The Single Worst Thing...

With all of the wonderful things about breeding and raising any animal, there will inevitably be one thing that is terrible.  The single worst part of breeding and raising goats has got to be disbudding the babies so they don't grow horns. 

As horrible as this is, it is the kindest way of dealing with horns.  Horned goats can be quite a danger to their handlers, other goats, and other animals.  They are also quite destructive.  Domestic goats aren't living in the environs that their wild cousins are, and their horns can cause far more harm than they would offer in the way of protection. 

When we had Balvenie and Chester, the disbudding iron had not come in yet.  By the time it arrived, their little horn buds had grown too much to be disbudded so they have horns.  That also means that their time with us will be limited because horned goats are dangerous, no matter how well handled and sweet they can be.  (Example 1: Balvenie didn't want to be caught one morning, so when I caught her collar, she dipped her head and caught my arm between her horns - twisted and gave me a couple of special bruises.  Example 2: Chester has walked up to Neville from behind and lifted the buck off the ground with his horns.)

What is disbudding you may ask?  Cauterizing the horn bud so that it deadens the root and horns never develop.  The restraining of the baby goat causes them to cry ... and then the disbudding causes them to cry.... and as soon as you are done, they act like nothing ever happened. 

At least this necessary awfulness is short lived. Each baby is done in less than two minutes, of which maybe 30 seconds is spent actually being disbudded and that's both sides. 

One down and 4 to go, as their horn buds begin to appear.