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Are Scurs hereditary

Posted by Dede Beck on May 15, 2014 at 3:46pm in Goats 101

I got 2 new bucklings from a great breeder. When I picked them up one has large scurs and the other does not. I was wondering if they were hereditary or not since she said all her bucks have them?

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Replies

  • Rachel Whetzel at MigMog Acres May 16, 2014 at 10:20am

    Both of my bucks have scurs, and both of them were burned more than once. I think their scurs are more the result of persistent testosterone than poor disbudding. I've not had the same issue with my wether, and I only disbudded  him once. 

  • Deborah Niemann-Boehle May 15, 2014 at 5:12pm

    Scurs are NOT hereditary. Their existence has to do with the skill and nerve of the person doing the disbudding. Because of testosterone and larger horn bud area, bucks are more likely to have scurs than does, although sometimes novice goat owners do such a poor job of disbudding does that they will have scurs too. Using a "pygmy" tip on the disbudding iron also results in scurs.

  • Rachel Payne May 15, 2014 at 4:15pm
    Scurs result from bits of the horn bud not getting burned sufficiently during disbudding. Bucks have bigger horn buds and are more prone to scurs. I am fairly sure that it is not a genetic thing, though I guess some bucks could possibly grow horns even more aggressively than others and pass that on to their offspring?
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