PAIN MINIMIZATION DURING DEHORNING AND DISBUDDING IN GOATS AND GOAT KIDS

Abstract

Dehorning and disbudding are the routine management practices in goat farm. Benefit of dehorning and disbudding includes less space required during feeding, easy management, good carcass quality and are required before dairy goats are used as a show animal in theUnited States. Dehorning is the process of surgically removing horns from adult goats. Dehorning causes severe pain during the surgery and several complications thereafter. Four to six weeks is needed for healing dehorned wound. Dehorning is not generally practiced unless necessary. Disbudding is the process of removing horn buds at an early age. Pain and complications during and after disbudding are less compared with dehorning, nevertheless disbudding causes 100% increase in blood concentration of stress hormones and kids exhibit stress behaviors. Injection of local anesthetic (lignocaine) alone has no benefit but injection of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID; meloxicam) before local anesthetic helps to minimize disbudding stress. There are several disbudding techniques. It is necessary to adopt disbudding technique that minimizes stress.