# minis with horns



## dastardlydeed (Oct 2, 2008)

everything i have read says that you should have your goats disbudded. however i have seen a few photos of breeder sites showing minis with horns. have any of you personally had problems with a mini, having horns? i am just curious.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

I have had horrible problems with any goats with horns. Not only do they get stuck in my fencing, but they have hurt my other goats. Either by putting a hole in the side of my Nubian to picking up babies and pitching them. When one baby was "pitched" he had a mouth full of grain and he got the wind knocked out of him. Had I not been in the pen when it happend, he very will could have suffocated.

So needless to say, I have banded anyone that comes in with horns


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

ALL my goats have horns and I would only have it that way. They all have to because they are Cashmere and they can overheat and die other wise, but a friend of mine has Cashmere and Pygmy goats together, all her Cashmere have horns and SOME of her pygmy have horns. Never have either of us had any trouble at all.


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## mnspinner (Aug 13, 2008)

I have absolutely no problem with horned goats, but for me I simply prefer the clean headed look. No worries with bending down and having a goat's head suddenly come up. I think too, if you start out with, and have only ever had, hornless you tend to want to keep it that way.


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

We only have disbudded goats. . . . started out that way and do prefer that way. I don't like the looks of horns on does, they look cool on bucks, but "funny" (to me anyways) on does. I don't like the problems w/ fencing, my cousin's goat is ALWAYS getting stuck somewhere and they have good fencing. I get nervous w/ horned goat beating up on others, we have some aggressive does and if they had horns, there would be some problems.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I don't mind horns and haven't had a problem with them. I'm sure if I had different fencing where they could get stuck I wouldn't even keep my horned ones. I have one nasty goat that has horns and every once in awhile she'll push goats into the fence etc. But we haven't had anything serious. I also have a REALLY fat doe with horns(she's always been a real heavy girl) and in the summer here it is terrible! So I can tell that keeps her cooler as where most of my goats don't have that heavy weight problem. 

We dont' have a small pen which (in my opinion) when the goats get a little cramped they tend to fight over food and try and show dominance more. So when they've got the space I think they're less likely to cause injuries. I think that's the main reason we haven't had problems.

We now disbud ALL kids, just because I'll feel a little safer about butting and buyers seem to like the hornless goats. Also sometimes the horned goats scare kids that come out to pick out a kid etc.


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## Julie (Oct 6, 2007)

I've had both ... horned and no horns. I can say I definately prefer the "no horns" ! 
Here's why ... Goats sometimes ram other goats, when horns are involved - it can be detrimental. Especially if it's a smaller goat getting rammed. Plus the fact of getting stuck in stuff. Plus the idea of bending over the goat to do something and meantime they raise their head up at just the right angle to bruise you real good, or at the worst - poke an eye out or gouge you ! My goats are tame, and have never been mean to me, but accidents can still happen. Plus I have a young daughter (going on 5years old now) who like to play with the goats, and if the goats had horns - I have to say that I'd keep her away from the goats, for fear of her getting an eye poked out or something else accidental. 

Ya'll know heavenly haven's goat "Ivy" .. well she was once my goat. My horned nigerian doe rammed Ivy really hard one day. It was awful ! Ivy just lay there (I was right there) and I had to go pick her up and take her out of the pen. She was floppy and couldn't walk or stand right ... like a drunk ! Then she acted like she couldn't see right with one eye ! It took her a while to recooperate. I'm not sure if the horns had anything to do with it - I think it was mainly in the angle that she was rammed, and that she was rammed up against a solid wall. But I'm sure the horns didn't help the situation ! They mad the hit even harder !

I've also had a buck with bleeding around his horn base from banging heads with another horned buck.

Plus I've heard of bucks getting their horns stuck or something and the horn comming off ! Resulting in major bleeding and a large wound !! Then the chance of infection, etc.

These are the reasons that my goats are all disbudded. I sold any and all of my horned goats because of these reasons. Now my herd is ALL hornless. And things are going really well this way. 

Anyway, that's just my side of the story. But I know there's lots of ppl out there with horned goats that doesn't necessarily have these problems. So in the long run ... it's simply up to you, what you think you're most comfortable with.


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## Sonrise Farm (Sep 18, 2008)

they get stuck in the fencing . . . and they pitch babies . . . and if yu are not watching the will accidently hook you . . .


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## Ivy (Aug 9, 2008)

I dont like disbudding.
Horns serve a goat for temperature control.
They are also defense.
As for the head in the fence issues, a piece of hose taped across them stops that.
Our goats don't use horns on humans, If they did and corrections didn't change that, they get butchered.

If any of our goats head butt kids persistently, they get butchered. 

We breed for temperament.

We also have naturally polled with horned with no probs.


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## Amy Goatress (Oct 2, 2008)

Since ours are dairy goats we have all of our goats disbudded and when my niece's come to visit I don't want them to get hurt since they are only 6 years old, 4 years old, 3 years old, and 2 years old.


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## heavenlyhaven (Apr 17, 2008)

i had a herd of 30 +/- grade goats and they all had horns
mytheory was that God made them that way and He is infinitely more wise than i
never ever had a prob with me or other animals and they used them to scratch itchy parts or to scare away strange dogs

now, i have 11 reg mini's
they are dehorned (well, pig is a grade/horned wether)
only because they cannot be shown with horns 
and that's what ppl want

i prefer horns
they dont have to go thru the stress of being dehorned
(this is the absolute worse thing one can do to an animal in my view)
the horns are a natural defense and a natural back scratcher
horns regulate temperatures in the goat


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## rebelshope (Sep 21, 2008)

Certain goat breed leave horns on, boer for example. 


I have one pygmy with horns and although I love her horns, they make my very nervous. She is the sweetest little goat, but when I have been working with her she has caught me with her horn. Not purposely, but by accident. When I introduced her my new hornless goats, although she did not hurt them she did her horn stuck on one of the other goat's collar.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

As long as I've had my mini's they ALWAYS had horns, never an issue with me OR anyone else that came by, it's all a matter of respect for the horns, up til last April when I got my registered ND doe, she's polled, and then my reg buck, he's disbudded...yes they still use their heads as battering rams even without horns, I had my first experience with disbudding this past spring.....don't like it and won't ever do it on my own, will always have someone else do it per buyers request....which they are given the option and "schooled" on having horned goats.. .. only one experience with a "stuck in the fence goat" and that was MY fault for not using the proper fencing. Mine are not aggressive towards me or my niece and nephew....but they do know how to protect themselves and their kids from my beagle that likes to torment them.

For safety though with my bucks, I do not put collars on them as they can catch each other with the horns...not good.

I love horned goats, but it is a matter of personal preference and breed standard with some goats.


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## mnspinner (Aug 13, 2008)

I often hear about horns acting as a cooling agent, but I've not yet heard of hornless actually being a problem for goats as far as it causing heat distress. Wonder if there have been any studies?
BTW, hi Amy!


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## heathersboers (Sep 5, 2008)

I HATE horns- however a boer just doesn't look right without them- they tear down fences with them, chunk babies across the pen-poke you in the neck, chin,forehead etc. when you pick them up.Gore you in the leg when you worm them- they are easier to catch though!!


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

> I often hear about horns acting as a cooling agent, but I've not yet heard of hornless actually being a problem for goats as far as it causing heat distress. Wonder if there have been any studies?


I was wondering the same thing. . . . I can see how it matters with cashmere and angora goats but not other breeds.

I HATE disbudding, which is why I refuse to do it. I'd rather spend the $5 for each kid and take them to a gal who has been doing it for 30+ years and talks to me about life the whole time she's burning their head. I don't know how she does it but she does. . . . I cannot handle it. But I don't care for horns all that much. I like the way horns look on bucks, angora, and boer goats though, but not the dairy/mini's so much. BTW, Ivy - I love the pic of the goat in your avatar, now that's some cool horns!!


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## Epona142 (May 26, 2008)

I really love good looking horns, and haven't had any issues with them and will take care to do the best I can to prevent issues with them. I totally understand why a lot of people disbud though, I just prefer the horns.


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

I have both horned/dehorned and haven't had any serious problems. My minis i have 1 horned weather and he has never gotten stuck in the fence or used them on people.


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## Amy Goatress (Oct 2, 2008)

Hey Lynn,

Good to see you here!


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