# Banding horns



## Fainters (Oct 10, 2007)

I have a goat that gets her head caught in the fence every day. She has horns that are about 4 or 5 inches long. I have heard of people banding horns but I have never tried this. Can someone tell me how to do it, how long it will take, and is there any risks involved such as infection, excessive bleeding etc. when the horns fall off?

http://www.freewebs.com/scapegoatranch/


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

I have a 4 year old Pygmy that I rescued that we have banded her horns. I banded them probobly 3 weeks ago. They are becoming loose. When she was first banded, she rubbed her face on the fence and caused a sore on her nose. However, she is doing ok now. 

I noticed that there were 2 bands put on each horn, as close to the base of the head. 

I know that once they are banded within a couple days, they figure out not to try to put their head through the fence.

Sorry I don't have more info, my friend is the one who banded for me.


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## jBlaze (Oct 9, 2007)

*I would recommend not.*

We bought a goat that had a horn banded. It was so horrible!! You could tell she was in pain for weeks, she would hide from the other goats, wouldn't compete for feed, did not want to be touched. THen when the horn finally came off she bled all over, bawling wildly in pain. I took her to the vet to be sure it was ok. He said that it would probably grow back, and it is about an inch long already. It came off mid July. When it broke off the vet had me give her a gram of bute and I sprayed it with that yellow anitbiotic spray and gave her a shot of LA200, we gave her the bute for 3 days, it really helped her pain. It took her several more weeks to trust again. Now she is a sweet and loving goat, but she went through all that misery for nothing, and has an ugly scur. 
(the people had done this before and it didn't work, so they used a dremmel to make a groove near the head so that the band would stay down. So where they had the band was very close to the head. THe doe is 2 years old.)
Maybe banding a kid would not be so bad, but I would recommend seeing a vet who has experience de-horning goats. And be sure you know what that involves before you do it. Good luck with it, frustrating I know. I just wish people would disbud all kids unless they know they will be keeping them, bucause you end up with people buying a goat with horns, then they want tho horns off, and it is never pretty.


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## Fainters (Oct 10, 2007)

What a horrible experience! I don't want to traumatize my doe but of course having to stand all day in the rain or sun with her head in the fence while I am at work is not fun either. Does anyone else have any personal experience?

http://www.freewebs.com/scapegoatranch/


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## jBlaze (Oct 9, 2007)

Is putting up a hot wire inside your fence an option. Ours never touch our real fence.


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

Here is a link on how to band horns, I'm going to do it on my buck: http://www.freewebs.com/oakmoonfarm/banddehorning.htm


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

banding horns can be quite a traumatic experience, but then again so can being caught in the fence.
I well aimed accidental horn to the face is never fun. We have banded a lot of horns very successfully. Although it can be quite gory. You need a metal nail file or smal saw. make a notch as far down the horn as you can. even if it means cutting into the skin. Put an elastrator band on it. and put some dict tape over it. You will need to replace the bands every one to two weeks. if you can put the doe in a smaller pen by herself where she won't be challenged by other goats. But make sure she can see and even touch other goats through the fence to keep her from getting lonely. you will notice the bands digging into the horn more and more. she may knock them off herself. Have a disbudding iron handy. you will need to cauterize her head. 
I think my worst banding experience, we had a pygmy doe that had horns, she got them caught in everything and she accidently hit me in the face more then once. she had her down and were changing the bands. she started squirming and knocked one off on my leg. sent is flying across the barn blood everywhere (it was too soon for it to come off) finally got the bleeding stopped and she knocked the other one off in her haste to get up. It was a messy probably painful experience. but we and her werwe much happier. No more head caught in the fqance. no mor ehorns to the face. no more punctures on the other goats. in the long run it really is the best.


beth


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## PACE (Oct 8, 2007)

I know someone on GW had a piece of hose on their goats horns to keep them from being able to stick their heads through the fence. They duct taped it to the horn and took it off every few weeks to let the horns air out so they wouldn't get unhealthy. The goats didn't seem to mind, though they looked a little funny :lol:


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I know of people who have had great success with banding - the one common thread between them......the kids were under 6 months. It seems to make a difference. 

The time of year is right for doing it now too


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## Haviris (Oct 7, 2007)

I have banded successfully. Last year I banded two adult pygmies, yes adults, one was 1-2 and the other 3-4. Neither seemed at all bothered by it, infact I thought I must have done it wrong until one of their horns actually fell off. Both horns on the younger one fell off and no regrowth or scurs. With the older doe one fell off, the other band broke (older bands)and it was getting to warm to reband, so I left it until this fall. I sold her right after rebanding, so not sure how it went. 

I had one unsuccessful banding on my boer doeling when she was around 8 months old. She is a major drama queen, she cried and carried on, leaping into the air and then laying on her back with her legs in the air. That was the first day, she acted fine the next day. I think if I'd done her first I would have been afraid to do anymore. She rubbed until she got the bands off. I do plan to redo her soon.

I now have my nubian buckling's horns banded, one is just barely hanging (I think it's actually off and the tape that was wrapped around it is holding it on). I got him to late to disbud.

So here's my experience and advice. It take about a month for the horn to come off, if they knock it off early it will bleed. Only one of mine have bled, it wasn't bad, but did look bad. It is a good idea to be prepared in case one does come off to early. Two bands per horn is also a good idea. 

So that's my thoughts, I have had goats with their horns stuck in the fence, I always feel so terrible when I'm not sure how long they've been there. I'd much rather illiminate the problem completely with banding, and I just don't think I'd have one surgically dehorned. It seems like some goats can have horns with no problems and others are constantly getting their heads stuck. My older boer doe is one of those (not a problem in the pen she's in now because the spaces are to small).

So good luck with whatever you deside!


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## Graffogefarms (Oct 11, 2007)

well, I have had some success, but the horns can grow back - even though they will be weird looking. I find that once they are banded, and the bands are starting to work, the goats that may have previously used their horns on each other stop, as it would hurt them to use the horns. I have to redo some, we have one unicorn at the moment, and one with crooked horns, and another with the single. The thing is - other than the unicorn - there is no sharp edge now.


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## fcnubian (Oct 23, 2007)

I have banded horns before.

4 goats total.

I no longer purchase horned goats for that main reason...them getting stuck in the fence. I absolutely HATE horns. Just my personal preference.

You have to be really good at banding horns so you don't get scurs.

On 2 of the ones I banded they had scurs.

When the horns come off they bleed A LOT.

I'll post the pictures....

We used tape to keep the bands from sliding up. 
Here is the horn, starting to fall off.









Horn part way off.

















His horns got pointy so we put a lamb nipple on them and taped it really good. After the band had gone through the horn part of the way it broke with out me knowing. My mistake I should have removed the tape and nipple to see how far he had to go but I didn't, which is why his horn is grown out in these pictures. Then after a while he got rammed by one of the goats....
This is probably what you'll see with your goat if you choose to band.

























He was the last goat I banded...it just wasn't worth it. Which is why I don't buy horned goats. I dont like them and I wont be banding them. 
When you band you have to make sure that the band is in the right place, and that the band doesn't slip at all during the process or break. Our's broke and that is what caused the scurs and everything.


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## PACE (Oct 8, 2007)

Ewww, poor goat. I don't think I'll band horns ever... or dehorn at all It looks awful painful. I think disbudding or nothing is the way I'll go. But I guess you do what you have to... still, I won't ever do it


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## Fainters (Oct 10, 2007)

Well after seeing those pictures, I will NOT be banding mine. I try to breed for polled and those are the ones I keep for my herd. I hate to disbud but I think it is more humane after seeing those pictures. Does anyone know if you can notch the horns up further and then band them to get some of the length off? If her horns were only an inch shorter, they would not be getting caught.

http://www.freewebs.com/scapegoatranch/


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## fcnubian (Oct 23, 2007)

Not sure about the notching. 

We disbud kids. I only own one horned goat and thats my pygmy buck....I was offered him free of charge so I took him. 

I am glad those pictures have changed some of your minds. That is the reason why we no longer band horns. Its painful for them, when they are coming off you have to make sure the flies dont get in there and get it all infected. Yuck just too much. I'll disbud them...


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## jBlaze (Oct 9, 2007)

The vet disbudded our kids at less than one week of age, and gave them their cdt for$10 each. He did not sedate them. It was done very quickly and they hollered more from being held tightly than from the iron, you could hear the tone in their one little holler. I see no problem with disbudding if it is done right, and even when not done real well, it is still much preferable to the alternative. Glad those picts were posted.


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