disbudding question

[Alice In TX/MO]

My best friend and a college age helper disbudded my doelings when I was out of town. It didn't work.

We re-disbudded today, and it was my first time, too, so I don't know if we did it right, either.

On three of the little horns we removed, the horn sheath came off clean inside. One came off with white honeycomb like stuff inside.

What does the inside of the 'cap' that you take off look like?

[susanne]

the cup i take off when i disbud, looks like white cartilage.

[jBlaze]

What breed? How old at the first attempt? and how old now? Why do you think not work?

I have my vet dis-bud at between 2 days and 2 weeks, depending on breed and gender. and some of the caps pop right off, some not till later, but all have worked just fine.

[Alice In TX/MO]

They were a week old the first time.

Five weeks today.

Since I'm a rookie, and I wasn't there, I have no idea why it didn't work.

[goatsareus]

we've done our own disbudding for 31 years, and we have never had a cap pop off. Are they supposed to? We generally have very good success with out disbudding technique, rarely have any scurs. Over the years we have used various tools, now use the Rhinehardt x50, which we prefer because of the short burning time required.

[Alice In TX/MO]

This is what I've seen as instructions on several sites:

Once you have the complete copper ring, take the edge of the iron tip and carefully burn/nudge the center, where the nub is. You are not trying to get the copper color here, you are just burning enough to a be able to "scrape" off the top of the nub (the skin covering the nub). (Fiasco Farms)

Wait a few seconds after removing the dehorner and then remove the horn buds. (Penn State Extension)

[sungirl]

If you worry about getting horns on bucklings, shave the head and in the middle of the horn buds just back a little is a figuire 8. Just run the hot iron over that and you shouldn't get scurs. I have done this with all my Boers over the years and only a few grew a small scurs.

[jBlaze]

My vet only charges me $6.50 a kid....
I guess my suggestion would be take them in to your vet for an opinion. Even just one kid, maybe (s)he could tell you if you are doing it right or not and why, and show you.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Doelings only this year.

The vet charged me $25 last year for one doeling, and his disbudding didn't work at all, either.

[jBlaze]

wow Rose, that stinks. Are there other breeders in the area that could show you? (try looking in the "duhgoatman" web-site.)
The 6.50 was without sedation, just like my dad did it. For 25 the other vet used sedation and burned more area and had the poor kid half the day, way more stress than just the burning for 6.50 which worked just dandy last year.
I hope you find a better answer.

[Alice In TX/MO]

We are the only dairy goats in three counties here in my part of rural south Texas. None of the vets know anything about goats, although there has been an increase of Boers in the area in the last couple of years.

I'll be bringing my does back to Missouri later this spring, and if the disbudding didn't work this time, I may have to just wait till we get there.

Some of you dairy goat folks in south central Missouri may have a disbudding student next month!

[jBlaze]

I don't think the boers would be much different? The disbudding is the same for any breed, just when you should do it may differ with breed. LIke saanens have huge horns and can be done at two days, where some of our pygora does have tiny horns and can wait till 3 weeks. Sounds like any goat folks would prob be better than the 'vet.' Why is it so hard to find a useful goat vet?!

[Alice In TX/MO]

Boers aren't disbudded here. Too many coyotes.

[deetu]

Dehorning is expensive here too.

The biggest thing to remember is to make sure the iron is HOT before starting and to let it get HOT again between kids. I will use a peice of pine to check.

I also don't pop the cap.

[Alice In TX/MO]

OK, maybe we got them this time.

THANK YOU to all who posted answers.