If you have ever come across a goat with no ears or very short ears, you may wonder why they cut goat’s ears off. In dogs, clipping ears is very common. It helps protect from diseases, and some even say that it helps improve a dog’s hearing. However, you might be surprised when you learn why goats have clipped elars. 

Why do they cut goats ears off

Surprisingly, people do not commonly cut goats ears off. It is actually a genetic condition that is most common in the American Lamancha goat. These goats have the smallest ears out of any breed ever recorded. Some of the goats have no outward ear, as well as no cartilage. They essentially just have holes on the top/side of their ear. Below is a picture of an American Lamancha, the infamous goat with no ears.

American Lamancha goats are dairy goats, and are pretty common in the U.S. If you come across a goat with little to no ears, it is most likely the American Lamancha. The small length of their ears is the main way that a breeder is able to distinguish them from other dairy goats.

In order for a goat to qualify as an American Lamancha goat, the ear must not be longer than 2 inches. While the American Lamancha Goat actually originates from the United States, there are plenty of other breeds of goats that have ears ranging from 2-4 inches. It is believed that most of the short eared goat breeds originate from the middle east.

Related Article: Why Do Goats Wag Their Tails?

Why would someone cut off a goat’s ear

There is absolutely no medical benefit to cutting off a goat’s ears. The only reason a goat would need to have their ears clipped would be if there was an infection on the ear. In this case, the goat’s ear might be cut off in order to prevent the spread of the infection to other parts of the body.

In extreme cases, a goat can also get part of its ears bitten off by another goat or another animal.