The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: countrywoman on April 23, 2012, 06:51:57 pm
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Took my three to the vet today - it seems so heartless but I know it is essential. They actually didn't seem too bad afterwards, just look ghastly.
Incidentally, since I wasn't sure what it would cost, for anyone in the same position it was £73 for the lot. I know it varies but at least it gives some idea. I didn't bother ringing around for quotes as this is the only vet recommended by all the local goat-owners.
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Glad I have a breed that stay horned :P
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£73 for 3 disduddings is VERY expensive.... I pay an average of £15 inc VAT !
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we are charged £25 each - were they properly knoocked out at that?
Only I've heard that some vets are doing local anaesthetics ::) rather than full...
As you say, it varies. ANd if there's a choice of one vet, then you have to pay :)
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Two questions - is it REALLY necessary to do this? and also, once they are removed, do the goats still butt each other as if they were there? :o
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I would say definitely necessary to disbud them. Not only can they damage each other with horns, they are a terrible menace to other livestock, pets and children (have I put that in the right order :-\ ). Also, you can't risk mixing horned and unhorned goats. However, there will be other people on here who disagree with me... I guess it's personal choice.
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It's a bit like wing clipping which I'm not a fan of either, don't like tampering, just keep out of the way :o
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Lots of people say it's essential and how dangerous they are with horns. Certainly horns can cause damage.
Old English stay horned and I suppose we just learn to operate with horns in mind.
No-one disbuds horned sheep do they?
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stockfence is a big problem with horned kids, they can stick their heads through ,but can't get them back out, so you end up cutting your fence to unstick e'm, then next day you can do it all over again.
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I bought a herd that was already mixed (horned and unhorned) and at the time the horned girl was bottom of the pecking order. I've come a cropper with a horn stuck under my ribs once (she didn't do it on purpose, I happened to bend down to pick something up as her horns came up). I have 4 children and they have regular (non goaty) friends - I am on tenterhooks with the smaller children near savannah.
We had Sixpence, our Tog kid, disbudded at 4 days. I felt mean but it felt like a measured decision based upon experiences with savannah.
She has also had her horns caught in the fencing and as she pulls back she sometimes breaks down the fencing, the vet has received a blow in the 'boy area' from her horns and I would find it more difficult to rehome her due to horns should something awful happen and my not being able to keep them (heaven forbid!)
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My kids this year won't be disbudded but that is only because the lady having them has polled and horned goats. If hers were disbudded mine would be also.
I have one polled nanny kid so far, if only they could all be like that ;)
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I wouldnt have a horned goat as I have stock fencing/chilren visit me a lot and they are show diary goats. For disbudding at vets this year I paid about £25 ea
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mine were £15 + drugs + VAT= £22 x3 = £66
someone had suggested I sell them @ £30 ea to someone she knew, they weren't interested @ £50!
that wouldn't even cover the mating, feeding (+ inkid mum), worming, disbudding etc!
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I nearly lost a hand to a horned goat many years ago.......also I have seen the terrible result of a horned kid ripping its mothers udder off.
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Aaagh, wish you hadn't said that :o
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It's never happened with anyone's Old English goats that I've heard of and it doesn't happen with horned sheep does it. So I think it's a pretty rare occurrence.
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Really interesting reading everyone's responses to this subject. Today the kids are bouncing around totally unaffected by what has been done, so that is a blessing because if they looked miserable it would be harder to rationalise.
I agree with the sentiment about not messing with animals where unnecessary (American practice of ear-shaping on dogs for instance - ugh!) but my experience with horned cattle was not without problems. The occasional inadvertent swipe was up to me to be vigilant about, but one cow was prepared to use her horns on us and her herd mates with serious intent.
My goats are both very friendly and I would never be able to allow them to rub their heads against me if they had horns. Then there is the trapped-in-the-fence situation which would worry me, especially if the weather was like today, torrential rain! On balance, now I've seen how quickly the kids have settled and will have less complicated lives as a result of disbudding, I think it is worth it.
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Well said !!!!
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Two questions - is it REALLY necessary to do this? and also, once they are removed, do the goats still butt each other as if they were there? :o
Its really your decision!
Pygmies, Bagots, Old English goats aren't usually disbudded...
Done properly, its rare for problems to occur.. If you bear in mind that the vet is cutting a hole in the thin skull of a young animal, and scurs (regrowth) can happen if the whole horn bud isn't removed.
Any knocks while healing can bleed profusely.
And yes, they can still butt without horns. Its the action, playing or fighting, they don't mind whether there's anything on their head - its the body language!
Our Bagot billy has lovely horns - he's very gentle even if the girls are "butting" (and uses them mostly as a back scratcher!) as the girls are disbudded.
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I stopped disbudding when the vets took over the process...they are crap at it and the price trebled overnight which makes you wonder the real reason from stopping the real experts from doing it. ;)
Mind you I no longer handle my goats as much as I used to,still have a tooth missing from my first horned English Goat...not through agression,just lifted her head sharply as I went to un clip her from the milking stantion ::)
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Mine have residual horns after being disbudded and can occasionally make the other bleed when they play fight. I dread to think what they would do with full size horns. I've also known someone nearly lose an eye from a horned cow just swinging her head round. He wished he'd had her disbudded.