Why we disbud
Horns are very important in the wild. They help to cool the goat off and protect them from predators. Horns can and are successfully maintained by many goat breeders. You can teach horned goats to be very respectful with their horns, and use methods to make them less dangerous, such as duct taping tennis balls to the tips of their horns.
But in our case, we believe that a few seconds of pain for the kid may save it trouble in life. Hornless goats make safer companions for both their human caretakers, and their goat companions. Here are several reasons we have chosen to disbud.
- Horns can be caught in objects, trapping the goat. If you choose to have horned goats, the fencing and feeders should not be wide enough for them to stick their heads through and get caught. In addition, I would not leave collars on any goats, let alone goats with horns. Horns can be caught on collars and I have heard sad stories of one goat accidentally choking and killing another this way. This can happen with or without horns, so please, no collars.
-Horns can be dangerous to other goats. Goats play rough -- horns make it rougher. A rough goat, horns or no, is a dangerous one, and not a goat I would keep or breed anyway. But if a goat has horns, it should be a very well-behaved animal, and even then, accidents do happen.
-Goats are safer for people without horns. However, horns ARE a natural part of the goat, and we should teach our children to be respectful of them. If you pull the teeth out of a dog's mouth, will that make it not bite? Likewise, no goat should be allowed any aggressive behavior, whether horned or not. Monitor children closely around horned goats, do not let them put their face near them. Tennis balls on the tips of the horns can make them safer for children to be around.
But in our case, we believe that a few seconds of pain for the kid may save it trouble in life. Hornless goats make safer companions for both their human caretakers, and their goat companions. Here are several reasons we have chosen to disbud.
- Horns can be caught in objects, trapping the goat. If you choose to have horned goats, the fencing and feeders should not be wide enough for them to stick their heads through and get caught. In addition, I would not leave collars on any goats, let alone goats with horns. Horns can be caught on collars and I have heard sad stories of one goat accidentally choking and killing another this way. This can happen with or without horns, so please, no collars.
-Horns can be dangerous to other goats. Goats play rough -- horns make it rougher. A rough goat, horns or no, is a dangerous one, and not a goat I would keep or breed anyway. But if a goat has horns, it should be a very well-behaved animal, and even then, accidents do happen.
-Goats are safer for people without horns. However, horns ARE a natural part of the goat, and we should teach our children to be respectful of them. If you pull the teeth out of a dog's mouth, will that make it not bite? Likewise, no goat should be allowed any aggressive behavior, whether horned or not. Monitor children closely around horned goats, do not let them put their face near them. Tennis balls on the tips of the horns can make them safer for children to be around.
Disbudding, or dehorning?
Disbudding is the killing of horn growth before it has started -- dehorning is the removing of a horn.
Please do not wait to disbud your kid! Disbudding for full sized breeds should be done within a week, often in a few days of birth. Miniature breeds, like Nigerian Dwarfs or Pygmies, can wait longer, even up to three weeks, if the kids are small. As long as the iron can fit over the bud, you can disbud, but the larger the bud, the longer the process.
Once the horn bud becomes a horn, removing it is called "de-horning", and is more painful and dangerous due to blood vessels running through the horn. I would not dehorn unless I had to -- I would try other management practices first. Putting a goat under to dehorn them can in some instances be life-threatening, as goats do not always react well to going under. Dehorning without anesthetic is painful for the goat, more so than disbudding. Dehorning using a band may be the safest method, but if it is done, giving the goat something for pain and watching their behavior is very important. Be sure to do your research if you band your goats' horns. The band has to be placed a little below the horn ... often a small notch is made into the goat's skin below the horn, and a band (or two to be safe) is placed there.
Please do not wait to disbud your kid! Disbudding for full sized breeds should be done within a week, often in a few days of birth. Miniature breeds, like Nigerian Dwarfs or Pygmies, can wait longer, even up to three weeks, if the kids are small. As long as the iron can fit over the bud, you can disbud, but the larger the bud, the longer the process.
Once the horn bud becomes a horn, removing it is called "de-horning", and is more painful and dangerous due to blood vessels running through the horn. I would not dehorn unless I had to -- I would try other management practices first. Putting a goat under to dehorn them can in some instances be life-threatening, as goats do not always react well to going under. Dehorning without anesthetic is painful for the goat, more so than disbudding. Dehorning using a band may be the safest method, but if it is done, giving the goat something for pain and watching their behavior is very important. Be sure to do your research if you band your goats' horns. The band has to be placed a little below the horn ... often a small notch is made into the goat's skin below the horn, and a band (or two to be safe) is placed there.
How to disbud
If possible, try to watch another seasoned breeder disbudding before you try to tackle it, so that you know firsthand what to expect.
There are two common methods used for disbudding. One is the disbudding iron, the other is the disbudding paste. Both can be effective if properly used. I have not used the disbudding paste myself yet as I have heard it is a more drawn-out process, but other breeders have with great success. The paste needs to be used at a younger age, before there is a noticeable horn bud, or at least while the bud is very small.
There are two common methods used for disbudding. One is the disbudding iron, the other is the disbudding paste. Both can be effective if properly used. I have not used the disbudding paste myself yet as I have heard it is a more drawn-out process, but other breeders have with great success. The paste needs to be used at a younger age, before there is a noticeable horn bud, or at least while the bud is very small.
With the disbudding iron
The first thing is to make sure your iron is heating properly. We let it heat for at least ten minutes before disbudding. Test it on a piece of wood. If it makes an instant black ring on the wood, you're ready. If not, continue to let it heat. You want it as hot as possible to make the disbudding quick, and to kill the nerve cells so that they don't feel it as long.
I give my kids something for the pain, 10 to 20 minutes beforehand. I have found it helps them. Molly's Herbal Ow-Eze is what I use. After the disbudding they tend to have a snack, fall asleep, and wake up like nothing happened. I also prefer to disbud on a sunny day, for some reason it seems to help the kids forget quicker and get back to playing.
I give my kids something for the pain, 10 to 20 minutes beforehand. I have found it helps them. Molly's Herbal Ow-Eze is what I use. After the disbudding they tend to have a snack, fall asleep, and wake up like nothing happened. I also prefer to disbud on a sunny day, for some reason it seems to help the kids forget quicker and get back to playing.
The following pictures are courtesy of Zanzabeez Nigerians
Thank you for letting me use these pictures!
Thank you for letting me use these pictures!
Here is the disbudding box. This is a very useful tool and helps in keeping the kid still. The kid's head will still need to be held still, but the body will be secure, and this will make things much easier. It is also possible to wrap the kid in a blanket and gently kneel over it.
I find having someone to hold the head still (with gloves on!) is extremely helpful. If you have someone strong to hold the head still that will make the work much faster.
I find having someone to hold the head still (with gloves on!) is extremely helpful. If you have someone strong to hold the head still that will make the work much faster.
The kid is put into the disbudding box. His head goes through an opening and is held secure.
This kid's head has been shaved so that the horn nubs can be seen. This is the ideal time to disbud, when you can see and feel the bumps so that you know where to disbud, but they've not become tiny horns.
One side is done. You will want to keep the iron on for a few seconds at a time, never longer than ten seconds without a break, you do not want to overheat their head. Once you have a white ring around the nub (you can see the white ring here) you are ready to go to the next side.
The other side is done! This is where we stopped and returned the kids. Some breeders take it one step further, below.
This step is optional and many breeders feel it helps prevent scurs. The cap of the horn bud has been knocked off. You can see a little bit of bleeding, which will need to be cauterized.
Both horn nubs have been knocked off, and the tops have been cauterized. This kid is now ready to go back to mom or his bottle for a well-deserved drink of milk! When bringing him back to mom, give him back butt first. Sometimes the smell of burn with startle the mom, so it shouldn't be the first thing she smells.
After disbudding: The kid may be a little toned down for a bit, but in general should be back to its normal business almost immediately. Watch the kid closely for the next couple of days. If the kid begins circling, crying for no reason, or head-pressing, give banamine immediately in case of brain swelling.
After disbudding: The kid may be a little toned down for a bit, but in general should be back to its normal business almost immediately. Watch the kid closely for the next couple of days. If the kid begins circling, crying for no reason, or head-pressing, give banamine immediately in case of brain swelling.