Disbudding - the removal of horn buds in young goats - is widely practiced in commercial goat farming but causes significant pain and welfare concern without adequate analgesia.
Disbudding without analgesia causes severe, acute pain that can be effectively prevented with appropriate local anaesthesia and post-operative NSAIDs. Research shows that goats show sustained pain behaviours and elevated stress hormones for hours after unmedicated disbudding. The development of polled breeds offers a long-term solution that eliminates the need for the procedure entirely.