Dehorning and Disbudding

Disbudding/dehorning is a common topic of debate among goat owners. Disbudding involves using a very hot iron to burn the horn buds off the skull of a baby goat (often less than a week old). Dehorning is the process of cutting off horns that have already grown to significant size. Both processes can be a dangerous, even life-threatening, medical procedures that can cause tetanus, brain damage, infection, or death from shock. Many goat owners consider the practice of disbudding/dehorning inhumane and unnecessary.

So why would a goat owner want to disbud their goat? First, if a goat is to be shown in a competition, or if they are to be a project for 4-H, it must be disbudded/dehorned to qualify. Second, while goats are docile animals, their horns could cause accidental bumps or bruises. This may be especially important if small children will be interacting with the goat on a regular basis.

Obviously there are good arguments both for and against disbudding/dehorning. The goat owner should take their individual situation and desires into consideration before deciding to keep goats with horns or without horns. If an urban goat ordinance is added in Ingham County, I would suggest that disbudding/dehorning is neither required or prohibited, but rather left to the discretion of the owner.

If you would like to view a video of the disbudding process, the following video is available on www.youtube.com. Please be warned that it may be graphic/disturbing to some individuals.

http://youtu.be/GUL2ep3_RVw

Milk Misconception

I'm not sure how common this misconception is, but many people assume that female cows and goats produce milk all the time, automatically.

The truth is, that in order to produce milk, a dairy animal must first become pregnant and give birth. Therefore, in order to produce milk, female goats (does) must be bred regularly. Since keeping un-castrated male goats (bucks) in the city would be inappropriate (they can be very smelly), urban goat owners will need to take their does to a breeder who provides this type of service (for a fee, of course).

After a 5-month gestation period, the mother goat will give birth to 1 to 4 offspring (called kids). Goats can generally give birth unassisted just fine, but it's a good idea to be prepared to assist or call for help. To avoid overcrowding (especially important in the urban setting), you will have to find homes for most, if not all, of the kids. The baby goats can be retained by the owner (all male kids will need to be castrated), sold to another dairy farmer, sold or retained for meat (yes, you can eat goats), or sold as pets.