have already seen a goat stuck for hours through a fence square in a barn. He had worn a groove in the wall in the shorter square next to the opening in which he got stuck. From twisting his head for hours trying to get free, with no food, no water and other goats in the pen butting him. Others here have posted about goats hanging themselves on fencing and dying a very hard death. Or being left maimed by other goats from the experience.

I have seen a very experienced goat dairy owner get her arm pinned between the wall and a horn when a doe casually turned her head to scratch her own side---it almost broke her arm and left it very badly bruised.

Udders (and other things) get ripped or impaled. And they are almost useless for protection against predators---several here on this forum can testify to that. Goats tend to run from predators, as do any natural prey animal. The horns seem more to be a function of their social order. I am sure they do get used when an animal is cornered, but by then, they have probably been ripped open or hamstrung by the predator.

I am sure Nature did not make an error in giving goats horns, but once you start "managing" any animal, lots of things deviate from their natural, original lives. One or two does in your herd that have horns will mercilessly bully the ones that are hornless, sometimes, too.

I was offered some beautiful goats for FREE! I would not take them because they were horned. I also could have gotten two very sweet does for vedry inexpensively. But they had horns.

For me, it is not negotiable.

DocM · #16 02/22/07, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodroe

Mother Nature gave them horns, so I feel she was probably right.

"Mother Nature" gave their undomesticated ancestors horns to protect themselves against predators AND to fight each other with. They no longer have those needs, as their human protectors defend them.

How come nobody makes this argument about cattle? They're dehorned for exactly the same reasons as goats, and you don't see the angst involved. Domestic goats don't "need" horns. If you can manage them, fine, but those of us with large breeding and showing operations would find horns a nightmare. They're a safety issue to their handlers, each other, and themselves. There are many good reasons for removing them.

dezeeuwgoats · #17 02/22/07, 08:41 AM

I have dairy goats- so all my goats are disbudded. I do own a boer buck with horns, and even though he has never threatened me with them and 99 times out of 100 is sweet and laid back - he still makes me nervous. Any threatening behavior is THAT much more scary.

The first time I ever touched a goat - it was a horned goat stuck in a fence. Waaaay back when I was a girl who loved horses! I got him unstuck, but it wasn't easy. His head went through the no climb pretty easily, but not back out!

Having had both horned and unhorned bucks - I personally prefer without. I feel safer, I have personal experience with the whole 'getting hung up in a fence' issue, and have heard horror stories of those who have attempted to take horns off an adult goat. Since my goats are ADGA registered, and could be sold as potential show stock - all kids are disbudded. The only kids I MIGHT be tempted to leave would be culls that would be going for meat - for my family.

Niki

HazyDay · #18 02/22/07, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocM

"Mother Nature" gave their undomesticated ancestors horns to protect themselves against predators AND to fight each other with. They no longer have those needs, as their human protectors defend them.

How come nobody makes this argument about cattle? They're dehorned for exactly the same reasons as goats, and you don't see the angst involved. Domestic goats don't "need" horns. If you can manage them, fine, but those of us with large breeding and showing operations would find horns a nightmare. They're a safety issue to their handlers, each other, and themselves. There are many good reasons for removing them.

Yes! i argee all the way i think people should just dissbud and stop talking about it.! goats with-out horns are sold to good homes and the 1's with go to be MEAT!
So goats are dairy animals like cows and cows all have thier horns gone so if cows do it then goats should to!
(SAVE AN UDDER DE-HORN YOUR GOATS!)

DocM · #19 02/22/07, 02:21 PM

Ugh, please, until you figure out what's going around here, don't side with me. I don't need yet another groupie, k?

DocM · #20 02/22/07, 06:32 PM

Uh oh, "the head member of goat world" just told me to "frig off!" Ouch.

Sorry, not only did you just make my ignore list, I'm going to have to complain to the management. You're rude. And coming from me, well, golly, you must be really rude.

We don't tell each other to "shut up" or "frig off" in this forum. And I don't care if you own the internet.