Scurs

[christij]

Our first year of disbudding did not go well and I have some doelings that at 5 months started having little horns -- is there anything I can do at this late date? Of course a month has passed since I noticed and I think I have the longest at close to 2" from base to tip.

[ozark_jewels]

Yes, you can disbudd again.....and yes, it will be messy. But if done right, it can work. If you decide to do it, I would certainly wait until its a bit cooler. You need to take a pair of clean hoof trimmers(steralized), trim those scurs *very* close to the head, there will be lots of blood, then with the hot iron that you have with you and ready, cauterize the wound and then burn like your disbudding all over again. I have done whole horns and scurs this way and it does work.
I feel for those of you who have to disbudd for the first year with just online instructions. Its so easy to stop before a good disbudding is achieved when you haven't seen it done before.

[christij]

I totally agree.... I watched Emily a few months after I had done mine and I couldn't help saying we weren't even close!