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Goat horns

Posted by Katharine Norton on December 17, 2016 at 3:33am in Goats 101

Hi there I have an almost 3 year old buck who has not been de-horned (we are in Africa, they need their horns!).  However, his horns are growing down into the skin at the back of his head.  The vet said maybe he got a bash on the head when he was little which caused them to grow at a bad angle.  The vet sawed off half of the worst one when it reached the skin and was being problematic.  However, that vet is now gone and the other horn and the rest of the first sawn horn are beginning to be a problem.  I'm wondering what to do. 

-Is cutting horns like cutting nails in that there is no live matter inside them so it doesn't hurt?  Or would it be like, say, cutting an ear which would hurt and bleed?  I'm wondering can I get a pliers in there and crunch it off............?  Any other suggestions?  

Thanks

Katharine

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Replies

  • Katharine Norton January 21, 2017 at 1:33pm

    Hi Deborah, thanks for this, I'll feel them and see if I can tell the difference!!

  • Deborah Niemann-Boehle December 17, 2016 at 11:41am
    Fingernails is a good analogy. The ends are essentially dead. But if you cut too far, they can bleed. We had Shetland sheep, and the rams have horns, and in the winter here you could easily tell where the blood flow was because the horn was warm closer to the head. Not sure if it was easy to tell during summer or not. So check your guy and let me know. I accidentally discovered that about my rams and used to love having people feel their horns in the middle of winter because there could be snow everywhere but the lower 2/3 of their horns were warm.
  • Katharine Norton December 17, 2016 at 11:12am

    Thanks Julieanne for your advice from your experience - nice to hear of someone else who doesn't dehorn!  

  • Julieanne Cook December 17, 2016 at 9:22am

    Not sure if you can find it where you are, but try using a wire saw to cut the horns.  If you're just cutting the tips off it shouldn't hurt or bleed too much, but of course the goat is NOT going to like the procedure! If it does bleed, you can put some bloodstop powder on it, but even though it looks terrible it will stop bleeding pretty quickly. 

    You could also try using hoof nippers like farriers use, you just have to be pretty strong to make them work. 

    I'm one of the rare Americans who doesn't dehorn their goats. 

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