{"id":44,"date":"2022-07-08T23:39:37","date_gmt":"2022-07-08T23:39:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/?p=44"},"modified":"2022-08-20T00:23:52","modified_gmt":"2022-08-20T00:23:52","slug":"what-to-do-if-a-goats-horn-breaks-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/what-to-do-if-a-goats-horn-breaks-off\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Do If a Goat\u2019s Horn Breaks Off: Options for Domesticated Goats"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you are the owner of a domesticated goat, there’s a good chance you will at some point have to deal with a broken horn. Horns can break off for many reasons – from fighting with another goat to getting caught in fencing. If your goat’s horn breaks off, don’t panic! This article will provide you with all the information you need to make sure your goat remains healthy and comfortable and what to do if a goats horn breaks off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WARNING:<\/strong> This article contains graphic images of injuries to goat horns that some readers may find disturbing. Discretion is advised.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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There are few animals as enthusiastic about life than a goat, but that can come with problems<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Let\u2019s face it \u2013 goats can be troublemakers, which can often lead them to tricky situations that might otherwise be unexpected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, one such complication that many goat owners fail to thoroughly prepare for is the risk that our beloved goats could snap, damage, or otherwise fully break off a horn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As such, as a domesticated goat owner, there\u2019s a decent chance you may have to deal with a broken horn at some point, be it a small scratch or a more significant injury and even life-threatening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, you can take steps to ensure your goat stays as comfortable as possible until you can get them to the vet clinic. As such, today\u2019s guide will cover several ideas for what to do if a goat\u2019s horn breaks off to help.<\/p>\n\n\n

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A broken horn can range from a minor injury to life-threatening<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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Any decisions made based on the information on this site must only be made with full veterinary (or suitable professional) guidance. [Site] takes no responsibility for any damages or losses caused through use of the provided information<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Experience with What To Do If a Goat\u2019s Horn Breaks Off <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we go any further, I\u2019ll briefly outline my own personal experience with broken horns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a Boer goat breeder personally, it was perhaps only a matter of time before we saw one of our goats break their horns \u2013 in fact, we were perhaps lucky to have missed this reality for around nine years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, I\u2019ll never forget that morning when I walked out to the barn to feed the goats and headed to the buck kids\u2019 pen \u2013 around three\/four months at the time, from memory \u2013 covered in blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a horrific sight, and my heart instantly fell, knowing something had gone drastically wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n

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When breaking at the skull the sight can be quite a shock and immediate treatment is important.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

And, even before I saw the culprit, I knew who it would inevitably be: the buck kid I\u2019d planned to keep as a breeding buck. Of course, it was \u2013 sod\u2019s law (or Murphy\u2019s law, depending on where you\u2019re from) and all that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sight wasn\u2019t a pleasant one. The buck kid\u2019s horns just the night before had been perfectly positioned, gently sweeping behind his ears. But suddenly, one was sticking up at a forty-five-degree angle, and the poor thing was covered in blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, he still looked excited about his morning hay \u2013 goats are always very food-oriented \u2013 but I knew I had to take action immediately to ensure he didn\u2019t nudge it again and re-open the flow of blood. And believe me, lifting a 35-40kg buck kid with a broken horn over a fence isn\u2019t easy when his brothers are all trying to mob you for food simultaneously!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We never quite worked out what caused him to damage his horn \u2013 but a few days later, he was disbudded and on the way to recovering.<\/p>Charlotte Riggs – Boer Goat farmer<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Happens if a Goat\u2019s Horn Breaks Off? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Well, as was the case in my example, you\u2019ll probably notice blood \u2013 and lots of it. The horns in goats act not only as weapons and display pieces but also help regulate the body temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n

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There will be blood in most cases, and if the wound is fresh, expect a lot of it<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

This may mean that they have a large blood flow \u2013 and, of course, this can cause a lot of bleeding if the horn is broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How each individual animal reacts to this will naturally differ depending on the severity of the damage and some goat breeds may bleed worse than others, but the amount really is down to the injury itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some animals might just chip their horn, for example, which may not bleed much (or at all). Others could chip the base, which might be more likely to bleed, or could dislodge the horn from the base. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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