Banding really BIG horns

[Cygnet]

This goat's not a surgical candidate; he'd be cabrito first. Probably very tough cabrito.

I have an old (nine years old) nubian wether whose horns have gotten so big that he's hard to handle -- he's whacked me in the gut or arms accidentally more times than I'd care to count. He's pretty hard on the fences, too, and in the past he broke my dog's shoulder.

I used to be able to deal with him, but I have rheumatoid arthritis and dodging the horns AND handling him is just too much these days. I'm not as agile or flexible as I used to be ... Getting the horns off would make life much easier.

Anyone band a goat this big? His horns are easily two feet long.

(It'll break a family member's heart if I do this ... he's been begging for the skull when the old wether finally kicks off, as a wall ornament! )

-- Leva

[Otter]

I'd talk to your vet.
I had a friend who banded a 2yo doe's horns. They cut a groove, banded into the groove and duct-taped over the groove, all according to the advice of and under the supervision of the long-time 4H leader. One horn got a light knock against a gate and came off before it was ready. As my friend described it - there was blood everywhere, it was spurting up, the kids (her human kids) were freaking out, she grabbed the bloody shirt that one of her kids stripped out of and held it to the stump and sent her oldest for a phone. They got it cauterized by someone nearby who had an iron before the doe bled out (though I saw the doe a day later and she was still staggery, it was a near thing) and they paid the vet to remove the other one.
Apparently it was very expensive and hugely traumatic for everyone.
But that is only what I was told, by the one person I know who did it. Perhaps there is a better way, but I would ask your vet if they know it.

[pookshollow]

You probably wouldn't be able to get the bands down as far as the base, if his horns are that big. And I don't think I'd try. I've done Nigerians, but nothing bigger.

[southerngurl]

http://www.greatgoats.com/articles/dehorning.html

Scroll down to the alpine cross doe, they said it was the largest set of horns they did.

Main page http://www.greatgoats.com/articles/dehorning_text.html

[manygoatsnmore]

You can band the horns at any age - but the hard part will be getting bands to fit properly and holding him still enough to get the bands down well below the hair line at the horn base. For every horror story about a horn getting knocked off too early and an artery spurting, there are a hundred stories about a successful horn banding that only bled a tiny bit when the horn come off. Just make sure you have a good disbudding iron so you can cauterize the root when the horns do come off - burn all around in the hair line and across all of the pulp in between - this will almost 100% prevent the regrowth of scurs.

The best bet to restrain the goat to do this is to actually put him down on the ground, have someone laying on him, and another with a knee on the neck, and hold the muzzle tightly while you do the burn. Most goats will struggle mightily for a minute and then give up and lie still. Some scream at you, some just lie there and pray for it to all be over, lol. It's not easy to dehorn, no matter what method you use...another of the reasons we disbud every single kid born on our farm.

[Qvrfullmidwife]

Well...if he is dangerous (even accidently, whacking you in the arms and gut, breaking your dogs shoulder) and a family member wants that wall ornament...rough on fences...I really have to wonder why we are talking about getting rid of horns VS the animal himself. Removing horns will cause pain, risk of infection and blood loss (the risk is there regardless of how it is done and the bands are only a neater but more protracted pain) on an animal who is not productive...I guess I'd just be saying bye bye to him not his horns.

[Cygnet]

Originally Posted by Qvrfullmidwife

Well...if he is dangerous (even accidently, whacking you in the arms and gut, breaking your dogs shoulder) and a family member wants that wall ornament...rough on fences...I really have to wonder why we are talking about getting rid of horns VS the animal himself. Removing horns will cause pain, risk of infection and blood loss (the risk is there regardless of how it is done and the bands are only a neater but more protracted pain) on an animal who is not productive...I guess I'd just be saying bye bye to him not his horns.

Basically, I needed a healthy large-sized goat in a hurry as a companion for a horse, and I promised the owners I'd give him a lifelong home in exchange for a free goat who met my needs. The horse has now passed away, but *shrug* I gave my word.

*mutter mutter mutter* And he turned out to be one of those animals who Just. Won't. Die. Bet he lives to be 20!