| Author | Message | ||
     kenneth winter jr New member Username: bubbawinter5 Post Number: 7 Registered: 09-2005 Rating: N/A |
can I dehorn a two yr old doe? she keeps getting her head stuck in the fence? if so how, and Can I do it myself? most of my goat were done when I got them but I have one wither, and one doe that isn't. | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 106 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
I would advise having a vet do it. Wait until after the first good killing frost (no flies). Dehorning makes a pretty big wound and it takes many weeks to fully heal. The vet will give her some tranquilizer and a local anesthetic. My vet uses saw wire and cuts the horns off at the very base, taking a small ring of hair with it. This usually results in much less bleeding than using "scoops" which cut off the horn and scoops out a bit of the skull with it. The friction of the wire crushes and cauterizes the blood vessels in the horn as it is sawed off. With a scoop you have to be ready with a disbudding iron to cauterize bleeding blood vessels. Dehorning an adult often opens a hole into the sinus cavity in the top of the head. You will need to keep this covered to prevent anything falling into it, such as hay or rain. She should be on an antibiotic for 5 days or so after and a pain killer (she is going to have a whale of a headache). An alternative is to use 2 or 3 of the green castrating bands. Restrain the goat, file a groove at the very base of the horn to help hold the bands in place and roll them as far down onto the horn base as you can. If you can get them onto the skin just at the base of the horn that is best. Then using electrical tape fix the bands in place. The goat may be painful for a day or two to start and then later as the bands work their way through the horn and the horn becomes loose she may once again be in pain. You have to watch to be sure she doesn't rub the bands off, the bands don't break off or roll back up the horn and that she doesn't break the horn off too soon causing bleeding and a ragged stump. Mnay people swear by this method, other swear it is very cruel. Its your call. One other option is to glue, tape, or tie a stick or dowel across the horns to prevent her putting her head throught the fence. Some people have drilled a small hole about 1/2 inch from the tip of the horn and passed a wire through the hole to wire the dowel to the ends of the horns. Looks rediculous but works and no pain or healing time. If the doe is pregnant or nursing don't put her through the pain of dehorning. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| kenneth winter jr New member Username: bubbawinter5 Post Number: 8 Registered: 09-2005 Rating: N/A |
Thank you very much. Maggie I alomst go a headache just reading it. | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 107 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
Yeah well but getting her head stuck on a blistering hot day would be bad. And recently a stuck doe was attacked by the family dog. Last I heard she was healing okay. A stuck goat will often be attacked by herd members too. Having the horns removed is not really so bad so long as your vet is knowledgable and you know what to ask for before allowing the procedure to be done. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Barbara and Barry Neiderhiser New member Username: barbbarry Post Number: 14 Registered: 12-2005 Rating: N/A |
This is another dehorning question. We have a doe with a horns that curl around her ear. One horn has curled towards her face and is pressing on her cheek bone under her eye. We have banded the horn a month ago and nothing happened. I am thinking of using wire to cut the horn just behind the area where it is pressing against her cheek. Then later banding the horn again closer to her head. I would appreciate any suggestions on handling this situation. | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 276 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: |
Some people have had good results by dehorning with castration bands. Basicially you restrain the goat, shave around the base of the horn, and using a file cut a notch at the base of the horn to help hold the bands in place then roll 2 of the green dehorning bands down over the horn as far down the base as you can. You are trying to catch a band of skin and hair around the base. Some people use duct tape to help the bands stay in place because most goats will try to rub them off (they do feel this until the horn goes numb). the hron should fall off in several weeks. This is the only way You can do this yourself. Any other method is VERY bloody and requres at least some sedation. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Linda Houle Moderator Username: lindahoule Post Number: 42 Registered: 07-2005  Rating: N/A |
I have 2 kids that I am getting ready to dehorn how long should I use the burner on them. It is the electric dehorner. some have said 3 seconds and others have said hold for 10 seconds. let me know thanks Houles ranch Buena Vista Colorado up in the clouds 8500 feet above sea level | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 278 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
Here are 2 good links with info about disbudding: http://kinne.net/disbud.htm http://fiascofarm.com/goats/disbudding.htm Like both articles say don't try to do it all in one shot. I burn for about 4-5 seconds then take a look at the site and go back after it cools a bit if I need to. At 10 seconds the skull can get too hot...I do burn all the way to the skull my ring is white at the bottom. I do apply a spray salve (the purple stuff), it seems to cool the head, cover the eyes with your hand! One caution is to be sure to hold the ear back out of the way and to be sure not to tip the iron too far forward over the eyelid. If you get too close to the eyelid you can give that delicate skin a pretty bad burn and the eye will swell closed and the skin may blister and peel. I always approach the site from the rear. Do the disbudding as soon as you can feel the smallest bump. The earlier you get it done the better the job turns out, especially on bucks and wethers who have bigger horn bases. I don't use a holding box, Dan (my wonderful goatman-husband) holds the kid I do the burn. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic |
