Have you ever seen goats without their horns? Not just goats that haven’t grown their horns yet, but goats with their horns removed! You may be wondering will they grow back?
Goat horns do not grow back after being removed. This is because the horns are attached to the goats skull. So when you remove the horns from the goat, the area will lose blood flow and the horns will not continue to grow.
But are goats using their horns in the first place? What do we use their horns for? There are lots of questions you might have especially if you’re interested in getting a goat, so here’s a bit more information on goat horns!
What Are Goat Horns For?
Goats use their horns for protection. The way cats use their claws. Horns are used to be able to protect themselves from humans, predators, or even other goats.
On top of this, goats use their horn to regulate their body temperature if you can believe it! Blood vessels travel into the horns, and as these horns aren’t insulated, or protected, it’s similar to if you go outside without wearing a coat. Since goats have coats on them at all times, having horns can help them lower their body temperature. It’s also believed that it can help regulate brain blood flow!
What Makes Up Goat Horns?
What would people need goat horns for? What makes them so special? Goat horns are made of keratin, which you have too! It’s the same thing that your fingernails are made of, and while it’s weird to think of horns as giant fingernails, they kind of are! Along with keratin, there are also nerve endings and blood vessels within horns. Most goats like having their horns scratched, and can feel it when you pet them on their horns!
We use goat horns for a number of reasons. Some people use them for decorations, others believe they can have healing properties when ground up. However most of the time, goats get dehorned for safety reasons. Any farmer with small children, or other livestock, might dehorn the goats as to prevent the goats from hurting others!
Unlike in other species, both male and female goats are horned, however, both have different horn sizes and shapes! Some indigenous tribes believe different horns will accomplish different things, and pursue goat horns.
Do The Horns Re-Grow?
Horns don’t regrow after their cut off. There are a number of reasons, but the biggest one being, it’s similar to cutting off a limb. If someone was to cut off your hand, it’s not going to grow back. It also has a lot to do with how they’re often cut off.
The area where the horns are, are cauterized. Meaning even if it was possible for the horns to regrow, the bone has been damaged and can’t grow anymore. Normally, a goat’s horns won’t grow back after dehorning or disbudding. But what can grow back are small nubs called scurs. These scurs can fall off or be removed as they’re usually not attached to the skull and are simply held within the skin. Sometimes goats will rub their heads on trees or fence posts to remove their scurs.
It also hurts goats to de-horn them. Not only does the process itself hurt, but it can lead to things such as infection, and even death. It’s all around suggested not to dehorn goats, and if you do try to do it as humainly as possible.
The only time a horn can regrow is if the goat is a kid, or a baby goat. Smaller goats have a chance of having the horn grow, as keratin is still being produced in their body. This way, any remaining horn that may have been produced will be able to grow as well. However the chances of it growing back from an adult goat are slim to none in face they almost never grow back.
Even if you were to properly remove a horn (which there isn’t really a way) the damage to the skull itself would be too much and the horn wouldn’t regrow.
What Happens if a Horn Breaks?
Whilst dehorning might not be something you’re interested in, you might be wondering can it grow back if it breaks? This can be rare, as goat horns are incredibly strong, however, if it does break, it won’t grow back, and can actually be painful for the goats. They can bleed really excessively, and it can even lead to death if they’re not properly taken care of.
If their horn breaks, there’s also a chance that the goat can go into shock! Just like humans, goats react negatively to traumatic experiences. This shock can potentially lead to sickness. If you’ve dehorned your goats, and the horn site seems like it’s getting infected, consider giving them antibiotics or taking them to the vet.
How To Help With Scurs
Scurs aren’t always a problem for goats, however, there can be some situations when a scur can become large enough that it does become a problem. Bleeding can occur, and infection can develop.
They can lead to other problems as they can be a danger to not only the goat but humans. A scur can even go as far as to begin to grow towards the goat’s eye. You can try to protect the goat’s eye, with padding, however, the best thing is to have a veterinarian check up on the goat every once and a while. Whilst the horn might no grow back, the scur will, and if it begins to become a problem you’ll need help with it.
Overall, it’s best to let goats keep their horns. While it may be at times inconvenient, it can be much better than removing them. It’s painful for the goats, expensive for farmers, and can lead to even more issues such as infection. So in the end, maybe it is best for you to keep the horns on your goat!