Disbudding Goats
Which Goat Dehorner/Disbudding Method is Right for your Herd?
Reading Time: 5 minutes
Disbudding goats is a task to understand before breeding, if you are preparing to keep a milking doe. Early disbudding makes the horn buds unable to become full-sized horns.
Most who raise dairy goats breed yearly. After your dairy goats give birth, tattooing the goat kids, castration, and disbudding are issues that need to be decided. Tattooing (or other identification) and disbudding are normally done within the first week of a goat kid’s life. Castration is often done at this time for animals destined for the table.
For males with a future as companion animals, most goat owners prefer to wait 3 to 4 months before castrating, to allow the urethra time to mature. This can lessen the chance of urinary calculi forming later in life.
In addition to these early decisions and lessons, routine care also needs to be learned. Regular worming, vaccinations, and goat hoof trimming will need to be taken care of on a regular basis.
How to Disbud a Goat
Holding the sweet and small goat kid in your arms is a joy. It’s probably the best part of raising goats. And then the harder parts of goat rearing arrive. Tattooing ears or tail webs isn’t too bad. Some farms can skip this entirely if the animal isn’t leaving the property for shows or markets.
Disbudding goats is more difficult. Ideally, a new goat owner will observe the process and be guided by an experienced goat mentor before attempting it. Disbudding should be done early. The later you wait, the more likely the procedure will not completely stop the horn bud from developing. I will warn you, it’s not for the faint-hearted. The kids will scream as if you are killing them.
Learning how to disbud a goat properly before trying it for yourself is essential. Done correctly, the process is quick, and the goat kid is back nursing his dam in just a few minutes.
What Tools Do You Need For Disbudding Goats?
- Disbudding box
- Disbudding iron
- Heavy leather glove for the hand not holding the iron
- Ice bag
- Tetanus antitoxin injection (if your does weren’t fully vaccinated or if you’re unsure of the doe’s vaccine history).
The disbudding box
A disbudding box is a wooden box, not much bigger than the goat kid. The kid fits snugly into the box and the head is placed through the cut-out opening. A lid is closed, leaving only the head protruding. The box holds the kid securely for disbudding and tattooing the ears.
If a disbudding isn’t available, it’s possible, although probably not the best idea, to have one person hold the kid tightly while the other person burns the horn buds with the disbudding iron. Whenever possible, use the disbudding box.
The disbudding iron
A disbudding iron is an electric or propane tool with a handle and long metal rod that becomes extremely hot. The enclosed end of the metal rod is held against the horn bud, long enough to stop any growth, but not for too long, or infection or brain damage can occur.
- Inject the kid with the tetanus antitoxin (if needed) before beginning the disbudding procedure.
- Apply the ice bag first to numb the area.
- Press the iron to the horn bud and hold it steady to the count of 10. There should be a copper ring around the horn bud. For bucklings, a figure 8 is needed and there are irons for this.
A well-stocked farm first aid kit, containing an antibacterial spray (Vetericyn Antibacterial Wound Spray is our choice), gauze, and other products should always be close at hand when working with animals.
What are scurs from?
Scurs are smaller, misshapen horns that grow if some of the horn bud is not destroyed in the disbudding process.
Is disbudding goats required?
Unless you’re showing dairy goats, there’s no rule that all goats have to be dehorned or disbudded. Some farmers or goat keepers are against the procedure. Others prefer to leave the horns intact as a way for the goats to defend themselves. There are a few things to consider when making the decision.
- Having small children on the farm and safety issues of goats with large horns around children.
- Horns can get caught on fences, feeders, and other things, sometimes leading to injury or death of the goat.
- The doe can injure her kids with her horns
- The goats can injure each other while playing or battling for dominance.
- The horns can injure you while you’re milking or performing other routine care.
- The breed standard requires disbudding for registration or participation in breed shows.
With any invasive procedure carried out with livestock, we need to be prepared for unhappy outcomes. While it is rare to lose a goat kid to disbudding, it can happen.
With any invasive procedure carried out with livestock, we need to be prepared for unhappy outcomes. While losing a goat kid to disbudding is rare, it can happen. Early in our breeding program, we lost two kids to a botched job performed by a livestock veterinarian. The horn buds were burned too deeply and for too long. They developed a brain infection and died within days of the procedure. It was, of course, heartbreaking.
Although it was difficult, I did have the next batch of kids disbudded. This time I asked an experienced goat breeder to show me how she disbudded her goats. Since she raised the same breed, plus other breeds, she was knowledgeable about the anatomy of their tiny heads. All went according to plan and the goats did beautifully, once they got past the actual procedure. While I lean more to the side of having the goat kids disbudded than not, I do still pause each time I have to make the decision.
If you feel comfortable after learning how to disbud a goat, you’ll be ready to take care of the kids in your herd. If you can’t get past the thought of performing the disbudding, another goat breeder might be willing to do it for a fee.
Post-disbudding care includes keeping an eye on the horn buds for any signs of infection or bleeding. As the scab prepares to drop off, minimal bleeding might be seen. Any heavy secretions or drainage should be treated by a veterinarian. While antibiotics are not routinely used for the disbudding procedure, having a farm first aid kit stocked with a good quality antibacterial spray is always a good idea.
Raising dairy goats means you have the goat milk benefits on a daily basis. Creamy milk, right from the backyard is a healthy choice. Being able to enjoy the freshness, use the milk in cooking, make cheese, and drink it chilled are excellent returns for raising dairy goats in your backyard or on your farm. Learning to do as much of the goat routine maintenance will give you more confidence when handling your herd.
I think it is worth the time it takes to learn how to dehorn a goat. Do you agree? How early do you disbud?
I got a baby bottle fed goat. Learned a lot. I got him denuded and wished I didn’t. He was 2 1/2 months. I knew nothing. The vet did him. His horns grew back very crooked. I waited too late I guess. But he is alive and I got 2 more goats, 1 is a Boer. My other 2 are Pygmy Nigerian Dwarf. They are all happy. I will not be doing this again. But thanks for the article.
We disbud for safety of us and the goat. Our fence provides the protection. I disbud at the first sign of horns, within days of birth. Girls are easier than boys, as theirs are mostly likely to grow scars. Still learning hear. I prefer to do it myself with no box or help with the kid between my legs in a squatting position for maximum control. They are Nigerian Dwarf, so very small babies.
My goat is 6 months and her horns already broke through her skin can I still dehorn her?