Goats - Horns

[Wildsky]

My goat has horns. He does fine, hasn't hurt anyone or any other animal so far - we've had him a year, he lives with our horse (they're friends)

He has poked me by accident once, didn't draw blood or anything drastic like that.

He got his head stuck in the rope from the horse halter the other day, it had nothing to do with his horns, he was just being stupid.

 

[annmarie]

Also, I don't know your situation but if you have small kids around, and want them to be able to be around the goats you'll feel much better/safer if the goats have been disbudded. (Assuming you have full sized goats, not the mini's. I don't know if this applies to the mini breeds or not.)

 

[FarmerChick]

All my 70 goats have horns. Big ones too..LOL..I have the big Boer goats. I have a 3 1/2 year old daughter out with the herd. No problems. ---well soon to be 30 goats, selling down 40 of them soon.

I like horns. Good as "handles" when worming, etc. Good to catch them when needed. Horns are natural so I leave them.

I never de-bud or de-horn for any reason...plus less work...LOL

Yes horns can stab ya when feeding, yes horns can get caught in a fence or feeder (and when that happens I duct tape the culprit with pvc pipe to their horns so they can't go thru the fence holes again. when they are older there heads don't fit, so it doesn't take long for them to wear this and keep the heads from getting caught.....simple practice here)

For me with alot of goats, no problems with horns at all.


just what I deal with, live and work with on my goats

OH--there are hornless models out there....LeMancha's don't have horns and are a nice goat. google them and some others I can't think of right now.....LeMancha's have mini ears also...wild looking..LOL


Edited to say----neither has to be done, keep horns or don't keep horns. the option is what do you want...simple as that. everyone has a preference.

 

[frizzylizzy]

La Manchas do have horns- I have one. I also have a big white goat that has horns that point out to the sides and I really wish he didn't have them. He is always hitting me with them(not on purpose) and he scares me. The La Mancha's horns curve back and aren't as much of a problem unless he's really mad at me, then he tries to hook my leg and knock me down. His horns are good "handles".
I've had 2 female pygmy goats with horns that didn't bother me at all. One of them did break off from all of the butting they did though. Lots and lots of blood. I thought I would lose her, but she was fine. My vet told me that there wasn't much he could do for her.
I do prefer to leave them natural, but if I had another large one with horns that stuck out, I would get him disbudded. Just for safety.

Elizabeth

Charlie and Blue

 

[1acrefarm]

I have the occasional issue with the goats having horns but still prefer horns. My goats need to protect themselves and the chickens from predators. I think a goat looks odd without them plus I don't want to put an iron to their heads.

 

[MorelCabin]

We've immunized our human kids for years "for their own good" and it was easier to disbud the goat kids and give them a little love and warm bottle when they were done. You will find both camps with this, each adamant of their own stand.

Not only immunize...circumsize too...OUCH!

 

[FarmerChick]

my friend Barb had tons of LaManchas and not a one had horns. maybe bought de-budded???? I just saw them big with no horns but have never looked them up cause I had no interest in those......

thanks....I didn't know that..LOL

But there are hornless models to choose if researched for the poster. So at least there are options out there.

 

[Beekissed]

Remember old timey pics of goats with the little knobs on the end of their horns? Cows used to have them also. Anyone know if this is an item one can still obtain and outfit your goats with....maybe a rubber horn tip that protects handlers and other goats?

FarmerChick! Can you post a pic or describe how you PVC/duct tape your goats after they get stuck? That ought to be interesting to see.....

 

[FarmerChick]

sorry but camera broke right now...but describing it is easy.

ALWAYS there are the kids that must put the head thru the fence holes. And they fit but there are a few that always have a hard time getting those horns OUT. Those become the pain in the butts real fast. Constantly hung in the fence and always on the other far side of course, so the long walk to pull them out. And these pains do it like 3-4 times a day. Constant rescue..LOL

So simply cut about a 12 --14 inch piece of stout PVC pipe. Get black electrical tape. Put pipe across the horns and wrap the electrical tape around each horn and pvc pipe. Use LOTS of black tape. Must be stout! Voila. No more putting their heads thru the fence. Works wonderful and nothing bad ever happens. So it takes about 1 month to learn they can't do it anymore and then they grow and their horns get bigger to keep them from doing it and they learn to stop the behavior. Has always worked great for me and will do this forever when there is a pain in the herd...LOL

Some of my does with straight back horns can still get their heads thru but can get them out easy again...I don't care about that..it is the ones that have the flare to their horns that can get thru, but not back out...ugh...they get the pipe..HA HA

hope you can imagine that the way I described it.

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DUH---I found a pic on the internet. Now I tape my pvc pipe on TOP of the horns, not under but I guess it doesn't matter..LOL.......very common practice for goat people!

 

[Soybean]

Glad to see others keep them horned. I figured bruises come with having goats.