Disbudding Questions

"SPIKE" · #21 02/19/12, 09:58 AM

Thanks to the OP for letting me

Thanks Ladies for the input. I've held the littles babies once when someone else did the burning, but have never placed the iron to a head.
I read a lot and watched videos, but there does not seem to be just one right way to do this task.
Some do one burn. Some do multiple burns. Some do figure 8 looking burns. Some shave and some do not.
I made the decision to not have horns, so I must buck up and do this. I've read a lot of varied opinions on the whole issue.

It just seems like with something like this there should be a definate best and expected way to do it.

SPIKE

Natural Beauty Farm · #22 02/19/12, 11:02 AM

Laura.... I wonder if you had a bad iron. Our X50 gets glowing red in a few min, so much so that we have had the wooden milk stand start smoking underneath. Now we burn all the horns on cement, so there will be no accidents.

....have 100+ kids born each year here and our iron is now 10+ years, so well worth the investment.

Lizza · #23 02/19/12, 11:32 AM

Glad you got an iron!!!

I only wanted to add that if anyone else is in this situation, try the FFA and/or 4H program in your area and see if one of the leaders will do it for you for a small fee or donation. It is an easy way to find some goat owners in your area with an iron.

Our vet will do it too but so many vets don't see goats it can be hard to find one that does (we still have our bucks done at the vet, we keep so few bucks and they are harder to burn so the vet knocks them out and does it, we do all the does & wethers).

Laura Workman · #24 02/19/12, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by "SPIKE"

Thanks to the OP for letting me

Thanks Ladies for the input. I've held the littles babies once when someone else did the burning, but have never placed the iron to a head.
I read a lot and watched videos, but there does not seem to be just one right way to do this task.
Some do one burn. Some do multiple burns. Some do figure 8 looking burns. Some shave and some do not.
I made the decision to not have horns, so I must buck up and do this. I've read a lot of varied opinions on the whole issue.

It just seems like with something like this there should be a definate best and expected way to do it.

SPIKE

I shave because when I first started out 14 years ago, I didn't, and the gout of flame and smoke that rose from the burning hair not only made it hard to see, it also made it hard to breathe.

Please see my page on disbudding here: http://www.glimmercroft.com/Disbudding.html
This covers my technique of holding the kid myself, securely, without a disbudding box. It also covers how I burn the head, and why I do what I do.

Best of luck!

Laura Workman · #25 02/19/12, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Natural Beauty Farm

Laura.... I wonder if you had a bad iron. Our X50 gets glowing red in a few min, so much so that we have had the wooden milk stand start smoking underneath. Now we burn all the horns on cement, so there will be no accidents.

....have 100+ kids born each year here and our iron is now 10+ years, so well worth the investment.

You know, maybe I did! I just had some significant complications using my old iron, and I've never seen an X30 that didn't glow. They seem less clunky, too, since they don't have the calf ring of the larger irons. But I"m glad you have such good results with yours! (I burn on cement too.

)

Alice In TX/MO · #26 02/19/12, 12:51 PM

Make sure you are close to the breaker box where you are plugged in. My milk house is too far out at the end of the line, and there's a power drop. The iron won't get really hot there. I bring the kids to the front porch of the house to disbud.

Oat Bucket Farm · #27 02/19/12, 02:19 PM

I'm hoping to get my iron next year. Right now we take them down the road to a friends house and they do it for us. I'm thinking this year maybe we have them let us do it and see if they will walk us through it.

"SPIKE" · #28 02/21/12, 09:16 AM

Hey Laura,

Can you clarify for me step 11a of your procedure?

11a. Now, for the finishing touch, place the forward and inside edge of the iron just inside the forward, inside edge of the burn. Using enough pressure to keep the iron on the cartilage, push forward and inside. The goal is to shove the tissue maybe a sixteenth to an eighth of an inch forward and inside, burning it as you go. Repeat on the other side. This helps ensure that you won't get scurs.

Are you shoving this into the already burned area (toward the horn bud) or away?
My mind may not be seeing this right. Forward seems to be toward the nose while inside seems to be into the horn bud area.

SPIKE

Laura Workman · #29 02/22/12, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by "SPIKE"

Hey Laura,

Can you clarify for me step 11a of your procedure?

11a. Now, for the finishing touch, place the forward and inside edge of the iron just inside the forward, inside edge of the burn. Using enough pressure to keep the iron on the cartilage, push forward and inside. The goal is to shove the tissue maybe a sixteenth to an eighth of an inch forward and inside, burning it as you go. Repeat on the other side. This helps ensure that you won't get scurs.

Are you shoving this into the already burned area (toward the horn bud) or away?
My mind may not be seeing this right. Forward seems to be toward the nose while inside seems to be into the horn bud area.

SPIKE

"Inside" as used here means toward the center line. Put the iron on the head as though you were going to do the original burn, but unweight the rear part of the tip so you're not burning more than you have to. Then push the tip toward the nose and a little bit toward the center line. In other words, don't just push straight forward. You're definitely pushing away from the horn bud. This only takes a second or two per side.

CarolT · #30 02/22/12, 10:49 PM

I've got adults with and without horns and have decided that the kids will be disbudded. I read that about bucking up and doing it... I think I'll buck up and have the vet do it

He did a good job last year _and_ he numbs at the base of the horn. It's also not too expensive as long as I have given all the vaccinations beforehand. He also has a guy to hold, so I don't even have to do that! (How big a wimp am I?)

I will admit I noticed the paste and thought about it, so glad I didn't get it.

"SPIKE" · #31 02/23/12, 09:57 AM

Thanks again Laura.

SPIKE

Pony · #32 02/23/12, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laura Jensen

I shave because when I first started out 14 years ago, I didn't, and the gout of flame and smoke that rose from the burning hair not only made it hard to see, it also made it hard to breathe.

Please see my page on disbudding here: http://www.glimmercroft.com/Disbudding.html
This covers my technique of holding the kid myself, securely, without a disbudding box. It also covers how I burn the head, and why I do what I do.

Best of luck!

I'm a wimp, and the vet only charges $4 a head to disbud. As we have a very small herd (two does, DOUBLE our herd size from last year!) it's not a huge expense.

The vet shaves before he disbuds, too, for the same reason. It does make a difference.

Really like your technique. If I ever get the courage to do it myself (or if I can't find a local vet who disbuds) I think I'll give your way a try. Thanks for posting it!

"SPIKE" · #33 02/23/12, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarolT

I've got adults with and without horns and have decided that the kids will be disbudded. I read that about bucking up and doing it... I think I'll buck up and have the vet do it

He did a good job last year _and_ he numbs at the base of the horn. It's also not too expensive as long as I have given all the vaccinations beforehand. He also has a guy to hold, so I don't even have to do that! (How big a wimp am I?)

I will admit I noticed the paste and thought about it, so glad I didn't get it.

I was talking about this at the feed store the other day. One of the guys working there made a phone call to a lady in the area that said she would help me out with this. I finally went to meet her. She decide to start doing it herself because of the mess a vet left her with on one of her goats. It ended up growing a really odd scur. She probably should have not let it continue to grow.
She has only done it once, I found out. So she really is not confident in her ability. I am back to buying an iron and bucking up.
Point being; some vets are not the answer either.

SPIKE

Pony · #34 02/23/12, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by "SPIKE"

Point being; some vets are not the answer either.

SPIKE

Yup. Our local "goat" vet raised meat goats. Still, he's very helpful for stuff like disbudding, and he doesn't treat me like I'm an idiot.

One of the other vets in town, though, often acts like I haven't a clue. Actually told me that they didn't have tetanus anti-toxin. Really? Then what do you use for cows?

Lada · #35 02/23/12, 11:18 AM

Shaving first is totally optional, and it doesn't really matter to the goat, but it will be a lot easier on you, not having to smell all that burning hair.

I took our first goats to the vet. She charged $40 each, and they both grew back. Went back and had one surgically removed (another $80), because my daughter wanted to take her to the fair. The remaining goat now has weird funky horns that are growing in two different directions and one is bigger than the other. She'd look better (and be safer, since one of her horns now points toward her nose instead of toward her tail, so anyone she rams gets a little poke to go with it) if I'd just left her horned to begin with.

So, yes...all that to say that some vets might know what they're doing, but not all do.