Methods for dehorning kids and how to properly carry it out at home
Dehorning, or decornation, is a special manipulation to remove and / or prevent the growth of horns in young cattle or small ruminants. The main goal of the operation is to protect people and other animals from the injuries that the horns can cause them. Dehydration of young kids is carried out in group housing, to eliminate problems in caring for them and for sale to other farms.
Why delete?
The ancestors of wild goats had beautiful and powerful horns, which they needed for mating fights and protection from predators. In the process of domestication and selection, the horns lost their original meaning, they even began to interfere with the group keeping of animals.
In the process of breeding hornless, that is, hornless breeds, breeders were faced with the problem of increasing defective offspring born from hornless goats. It turned out that it is much easier and more convenient to remove the horns when the kid is not more than one or two weeks old than to keep the hornless livestock. The purpose of this procedure at such an early age is to:
- inflict minimal harm on the animal;
- alleviate stress;
- ensure continued good growth.
It is also desirable to carry out decoration when horned and hornless goats are kept together. The former try to dominate the latter and push them away when eating food. If adult animals are without horns, they will become calmer, their capabilities will be equal, and everyone will get approximately the same amount of food.
What methods are there?
All over the world, the most popular is the decoration of kids with special dehumidifiers. Dehydration with high temperatures is carried out with a thermocouter device. Two types of burners are used:
- Gas. They are convenient where there is no electricity. Devices require a preliminary check on a wooden block. After heating, they are applied to the tree. The black circles that appear on the bar indicate readiness for work.
- Electrical. They are more secure. The time of readiness for use after plugging into the network is indicated in the instructions.
If you need to remove the horns of grown individuals, then this must be done using tight rubber bands. They can be purchased from veterinary pharmacies or picked up from a car or hardware store. The product should be round and half the diameter of the horn. Rubber bands can be used to remove horns in cases where they continue to grow after the first removal, or the grown animal is preparing for sale.With this method, the horns fall off on their own after 45-70 days.
In some cases, goat owners stop the growth of horns with special pastes based on strong alkalis:
- Dr. Naylor;
- "Antirog";
- Hornex.
After applying the mixture to the horn, its tissues soften and die off. It is advisable to carry out processing from 3 to 8 days after birth, and do it in accordance with the instructions.
Preparation for the process
Before the horn removal procedure, you need to examine the animal and make sure that it is completely healthy. After that, you need to make sure that the kid has the rudiments of horns, and is not born hornless. To do this, put a finger to the location of the horny tubercle. Press lightly on it and make a circular motion. If the skin under the finger moves or it is not at all possible to find a tubercle, then the kid was born hornless. In horned individuals, the skin under the finger will remain motionless.
During preparation for the process of dehorning the kids, you need to take care of the methods of fixing the animal. This will require either an assistant or a small narrow box with a hole for the head. If there is no experience in carrying out manipulations to remove horns, then it is advisable to invite an experienced goat owner for the first time.
How are goats dehumidified at home?
If you have a thermocauter, you can decorate goats at home. For this you need:
- check your health;
- shave or cut hair in the area of the tubercles within a radius of 20 mm;
- feel the bumps with your fingers;
- turn on the device in advance;
- place the animal in a box or fix it in another way;
- tightly attach the thermocouter to the tubercle;
- wait 10 seconds and remove it;
- allow the place of cauterization to cool and repeat the procedure several more times until a white or light yellow ring appears in the place of the tubercle;
- carry out the procedure on the second tubercle;
- treat the head in places of cauterization with an anesthetic aerosol.
The horn buds fall off about a month after cauterization. An adult goat can be defrosted with rubber bands. This is done as follows:
- shave the hair around the horns;
- with the help of an assistant, fix the animal and its head;
- pull the elastic over the base of the horn;
- regularly, when bleeding wounds appear, treat them with an antiseptic;
- if necessary, after a few weeks, cut the elastic from the horn and put on a new one;
- after about two months, the horns break off.
This procedure is rather unpleasant and even painful for animals. The horns are supplied with blood, and their constriction can negatively affect the health and productivity of animals.
Dehorning with rubber bands is advisable in the fall, when there are no flies and other insects on the street that are attracted by blood.
Caring for a goat after dehorning
Immediately after the procedure, the animal needs to be calmed, stroked and gently talked to him. If possible, it is advisable to keep the goat separately from the rest of the herd for several days. Monitor wounds and, if necessary, treat wound surfaces with an antiseptic. Antibiotics are sometimes prescribed.
To avoid weight loss after the stress suffered during manipulation, you will need to change the pet's diet. It should include:
- green dried grass;
- quality hay;
- vegetables fruits;
- corn;
- compound feed;
- silage.
The animal must be provided with clean water, mineral additives, salt, premixes. If the dehydration is carried out correctly, then the repeated removal of the horns is not required.
