Notes from the NorthBranchTo Be Horned or Not to be
Since the subject of horns is continually brought up in any discussion group involving goats, I felt it might behoove us all to address this topic and put it behind us. The decision to keep the horns or remove them from our goats is a personal matter - on which EVERYONE seems to have a strong opinion. The truth of it is that disbudding (and banding) are loaded subjects which should be avoided in polite company like politics and religion. I always said if you want to shake up a conversation betwixt a group of goat lovers, just mention one or the other and fireworks will ultimately ensue. Nonetheless, I have confidence that those of us who frequent this site are mature enough to have civil discourse on the issue.
In this day and age, many aficionados are adamant about appreciating the natural look of a goat with a 'crown of horns,' an observation with which I cannot disagree. They admonish that horns are a mechanism for defense against predators - the last bastion between the goat and certain peril. I could interject that while that statement has some merit, goats are still prey animals, and without other measures in place, "certain peril" is the likely outcome, horns or not. Horn lovers will argue vehemently that the outdated idea that 'goats who have horns are dangerous' has been proven to be an impotent assessment. Certainly, many savvy shepherds will agree that goats can be encouraged NOT to use their horns aggressively and will take to such training easily. Likewise, when faced with a bully who seems immune to such intervention, it is best to cull such an animal and not promote that breeding line.
There is also the argument that the horns of fiber breeds act as thermal conductors enabling heat exchange which, in turn, regulates temperature so they don't overheat. Although the logic supporting horns/heat regulation sounds impressive, it has not been factually proven to be true. At any rate, since the Nigora sheds its fiber and is (for all practical purposes) 'slick' during the summer months, this would not be a convincing pro-horn argument for this particular breed.
On the other side of the coin, many feel disbudding is a necessary evil that a conscientious goatherd employs to ensure the safety (against entrapment, for instance) of those in his care. They also feel very strongly that, based on natural behavior, a mixed herd of horned and hornless goats is irresponsible - an accident waiting to happen. Still, I have run a mixed herd for years, and can attest that, all things considered, bully-related aggression is less prevalent among goats who enjoy enough space with plenty of natural browse. Simply put, goats that are CROWDED are CRANKY, regardless of what they have (or have not) on their heads. And though there will always be that one curious goat who always seems to get her horns caught in the most unusual places, the best answer to entrapment issues is to use goat-specific fencing.
So what about aiming for a herd of naturally polled goats... (you ask)? Goats that are born without horns are slowly making a resurgence in popularity as the perfect choice between disbudding and leaving them horned. The tendency for polled is actually dominant, so why not breed for this trait? It would be unreasonable to think anyone would have anything unfavorable to say about that... unless the breeding program included breeding polled to polled. Many studies have been conducted to research this very idea, only to discover that (interestingly) the chromosome for the polled gene is directly connected to the recessive gene that causes hermaphroditism, resulting in an unusually high occurrence of intersex progeny.
Certainly there is merit to all views, enforcing the belief that there is no neutral position on the subject. The bottom line of this topic in regards to the Nigora breed lies in the wording of the ANGBA standard:
"Nigoras may be disbudded or remain horned by owner preference; Naturally polled Nigoras exist and are allowed by ANGBA." Hard to find fault with THOSE principles.... right?