lets try dehoning again

magwa · #1 04/15/05, 09:48 PM

lets see if itworks this time!

Jen H · #2 04/16/05, 12:56 AM

We all have different opinions on this.

I let my goats grow their horns. I like that they have some means to defend themselves here at home and when I take them packing. I have seen the extremely ocasional broken horn or goats getting their head stuck, but dehorned goats I've owned got themselves stuck in fences too, and accidents just plain happen.

Just my $.02.

dosthouhavemilk · #3 04/16/05, 08:19 AM

We like to get them disbudded. However, we won't cut or band a goat with horns already unless there is a very good reason for it. We have not seen a good reason for it yet. We have three does out of 39 goats that have horns.
I like for the queen to have horns because she is very protective.

Sarah J · #4 04/16/05, 09:16 AM

I don't want horns in my herd. Others do. I take them off with an iron burner - last year I used the goat tip and had a perfect disbudding on my Nubian, but the Saanen girl got scurs, we re-did them, and they still grew back. This year I used the calf-tip on the buckling and it appears to have done the trick...give me a month and I'll let you know for sure.

It's fast, fairly simple (stinks like heck!), and they heal relatively quickly.

Just MHO.

Sarah