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Barnyard Buddies:  Dairy Goat Question  |
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Homespun Livin
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Brenda
Louisiana
USA
409 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 05 2008 : 10:35:43 AM
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Is there a certain breed that is naturally polled (hornless)? My reason for asking is because some of the kids in my 4-H club considered dairy goats, but didn't want to have to deal with the de-horning process. Thank you for your help.
"Love one another." |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22942 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22942 Posts |
Posted - Sep 05 2008 : 11:51:00 AM
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Yes, there are goats that are born naturally polled. There isn't a certain breed that is more prone to this as far as I am aware. Natural polled goats carry the recessive polled gene.
What you will want to do is find a breeder that is breeding goats where one of the parents is polled. Statistically 50% of the offspring of such a mating would be polled and the other 50% will be horned.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Sep 05 2008 : 9:20:18 PM
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Yep...not any specific breed...but just individual goats can be polled. I have had both..polled is sure easier. There isn't much in this world that I hate more than burning horn buds on baby goats..ugh!!
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
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shepherdgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1008 Posts
Tracy
California
USA
1008 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2008 : 09:28:39 AM
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The only other option for your 4-hrs is to have someone ELSE de-horn their kids. It hurts them for a little while, yes, but it's more dangerous to have dairy goats WITH horns, then to have them WITHOUT. My vet did my 4 kids this year with the iron that I bought (but didn't have the NERVE to use!!!) and he only charged me $60 for all three. He gave them gas and put them to sleep when he did it (even the littlest at only 7 days, the others were 5wks), so it wasn't as traumatic as it COULD have been for them! Good luck with the 4-H group!!
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
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Brew Crew
True Blue Farmgirl
676 Posts
Molly
Arizona
676 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2008 : 09:43:13 AM
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Tracy, that's interesting that your vet did your goat kids at 5 weeks old. I had always thought that the only way to get all the horn cells killed so that they won't grow spurs was to do it within the first week after they are born. The Nubians we have were disbudded at 3 weeks, and both of them had half a horn come back from it. It not only looks stupid, but they do manage to hurt each other once in a while with it. We did our kids at 4 days, and it was very heartbreaking, I admit, but quite successful.....I would be interested to know how your vet did this with them so old and how successful it was, so I can potentially avoid having to do it so young next kidding season! Was there anything special he did? What kind of iron did you buy? Thanks for any insight!
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2008 : 7:57:08 PM
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I have always done it in the first week too...and cried the whole time. I made one of my grown sons and my best gal pal both help last time..one to help hold the kid and one with the timer...since I was terrified I would hold that hot iron on too long and hurt the baby.
5 Weeks does seem old to do it..alot harder anyhow. I agree that it is sure alot easier without horns. My goats were always done...but my cow, Mona has horns. She is very polite with them, but they are just in the way sometimes. Oh well.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Barnyard Buddies: Dairy Goat Question |
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Dairy Goat Question
