A goat is a domesticated species of the wild goat or goat antelope.A goat belongs to the Bovidae family. This family includes all the ruminant animals that are cloven-hoofed, like domestic cattle.Goats are known as one of the earliest domesticated animals reared by humankind. They were kept in herds for easy availability of milk and meat and also because of their size and easy maintenance compared to other larger cattle. Interestingly, goat hide was used to carry water and wine and also used in making parchments.Did you know that goats can climb trees? Goats are very agile and curious. Their curiosity takes them to various places, including trees. They also eat or chew on anything just to find out how it tastes. They don’t graze in groups but like to scatter around and explore their surroundings. Many types of goats are recognized, and still, a few more are waiting for separate recognition. From the data available, we know that a goat can weigh anywhere between 45lb- 300lb (20.4-136.07 kg). They come in different coat colors and patterns.Did you know that African pigmy is the smallest known goat breed? Read on, and you will find out more about the goats in this article. Don’t forget to also check out our other articles, what are baby goats called and ram vs goat? Here on Kidadl.The Basics Of Goat Horns And How To Handle ThemWe often see that goats do not have any horns. This is not because they are not born with horns but because of the disbudding of goat horns at a very tender age. This practice is widely in use across the world, and hence most often, goats horns are not seen. Also, horned goats are a cause of damage to other goats in the herd and their owners as well. So, it is definitely not a surprise at all that the sight of a goat with horns is so rare.All goat breeds in the world are generally horned goats. Though horns are not seen at birth, within a few days you can find them coming out of the bud-like structures across the skull between a goat’s ears. Both male and female goats develop horns, and it is a myth that only male goats develop horns. However, there are a few baby goats, across all breeds, that are naturally born without horns and these are called polled goats or hornless goats. We will learn more about the naturally hornless goat, known also as the polled goat, later in this article.According to experts, the best way to handle a horned goat is by its horns. As a livestock (sheep, goat, cow) owner, you should know how to handle an animal with horns. Cattle like cows, sheep, and goats have horns, and sheep horns and goat’s horns may or may not be similar. Handling livestock should not be done in any other way since mishandling may cause the breakage of a horn, or the goat owners can hurt themself. We don’t see goats with horns often these days. That doesn’t mean that all goats are naturally born without horns. In reality, the horns are removed for various reasons by us humans. We will learn about different methods of removing horns in this article.Did you know that there is a rare goat with six horns found in the Mongolian region? A goat with big horns is known as Capra ibex or steinbock, or simply ibex. A four-horned goat is known as a Vierhornziege.Why do goats have horns?Goat horns can be dangerous. Not intentionally, but they can harm others with their horns. When goats swing their heads, there is every possibility that those sharp things can hurt a nearby goat or anyone besides it.Nature gave horns to goats on purpose. Horns are used for their own protection in case of danger faced by these docile animals. Even farm goats that graze on open land farms face the danger of attacks by dogs or coyotes. However, horns are not particularly helpful when an attack is fierce but they are needed in case of combat among goats. Horns determine the pecking order within the herd and horns add beauty to these animals. The horns make them attractive and help in attracting their mate. The horned males with bigger and thicker horns are more appealing to the female goats. Moreover, the length of the goat’s horns helps in determining the goat’s age.Goat horns also help regulate the body temperature of a goat. In larger goats that live in extreme weather conditions especially, the horns are an important part of their body system to regulate their body temperatures accordingly. That is why experts recommend against disbudding or dehorning the goat horns.Goat Breed Types With HornsThe traits of an animal change with the breed and this is true when discussing goat horns and the different breeds that have them. Different breeds of goats have different types or forms of horns. There are multiple breeds of goats across the world. While few are wild, many are domesticated breeds. While some are reared as pets, many are kept for commercial purposes. Let us have a look at these different goat breeds with a variety of horn styles.Spanish breeds are known for their diverse horn styles. Some find the goat horns like the racks of the antlers that are generally found in moose. Angora goats are another breed of goats with large horns that regulate their body temperature and act as protection and as a weapon during combat with other goats. Another goat breed, known as the Cashmere, has very impressive racks. These goat horns can be long, curly, or droopy.Spanish breeds are meat goats that have comparatively larger horns than dairy goats such as Nubian, Alpine, Guernsey, and Oberhasli. Farm goats or dairy goats are generally disbudded when they are baby goats, while mountain goats, even if tamed, are not dehorned since that will cause overheating of their bodies.The Pros And Cons Of DisbuddingMess with the goat and get the horns! That is just one of many reasons that many goat owners do prefer to remove goat horns. To avoid any downsides and to continue rearing the same breed, disbudding of the horns is done within a few days after a kid is born to avoid any further repercussions due to their horns.The two methods of removing each horn; using iron or caustic paste. The caustic paste is capable of causing chemical burns to the sensitive skin of the kids. After removing the horns, you must keep the kid away from its mother and also from other herd animals. Removal of horns using caustic paste may require keeping kids away from harsh weather elements. The horns must be removed at the onset of budding to avoid any damage to the goat, as they tend to grow back if not done correctly and at the right time. Improper handling may lead to brain damage, or an artery cut may cause the goat to bleed to death. Hence, an experienced professional needs to handle the dehorning of goats.Ethics Of DisbuddingGoats as farm animals are best without horns. Goats with horns can get stuck in their feeders, tear up fences, harm other goats in the herd, and may cause damage to their handlers too. On the grounds of practical reasons, the horns given by nature to goats are disbudded by humans.At what age do goats get horns? Goats can get their horns when they are 4 -10 days old, depending on the breed of your goat. Males need to be disbudded sooner as they grow their horns faster, while females can be disbudded later than males. In any case, it is important you don’t delay the process since disbudding is better than dehorning.What do we mean by the terms disbudding and dehorning, and what is the most ethical way of disbudding? Disbudding is done within the first two weeks of a kid’s birth. That is when the tiny horns are seen coming out of the hair over the head of the baby goat, and by disbudding, you stop any further growth through the skin. This process involves burning the goat kids’ horn buds with a burned metal. Burning the horn buds on the head is a very unpleasant thing. When goat kid’s horn buds are not disbudded, they grow into strong horns over their heads. Dehorning involves removing the horn when it has grown more than 2-3 in(5.08 -7.62cm) in length. This process has to be done by a vet and involves a risk to a horned goat’s life and health, and a cost to you.Polled GoatsSo far, we have learned that the horns of goats, when the goats are reared as livestock, are removed by their owner for practical purposes. However, there are goats that are naturally born without horns and these are known as polled goats. They are different because they are hornless since all goats, whether male or female, are normally born with horns. A goat kid that is naturally born without horns is called a polled goat.A polled goat is a naturally hornless goat that is not often found in a herd. When both the parent goats have the required gene, a polled goat is bred. In addition, the same gene is the cause of infertility in the resultant hornless goat kids. If the kid is fertile and two polled goats are bred together, the kid born is hermaphroditic (an animal with both male and female sex organs). Did you know that among goats a male is called a buck, and a female is called a nanny?Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for goat with horns, then why not take a look at can goats eat apples or Goat Facts.
A goat is a domesticated species of the wild goat or goat antelope.
