# Banding horns.



## double j (Aug 16, 2021)

How do you band horns and is it safe?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If you do a search, there is a tutorial on it.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

It is pretty safe but very painful. As mentioned..do a search on here for tutorial. I wpuld weigh the pros and cons before deciding. 

Best wishes


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## brigieboo (Apr 8, 2021)

It didn't bother my does at all. I think that banding adults horns is the most painless way to go. If you are sure you want to dehorn them and you have any doubts about banding, watch a video on a vet/farmer cutting an adult goats horns. Blood literally everywhere, goats screaming. It's not pretty. My does would rub their horns on their wooden fence often, but did not act in pain at all. 

We used castration bands and then the tool for them because we had them anyway for calves. My dad did it cuz id never used one before and he's banded lots of calves so he knows how to do it fast. Make sure you get the bands right to the base of the horn, otherwise they'll break off higher up and leave you with scurs. It's best to do at least two bands, in the same spot. After a month or two I would add another band for some extra strength. 

When three of the four horns fell off I just found them laying in the pen one night and there was a tiny bit of dried blood on their heads at the base of the horn. The band kills the horn and stops the blood supply so unless the horns breaks off before it's ready you won't have much blood. 

Now I said three of the four.... On one of my two does, the one horn broke. She bled a lot down her face, and she did grow a scur, but it was always lose, and she'd break it off, it'd grow back, she break it again. On her other side and on my other doe you would never be able to tell they were dehorned when they were babies unless you felt closely and found a small bump. 
I would definitely band horns again if needed and I really do not think it is painful for them....imo it's the most humane way to do it, as long as you're careful and don't break one off too soon. 

Also, you need to be careful to not do it when there will be flies around. ) Good luck!


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## brigieboo (Apr 8, 2021)

And here is what the horns look like 2 (?) Years after leaving the goat 😂 the one on the left was from a goat who was almost 4 at the time and the right horn was from a 2 year
old.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

@brigieboo so good to hear your success and goats doing well with it. I'm pretty sure it's not painless, even if the goat didn't show it much. Like banding a buck, it's going to be uncomfortable for a while. The only semi first hand experience I have seen is a friend who banded her yearling doe. It went awful. She went off feed, would grind her teeth and avoided the herd. After a few days she perked up some but was super head tender. When the horns finally fell off they grew back flat. Perhaps it wasn't done correctly but seemed like alot of suffering for nothing since they grew back. I'm pretty sure she didn't get the bands low enough is why the regrowth happened. I agree however it's better than dehorning! Which is gruesome. 
I definitely would watch good videos on how to band properly so regrowth is less likely. If it's got to be done...I would want to be sure to get it done right the first time. My friend regrets putting her doeling through it but that is a decision we each have to make for ourselves. 

Best wishes


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## Goatastic43 (Jun 11, 2021)

We tried this once, but never could get it to work. They kept butting the bands of. We tried tape and everything. I am glad to hear it worked for someone, because after we tried I just assumed it was myth.


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## brigieboo (Apr 8, 2021)

Goatastic43 said:


> We tried this once, but never could get it to work. They kept butting the bands of. We tried tape and everything. I am glad to hear it worked for someone, because after we tried I just assumed it was myth.


How did they butt them off? When u were putting them on?


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## Goatastic43 (Jun 11, 2021)

No I phrased that wrong. They would butt the wall or a fence and break them. they also would butt the wall and move the bands up their horns.


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## double j (Aug 16, 2021)

Thanks everyone, I have watched a few videos. I have 2 bucks that was bought with horns and all my other goats don't have horns. I'm worried about someone getting hurt or myself. The other day one got out and as I was walking him back he throw his head back and hit me in the side with a horn. And I have to watch them when I'm in the pen because I have almost been hit in the face with a horn. It's not that they are mean and trying to horn me, they are really nice and gentle goats they are both bottle babies and love people.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

We had to band a bunch (10) doe kids that were between the ages of 8 -10 months old, and 1 doe that was coming up on 2 yrs. old. Her- she had great bloodlines,
mean as a snake- she used her Lamancha horns on everything. It was band or .22. Thats how serious it was. 

I put the kid on a portable milk stand, put a halter on them- tied it down, either I or my helper held the head and the other did the stuff. Make sure the halter doesn't cut
off the breathing to the nose! 

We followed the directions here on TGS to the TEE. My suggestion is to make sure you cut into the horn base as deep as you can- just to the part where you start to 
draw blood- the bands work much faster that way- We numbed the area- that is actually the worst of it! trying to get the Lidocane to make the little swollen pockets!

I gave Tetanus anti-toxin to each kid we banded, then normal tetanus toxoid 3 weeks later. I gave Banamine 2 hrs. before the procedure- and "Ow Eeze" from Fias Co. farms (I had left over)
after the procedure- I think they were buzzed! Its mostly alcohol!

End result- The adult doe had open sinus's, after the horns fell off, which concerned me- I used a clay based wound care product from Tractor Supply called "Curicyn". 
I plastered it over the open sinus area. She healed just fine- an is no longer aggressive.

The kids did great- they were a little quiet and really shy for a few days (naturally, the weather changed- got bitter cold) but they are all great- no scurs or bad scaring. 








It took from 10 days to about 18 days for all the horns to fall off. The one, (1st one we did) we didn't cut deeply enough into the horn base. 

It is much easier to dis bud babies- but sometimes that isn't a possibility. We are going to band a few kids this week, from last year- they got missed, the burner died and it took 
forever to get a new one- (3 months, last year!) 

Like I said, it is better to not have to band, but if done right- the kids don't seem to lose any condition and it does work. 


We used disposable scalpels 
Sterilized round files (small)
Sterilized Wire saw
Sterilized hack saw blade-

Any of the above work to make the cut in the horn base for the bands. (that was hard, getting them on the stupid banding tool!) 


DISCLAIMER- I AM NOT A VET- BUT, I DID DO ONE PROCEDURE WITH A VET PRESENT~ He was impressed, said that He sure didn't need to be there, and 
left. I only had to pay a farm call-! For something else!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I banded an adult doe and had no problems. When bands were first put on, I did 3 days of Banamine. I put new bands on over top of the old ones at about a month. I did banamine for 3 days when I put the new bands on. It went well and she didn't regrow the horns.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I did it to a kid once. Definitely not painless but was not as bad as I thought it would be. I did pretty much like goats rock just explained. In the end I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again and wish I had the guts to try it on my lamanchas I had instead of just selling them :/ (before I did the kid)


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## double j (Aug 16, 2021)

At what age can it be done to kids?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

The horns have to be big enough for the bands to work.


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