I have noticed in a few pics on different forums that the goats horns are blunted. I have seen some discussion on this, but no one ever says what they use to do it. Unfortunately, most of my girls have their horns, (purchased this way). Some of them are turning out to be bullies and I would really like to "disarm" them somewhat. Can anyone tell me what I can use? I know you only go about an inch, but even that would help tremedously. Some of them are really pointy. I have saws: reciprocating, circular, hand, etc., bolt cutters, and hoof trimmers. Would any of those work? TIA
Hacksaw works well. Course it takes a strong arm to hold them while you do it. At least taking the points off turns them into a battering ram, instead of a sword. If you have goats, you have babies coming...invest in a good disbudding iron and learn to disbud. Then by the time these horns have done enough damage...you have disbudded animals to take their place. Kaye
Thank you, Kaye! I have already invested in a disbudding iron, and a friend is teaching me how to use it. These are Pygmies, but jeez! they can be ornery! Gotta love them, though! I am gonna try the blunting and see what happens. :thankyou
Wait until they kid and then put those castrating bands around the base of their horns. I have 2 that are unicorn boer goats. I only got one of their horns off before they were bred again. As soon as they kid the bands are going back on the other horns again. They kept rubbing the bands on fence posts and trees and breaking the bands. This time I am gong to wrap duct tape around the bands thickly to help hold it on longer.
and ,get that band as close to the goat skull as you can ,even notch it out around the horn base with a round/bastard file. Christy/Cotton Eyed Does ... could I band a Alpine doe ???
I think it was..... umm.....Lt. Wombat, remember him?, He moved from North Dakota wasn't it down to way south Texas. He was an orthopedic surgeon. I think he banded an Alpine and showed before and after pictures of her. I have never banded one. Never had one with horns. How big is her horn at the horn base? That would have something to do with whether or not it would work. I think that is why they recommend that you don't band a grown buck's horns because it is so large. If they are no bigger than a normal sized boer doe's horn I don't see why it wouldn't work. They don't like it though. I have a real drama queen when I banded her she flailed around on the ground, screaming and acted like she was going to die. Scared me to death. .......and what an awful name for a file. :/
That great goats site gal, banded a whole herd of milkers who came to her farm, she does it alot deeper into the head than I do, I simply did mine right above the hairline in the first 1/2 inch or so of horn, I replaced bands every weekend, it didn't take long and worked wonderful. The shear number the gal did, posted photos of before and after, plus I emailed her, convienced me. I will never pass up a doe or buck again from scurs or horns. Vicki
Thank you so much for the info, everybody! I will weigh my options and definately do something about this!!!! Again, thank you!
