Author Topic: What price for kids? (Read 6574 times)

Anke · « **Reply #15 on:** August 21, 2012, 01:04:56 pm »

Quote from: sokel on August 21, 2012, 12:05:40 pm

We always disbud our kids, No matter how quiet and gentle they are there is always a risk as. When I was younger there was a neighbour had 3 milking nannys, all 3 had horns and she never had a problem and always said they would never do her any harm.
One day when she was milking there was a low flying jet went over, one of the goats panicked and because she was tied up spun her head round and the end of the horn hit the owner in the eye. she lost her eye
so I would never have a horned goat here

That was exactly the kind of problem I meant - this kind of accident is preventable by a safe and painless (for the kid) operation. The risk to the kid is actually very low if the operation is carried out by an experienced vet, using gas as the anasthetic rather than injection and is done in the surgery. However there are quite a few vets around that are not experienced with goats because there aren't that many goats being kept and vet school doesn't really each them anything about goats. They are then really quite reluctant to take on this operation, and it is easier for them to emphasise possible dangers...
It is not that horns as such are dangerous, it is that the consequences of even a minor butt/swipe with the head are usually quite serious for the butted person/goat, as opposed to being butted by a hornless/disbudded goat.
Also my girls (now 11 and 9) spend a lot of time in the goat field/milking/helping with bathing before shows etc etc, and I couldn't supervise them all the time anymore. If I had a horned goat they couldn't spend time in there and would loose out on their smallholding upbringing.

smithycraft · « **Reply #16 on:** August 21, 2012, 01:40:41 pm »

Blimey, I'm starting to feel paranoid now with all this talk of horns and eyes. I can honestly say that before this, I barely even noticed their horns.

Mays · « **Reply #17 on:** August 21, 2012, 02:03:02 pm »

The risk of losing a kid thru disbudding is worth taking when you consider the restrictions having horns put on them.
Pedigree Milker kids are selling from £80 - £120, Pygmys sell for £200+. I dont know meat value for these two little gems so it is hard to put a price on them but I would guess the boy is just meat value and the girl (if correct in udder, mouth and limb) a little more as she could I guess breed up. I honestly would of given the little girl a home had she been disbudded as she looks adorable x

WarescotFarm · « **Reply #18 on:** August 23, 2012, 12:35:47 pm »

Quote from: smithycraft on August 21, 2012, 01:40:41 pm

Blimey, I'm starting to feel paranoid now with all this talk of horns and eyes. I can honestly say that before this, I barely even noticed their horns.

Me too hence my other thread, it never even crossed my mind before as she hasn't butted anyone or used them at all on us

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #19 on:** August 23, 2012, 07:05:20 pm »

I have to add my twopenneth on horns, I have 3 males, planning on freezer for them so left with horns, very friendly, but rather boisterous, aweek or so ago one just happened to rake his horn across my forearm, not intentionaly, I think one of the others pushed him and he pulled his head away. The bruise is just about fading. I think if I kept males again I would have them done as well. I hate horns.
Also been a bit too close for comfort when bending down to pick buckets or bowls up, and boys have just wanted to check no morsels left. I would just advise beware.
I wouldn't have one given without checking out cost of dehorning first.
Sorry to rant.
Very pretty goats, good luck selling them