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Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 9:54 am
by Sylvia
Apologies but the horns list is now so long and varied in content do you mind if I start another?
As an almost ex goat keeper I have a major horror of the idea of taking off horns (rather than disbudding at a very young age). I know goat horns are constructed differently to cow horns is it OK to think of removing half grown or well grown Dexter horns (by a vet with all possible care and attention)?
I have bought in Dexters who have not had the best attention to their horns and it spoils their looks so much I really want to try and have things put right.
Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 10:26 am
by Saffy
Hi Sylvia,
I have no Dexters myself as yet but occasionally over the years we have asked the vet to remove horns from an animal we have bought in.
I seem to remember alot of sawing and a fair bit of blood but all over with suprisingly quickly.
However the result was never as "pretty" as disbudding a calf it seemed to leave a kind of square top to the head and a little stubby bit sometimes grew afterwards. Assuming my experience is the norm removing their horns might not be the tidy result you are hoping for.
Stephanie
Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:40 pm
by david
hi
yeah, its possible to dehorn, but it ought really to be done by the vet. There's a LOT of blood involved, the result isn't pretty and its also painful for the animal, so should only really be done for either your or the animal's safety.
Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 11:17 am
by Inger
If its done by a vet, the end result is quite acceptable. We had a brother and sister done very soon after they arrived on our farm. That was nearly two years ago and the tops of their heads look quite tidy. So go ahead and get them dehorned if you'd like to. It won't spoil their appearance.
Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 4:36 pm
by Sylvia
Thanks for the replies. To set everyones' minds at rest I wasn't going to hack them off myself with whatever was handy. In fact the vet was here yesterday to disbud all my calves and on his advice he did 2 of the older ones who were in too. We'll have the others done (by the vet) in a few weeks time. I agree there was 'a lot of blood' and we need to make sure they don't get seeds in the wounds but is it any more painful than other procedures carried out with a proper anaesthetic?