Caprine Dehorning and Disbudding

Caprine Dehorning

• Goats with horns pose a threat to surrounding people and objects in their environment.
• Dehorned goats are less destructive and less likely to become entangled in fences.
• Dehorning can be performed in conjunction with castration in males.
• Goats that range or are kept on tethers should be allowed to keep their horns for defense.
• Dehorned bucks may be less able to compete with horned herd mates for breeding purposes.
• Dehorning in adulthood can be associated with complications such as delayed healing and death.
• The cornual branches of the infratrochlear and lacrimal nerves innervate the horns of goats.
• The cornual branch of the infratrochlear nerve lies dorsomedial to the rim of the orbit.
• The cornual branch of the lacrimal nerve is located halfway between the lateral canthus of the eye and the posterior edge of the horn, running along the cornual ridge behind the supraorbital process.

Caprine Disbudding

• Disbudding is the removal of the horn buds in young goats.
• This procedure should be performed within the first week of life.
• European breeds should be disbudded between 3 and 5 days of age for males, and 5 to 7 days of age for females.
• Nubian breeds should be disbudded before two weeks of age.
• Physical restraint can be used alone.
• Local anesthesia is often used in conjunction with physical restraint using 1 mL of 2% lidocaine diluted with 3 mL of sterile water.
• The solution is injected into four sites, blocking the two horn buds.

Surgical Technique for Disbudding

• Heat cautery is most commonly used.
• The hair around the horn bud is clipped for improved visualization and to minimize smoke inhaled by the person performing the disbudding.
• Once the dehorning iron is cherry red, it should be applied to the horn bud for 3-4 seconds.
• Allow head to cool.

This quiz explores the procedures of dehorning and disbudding in goats, highlighting their importance for safety and management. It covers the techniques, anatomical considerations, and implications for the animals in terms of breeding and behavior. Understand the risks and benefits associated with these practices.