How to dehorn a goat (Incstructions included)

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: Heat up the de-horner/Disbudder.
Step 2: Shave the goats buds where you will be burning
Step 3: Find a soft mat or something to hold the kid down (gloves are required) OR you can make a box for the goat to stick his head out and do it that way instead of holding him down

Step 4: Hold the goat down, burn, and count to 5

Step 5: take the dehorner/disbudder off the goats head and watch for a copper ring, if there is no copper ring hold him down again and burn for another 5 seconds.

Step 6: If you do see a copper ring, flip the buds off

It is also important that you do this before they're in between 3 and 7 days after that they grow to big and it causes to much pain for the kid.

THIS IS NOT ABUSE! This is simply what must be done before they are to old and hurt someone. They also DO not sell if they have horns on them because they can hurt someone. I know you city people don't understand. We hate doing this believe it or not...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• how
• to
• dehorn
• goat
• (insructions
• included)
• disbud
• yuck
• burning
• hate
• this
• ouch
• must
• be
• done

[EErinP87]

poor lil babies. i've never done that with my goats, seems kinda mean but i have had one of my other goats gored to death so i can see it as beneficial too. you must have thick skin, i could never do anything like this.

[treasuredroperX]

@EErinP87 They are just objects to me :-)

[TheMrsVolfie]

Thanks So much for the instructional video..we did NOT debud ours..and already at 6 months it is becoming a aggression problem..now we have to cut then down and burn them..should have done it when they were younger..How old were they when you did this?

[treasuredroperX]

@TheMrsVolfie You should debud bucks in between 3 and 4 days old, and does in between 5 and 7 days. Depending on the growth of the buds. The earlier you get them disbudded the less chance of scurs in the future. Another option (if they already have horns) would be to band the horns with testicle bands.

[treasuredroperX]

Dude, if you're offended by it don't watch it. I put a warning sign up. Do you live on a Farm? No, I doubt it, so be quiet and let the farmers do what is suppose to be done. I don't even like doing this.

[longtail4711]

I think after seeing this it puts me pretty firmly in the "will not debud" camp.

[IMightJustBeWrong]

Goats and cattle need dehorned / disbudded. Fair enough.

But no anaesthesia is a ridiculous. I'm not speaking as a "city farmer" but as a British vet. Veterinary costs are high but many farmers are competent enough to perform local anaesthetic cornual blocks on their own cattle (and if trusted, goats) over here so why can't the states adopt a similar system!?

Does anybody know if there is any requirement anywhere in US/Canada for local anaesthesia when disbudding or dehorning?

[angryamicus]

People who do 'goat rescue' and keep goats as 'pets' are not really qualified to comment on this video. People who farm for a livelihood and have large properties understand that de-budding is sometimes necessary. Wild goats grew horns because it was advantageous. Domesticated goats don't need horns for survival and it can cause problems, as anyone who has found a lamb gored & left alive with its entrails hanging out, or a goat stuck in a fence with its neck broken can tell you. (True stories!)

[angryamicus]

@Saltysteele I have had this exact thing happen to me before with a horned buck, and I have heard many people who have experienced the same thing! I think people who deny this as a reality are "city farmers" or people who have 'pet goats' in a small area that is very easy for them to control. For farmers with large properties & miles of fenceline, who are not wealthy & actually farm for a livelihood, this idea of creating the "perfect goat environment" is just not realistic.

[angryamicus]

@longtail4711 If you can goat proof & avoid debudding that's great! But as I said, when you have miles of fenceline redoing fences is not only an onerous job but can be expensive. Yours is a great solution for people w/ small goat pens, not so much for large farms. I have personally found goats stuck in fences, a lamb that was gored, & have heard plenty of other stories. But again we have many acres & people around here have large properties which make this type of thing more likely to happen.

[longtail4711]

@angryamicus As I said above, proper fencing will eliminate that issue. I've seen them get into some pretty imaginative emergencies. I had one kid break two ribs because he figured out how to climb a tree and fell. But I've never, ever seen a goat gore another goat or get their horns caught in fencing. I have however, had multiple problems dealing with infected spurs. Sorry, but I'm not going to be ruining their skulls for this.

[angryamicus]

@longtail4711 That's a good point, but once you find a goat in a fence with its neck broke or a lamb still alive with its entrails outside of its body from goring, the de-budding seems worth the pain. Also, we have over 500 acres that was fenced originally for cattle - miles of fence line. Redoing fences is just too costly for many people who farm for their livelihood (as opposed to pets in a small area). If I have to do this again I will def look into a strong sedative or anesthetic. :(

[angryamicus]

@longtail4711 I have found horned goats stuck on fences with their neck broken so it is for their safety as nice as it seems to leave them "natural" domesticated goats are safer without the horns. Maybe there is a good anesthetic or a strong sedative you can give them so they're knocked or don't feel it?

[wintrrwolf]

@danrelle07 ditto though I actually think having a good holder is better than a box especially if you have different sized goats. Very good video and I for one thank you for it. There will always be people who argue about dehorning, I have both horned and dehorned goats, prefer dehorned besides my registered stock cant be shown (4-H or ADGA) shows with horns.

[youshouldallexpire]

@longtail4711 I am inclined to agree but unfortunately that is a battle you are not going to win. I've decided to disbud the dairy kids but leave the cashmeres with their horns. I am only doing the dairy kids because it is easier to sell a disbudded goat than a horned goat.