Dehorning goats

[gimp]

Nigerian Dwarves are finer boned and look like little mini dairy goats

Pygmies tend to be wider and short and heavier boned. More like a meat animal

(in a nutshell...I've had both)

 

[Molly's Run Minis]

honestly, after what i've read, its safer for the goats and humans involved to disbud. i've heard horror stories of goats getting stuck in fenceing, tearing up and even killing other goats, poking eyes out, horns breaking off, and we had a family friend that a goat shoved one of his horns through the guys right calf!! also, if you ever need to re-sell them most people like to have goats with no horns because of all the reasons i mentioned above.

 

[Indian*R*A*I*N*Dance]

I agree with what gimp said about the difference between Nigerian Dwarfs and Pygmys. Nigerians can also be alittle taller than Pygmys are.

As for debudding...I don't like it, but I do think it should be done. I've seen way to many kids get their horns stuck in hay feeders and between boards on fences. I've had a nubian who had horns get herself stuck in between the boards on a fence and she ended up breaking her horn off! (she had 5 inch long horns at the time). We had to have the vet come and surgicaly remmove the horn...she stayed as a 1 horned goat for awhile. I have also seen goats get there horns stuck between boards where they cant get out and end up strangling themselves to death. horrible! It is also safer for a kid to handle a goat if it doesnt have horns. It is not a fun job at all, it smells! but it has to be done. Just make sure it is done right. We usually debudded our goats at 3-7 days, or when we saw the bud first grow in. I would definatly use the iron and not the paste they have. The paste is NASTY! and doesn't work as well as the iron does, it also takes longer.

 

[Sun Runner Stables]

The Nigies are finer boned in general, and it's all about the udder and "dairy" quality. Longer necks, a sloping towards the hindquarters, and a general elegance.

This is a picture of one of my junior does who just won Grand Champion at the Pasco County fair.

See how she's got long legs that "frame" where her udder will be?

Another doe of mine- the neck's are a bit longer and more elegant-

And since it's all about the udder, here's a pic of a first freshner udder which is pretty decent.

And her son, my new junior buck who's pretty fantastic IMO.

In comparison, the pygmies are made to have a "round barrel" body style. Short legs and a compact body are desired, as well as a shorter height.

They are a meat breed, so they are designed to grow faster and put on weight and be as close to a "keg on legs" as possible.

They are just as friendly and cuddly from what I have seen, but can be a bit more 'scattered'.

Both require the same amount of love, care, and snuggles though

 

[wcr]

I have only had one goat so am certainly not an expert. Those little suckers are smart. He had horns and used them to hook the hot wire and pull it down so he could get out and you would find him asleep on the patio chairs.

 

[TheCaseFamily00]

I never really considered owning goats they just ended up at my place due to sad circumstances,but I do know they will live out their lives on my little farm

. I have really enjoyed everyones stories,pictures and opinions.I carried one of the babies up to the big barnyard where my uncle,grandparents ,mom,and a boarder was and they all laughed when they realized I had a goat sticking it's head out of my coat

.

 

[Marnie]

We disbud them, we have our vet do it. I hate it too when it's not done good, then the scurs come and they're just trouble and ugly. Most of our buyers want the horns off, a lot of my babies are already polled. I think the disbudding is a horrible brutal act but it saves the goat a lot of misery. We had one caught in a fence and something nibbled half of her ear off, blood was all over, that poor girl must have really suffered. But it didn't stoop her from sticking her head thru again and getting it caught. We just don't like the horns.

 

[TheCaseFamily00]

Little update,they've been debudded and seem to be doing really well. They had about a half dozen other little goats next to them at the vets office,so cute

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