# Horns growing into head



## Julianne (Jul 12, 2017)

We have a three year old Nigerian Dwarf buck who was disbudded when he was young. We were taking him to fair because his mother was going and he was too young to be away. As it happens most of the time with our bucks, the horns grew back. Only now they are slightly messed up. They go out and curve down, growing into his head. Every month or so, we have been taking a wire saw and sawing a small chunk off to stop it from growing into his head. We are done breeding and want to sell our two bucks, but I’m worried that we will not be able to find someone who is willing to saw his horns. Is there another solution, possibly more permanent for his horns to help?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You can band the horns.


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## Chelsey (Dec 7, 2018)

You can have a vet dehorn him. There was just a thread about that. It has some pretty bloody pictures.


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## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

Will a band be tight enough for scurs? I know some scurs are pretty huge in the base, I know Jasper's are like a hang nail, just thin. And this I have Juniper who has full on horns. Can they be removed at all surgically or is it just better to leave them at this point? She is 9 months old now so they are like 4" long. How fast do they grow back or do they stay gone? My ex banded one of his does horns and he had her with the herd. One evening she head butted someone and the horn busted off and there was a ton of blood :/ this was an older goat though too. I will have to ask a vet how much to dehorn as well.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

It does depend on the size of the scurs. But if he isn't knocking them off when he plays, they are probably big enough.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I do agree.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Julianne said:


> As it happens most of the time, the horns grew back.


Please don't take this wrong, I'm only giving how this strikes me.

Everyone makes mistakes when they are first learning how to disbud, and scurs occur. But as we learn better... how hot, how much pressure, how long to burn, where exactly to burn, they stop occurring.

For anyone who is a newbie to this, scurs do not happen "most of the time" and if they do, that means the important learning hasn't taken place...

I say this, not to criticize the OP, whom I don't know, but to let newbies know that scurs should not remain a constant in your world, that while mistakes are understandable and expected at first, we can learn to do better, and if you are using an "expert" who still has scurs most of the time... you may as well learn to do it yourself.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

I wonder, if you are not going to keep him, and you are not 100% sure he gets to a good home, why do you not just make some nice suppers out of him? If you kill him yourself, you will KNOW what happens to him.

And such meat is very tasty! Sort of good conscience, kind of ...


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## Julianne (Jul 12, 2017)

mariarose said:


> Please don't take this wrong, I'm only giving how this strikes me.
> 
> Everyone makes mistakes when they are first learning how to disbud, and scurs occur. But as we learn better... how hot, how much pressure, how long to burn, where exactly to burn, they stop occurring.
> 
> ...


All I meant by "most of the time" is that it has always happened with our bucks. We have had plenty of successful disbuddings, I am not sure what it is, our does are just fine. We have had goats for 11 years.


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## Julianne (Jul 12, 2017)

Chelsey said:


> You can have a vet dehorn him. There was just a thread about that. It has some pretty bloody pictures.


What if they are like actually horns now? Like they are small or dainty.


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## Julianne (Jul 12, 2017)

I realized it might help if I had a visual, here are my buck's horns. These were taken today and it's almost time for us to saw them again.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Those are definitely big enough to band.


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## Chelsey (Dec 7, 2018)

Julianne said:


> What if they are like actually horns now? Like they are small or dainty.


I have never had a goat dehorned by a vet, but from what I understand, they cut the horn off and then burn the nub. I would imagine that size doesn't matter, but I would talk to a vet (or a few) and see what they think and are comfortable with.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Julianne said:


> I realized it might help if I had a visual, here are my buck's horns. These were taken today and it's almost time for us to saw them again.
> 
> View attachment 160875
> View attachment 160877
> View attachment 160881


What friendly eyes!  Please do not sell him to unknown fates!


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## MichaelOxymn (Aug 5, 2019)

Hello All,
After almost a month and a half I finialy bought my first REX Green 05 and I am now on the up grade / Mod path. Two of my first are for safety. Anyone know where I can find LOUD horns and super bright head lights for my REX?

Thank you,
Rick


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

MichaelOxymn said:


> Hello All,
> After almost a month and a half I finialy bought my first REX Green 05 and I am now on the up grade / Mod path. Two of my first are for safety. Anyone know where I can find LOUD horns and super bright head lights for my REX?
> 
> Thank you,
> Rick


You may want to start your own thread. What is a REX green 05?


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Probably a motor bike ... :haha:

Welcome to the Goat Spot, @MichaelOxymn!


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## Sony72 (Sep 10, 2019)

I have one doe and her triplets. All 3 babies were disbudded by a vet before I got this family. The previous owner wanted it done as pain-free and humane as possible. However, 2 out of the 3 have scurs so even the vet messed up. One of them has a tiny little horn that has curled and is growing very close to her head. The little boy has hollow scurs that he has already knocked off once. I'm going to try and snip the end of off the girl's with her head locked in the milking station and lots of sweet feed in the bucket.


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