# Showing question



## midlothianffa (May 5, 2013)

Why aren't market goats for 4-h and FFA allowed to have horns I can understand cattle not having them because they like to use their head for a lot of things but goats and sheep don't have as dangerous horns most boers shown in major association shows do have them so why can't the projects have them ?


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Most fairs do not allow horns. It probably goes back to dairy goats.
In our state some FFA chapters allow horns & others do not. 4h is almost always no horns.


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## midlothianffa (May 5, 2013)

I was just curious because some kids keep does that they've shown then they can't defend themselves against the other goats in the herd


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Our fair doesn't matter with horns or without....dairy or meat. :shrug: Only thing we have to do with horns is "tip" them so there are no sharp points


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## midlothianffa (May 5, 2013)

Ours have to be dehorned and can't have any more than a inch re-growth


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## CountyLineAcres (Jan 22, 2014)

We have 3 does on our farm that have been disbudded. The other 14 are horned. The lack of horns has never been an issue for the 3. The can pack a punch just as hard as any doe with horns.  I never have had to worry about them.

Typically, 4-H wants dehorned goats as safety for younger children and people in general. I wish the fairs around us accepted horns. I know the chance of an accident increases when goats have horns, but as long as you are responsible and know how to handle the goat, it shouldn't be an issue. However, not everyone shares the same view and that's okay.


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## midlothianffa (May 5, 2013)

CountyLineAcres said:


> We have 3 does on our farm that have been disbudded. The other 14 are horned. The lack of horns has never been an issue for the 3. The can pack a punch just as hard as any doe with horns.  I never have had to worry about them.
> 
> Typically, 4-H wants dehorned goats as safety for younger children and people in general. I wish the fairs around us accepted horns. I know the chance of an accident increases when goats have horns, but as long as you are responsible and know how to handle the goat, it shouldn't be an issue. However, not everyone shares the same view and that's okay.


I agree if you can't keep your goat under control and be responsible then maybe you shouldn't be showing but most of the goats in our shows have been bottle fed so they don't really need to be dehorned because they think their lapdogs same with all the other goats that aren't bottle babies I can understand why they do it with cattle because they are tied up and if they move their head the could smack someone in the face but goats and sheep aren't much above waist level


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I've had one of my goats just turn her head and smack a little girl in the face with her horns. The goat didn't mean to do it...the little girl was just level with her horns! So it can happen to smaller kids pretty easily. Maybe that's why?


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## midlothianffa (May 5, 2013)

It may be I didn't think about that I guess it depends how many lil kids you have showing there's only about 10 in the whole county for goats tho :shrug: which is funny because they're more responsible than the older kids lol


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

It's just for safety reasons. Little kids showing are right at horn level with them and one accidental move from the goat and the child can loose an eye.
I've been accidentally cracked in the face with horns before and have gotten my glasses broken from it, thankfully it wasn't all dramatic like in movies and the glass didn't shatter into my eyes :lol:
But no horns are just safer in the 4-h shows.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Horns are allowed here, they just have to be covered. (Vet wrap, cattle nipple, etc)


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

You can show boer goats wethers and angora wethers with horns at my fair but most don't allow any wethers to have horns


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## midlothianffa (May 5, 2013)

I figured it was mostly safety but I got curious if they had other reasons


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## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

Market goats are disbudded, breed stock are blunted here.


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