Goat Horns
Success Guide For Raising Healthy Goats
Felicity McCullough
Angora Goat Horns
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Goat Horns Exposed
Goats normally are born with horns.
Goats that are not are called polled goats. This is a genetic trait inherited from at least one of the goat's parents.
Horns come in a variety of shapes and sizes, which depends on the goat's breed and genetics.
Horns are mostly used by the goat for defensive purposes, although there is also a belief that they participate in the regulation of body temperature as well.
This is why horns are traditionally kept on Angora goats.
Angora goats are producers of Mohair and, as such, normally have a thick coat. This will affect body temperature, of course and horns are believed to dissipate heat.
Horns can also reveal the age as well as the general health of the goat.
Horns are continuously growing; so the longer they are, the older the goat.
Horns are also useful when handling the goat, making them easier to catch.
On goats, horns are normally disbudded, especially if the goat tends to fight. This means that they are removed with a hot iron, normally within the first two weeks of life
It is best if this procedure is undertaken by a veterinarian using a local anaesthetic, because goats have a low pain threshold.
Disbudding must be done correctly, because of something called scurs. These are vestiges of horns which grow back because the horn buds were not properly removed in the initial procedure.
Disbudding is normally done for safety issues. As stated above, horns are a defensive mechanism and, as such, can injure other animals. They also have a tendency to get caught in fencing.
The goat can be injured or even hung, in their panic to get free.
A helpful tip is that goats with horns should not be kept with polled goats, because horned goats have an unfair advantage and therefore polled goats can be seriously injured.
Success Guide For Raising Healthy Goats
Felicity McCullough
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