When we think of horned animals, we typically think of the males of the species. However, this topic can be a little bit harder to work out when it comes to goats since many people assume that female goats shouldn\u2019t have horns \u2013 much like deer. However, the answer to this question is relatively simple. As such, today, we\u2019re looking at the key question: do female goats have horns? Hopefully, this will help you understand a little more about how horns work with goats, what goats use their horns for, and the like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Naturally, almost all female goats have horns, since horns are not an exclusively male trait in goats. As such, as they grow older, the vast majority of female goats (if not interfered with, that is) will grow horns. However, horns on female goats are usually much smaller, finer, and less impressive than horns on male goats. In male goats (bucks or billies), large horns are used for several purposes, but they are primarily used for display tools and can be used during fights for mating rights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
All goat breeds have horns on male and female goats alike, naturally. While there is an exception for goats with the polled gene (we\u2019ll get into that a little later), all goat breeds and goats of both genders have horns. However, there is a massive variation between different goat breeds and horn structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, cashmere goats and kiko goats often have very wide, wild-looking horns (that will definitely take an eye out if you get to close \u2013 be careful!) Contrastingly, breeds such as the Boer goat usually have smaller, more well-kept horns that help make them easier to handle when their horns are left on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At this point, you\u2019re probably wondering: if all female goats naturally have horns, how come so many dairy goats don\u2019t seem to grow horns as they grow up? Well, in most cases, the reason behind this is simple: the horns are removed shortly after the goat is born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This process is called \u201cdisbudding\u201d or \u201cdehorning.\u201d It is a somewhat uncomfortable process, but it can be important for a number of reasons, which is why many breeders and goatkeepers choose to have their goats\u2019 horns removed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two main methods used to disbud goat kids are using a hot disbudding iron or caustic disbudding paste. We must point out here that you must always check the specific regulations and rules in your chosen country, as not all products are legal in all countries; for example, in the United Kingdom, disbudding goat kids must be done with a hot iron by a vet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the hot iron process, the horn buds are burnt off (don\u2019t worry \u2013 the area is anesthetized!), which theoretically prevents the horns from growing. This must be done very quickly after birth, as it may not work if the horn has already started to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alternatively, some people use a caustic paste to burn off the horn buds. This is simply applied to the horn and has the same function of burning it off; however, it\u2019s vital to be careful during application to prevent injuries. After all, the clue\u2019s in the name: it\u2019s caustic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether goats need to be disbudded often comes down to personal choice. For example, for me, I never disbud any of my goats. I just prefer them to have horns. However, other breeders may prefer to disbud, especially for dairy goats where you\u2019re often up much closer and personal with the goat \u2013 so the risk of injury is greater. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the end, it really comes down to personal choice. However, if you do choose to disbud your goat\u2019s horns, you must ensure the procedure is carried out by a trained professional to ensure it doesn\u2019t hurt the goat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are actually a handful of goats that are born without the ability to grow horns. These are called polled goats, and the polled gene is dominant \u2013 meaning that a goat with the polled gene will always be polled. However, since it is an incredibly rare gene, it\u2019s much more common for the polled gene to occur as a genetic mutation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And there\u2019s an issue here: the polled gene in goats is very closely linked to the recessive gene for hermaphroditism. As such, when a goat is born polled, it is believed to have a greater chance of being infertile and unable to pass on its polled genes to the next generation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As such, if you have a young goat that does not have its horns, the chances are much higher that it has simply had its horns removed at a young age and has since healed rather than being naturally polled. But, if you\u2019ve owned the goat since birth and it does not ever grow horns, it may actually be a rare polled goat!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we think about goats, the first thought that usually comes to mind is a nanny dairy goat \u2013 and these usually don\u2019t have horns! Thus, many wrongly assume that female goats do not always have horns. However, this is something of a generalization. Indeed, while many female goats can have their horns removed, in reality, most modern goats are actually naturally horned animals. A very small number of polled goats exist, which means a mutation in their genetics prevents them from having horns. However, these polled goats are pretty rare, for the most part, and they are widely believed to be infertile (or have very low fertility).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In summary, the question \u201cdo female goats have horns\u201d is somewhat misleading. Yes, the vast majority of female goats are born with the ability to grow horns. However, most have their horns removed at birth to prevent them from hurting each other or their owner. As such, if you\u2019re looking for a goat that doesn\u2019t have horns, you may want to consider approaching a breeder who regularly disbuds their goat kids.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When we think of horned animals, we typically think of the males of the species. However, this topic can be a little bit harder to work out when it comes to goats since many people assume that female goats shouldn\u2019t have horns \u2013 much like deer. However, the answer to this question is relatively simple….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":310,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243\/revisions\/310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}