Scur

xoxoGOATSxoxo · #1 07/06/08, 10:52 AM

My almost-3-month-old wether Gabriel is growing a scur. I did disbud him kinda late, all my fault. The scur is over an inch long. It grew that much in just a week. I just got back from vacation, and when I looked in on the goats, there it was, a skinny yellow horn on his head.

I've gotta get it off, but how? Should I just reburn? I'm not sure how quick I could get the iron, as it is not mine and is at somebody elses house. Or is it too long for that and I should get the vet? We are kinda vetless right now, as our old one just retired and his replacement is totally obnoxious and condecending and not too up to date on goats. We are trying out several different ones, none as good as the retired doctor. He was great with goats.

So. What should I do?

Thanks!!!

sungirl · #2 07/06/08, 11:13 AM

Band his skin just below the horn. It might take a bit longer but is much better then wire.

Patty.

GoatNamedDunn · #3 07/06/08, 03:33 PM

My pygmy has scurs. They are loose, and the way they are shaped a band will not stay on there. The vet cat remove them, but I dont want to put my guy through that sort of experience again (he is still really traumatized from his last trip for the cheek abcess) Im just going to trim them with a dremal. They are starting to curl a bit, but if you stay ontop of them it wont be any problem to keep them from being a problem.

cdrsoflebnon · #4 07/06/08, 04:05 PM

Use a file to make an indentation in the base of the horn. Thsi will keep the band from rolling off. Takes about 16-21 days to do the job. We have had good success with it.

hoofinitnorth · #5 07/07/08, 04:49 PM

We used an OB saw and a wood file. We dosed up our big boy with some injectable banamine as his scur was a good 3" long. Turns out he was more upset about being restrained. I was going to reburn him but didn't because we were close to a show date. I've since decided against reburning him because I think his lines are just very resilient in the scurs department. I have a buck that is his half nephew and I have burned that sucker 3 times and this is in addition to the time the breeder burned him. STILL has scurs and we burned the HECK outta him. Poor thing. No one else here has scurs like that, thankfully, so I am pretty sure it's not our iron and it's not our technique!

GoatNamedDunn · #6 07/07/08, 06:01 PM

I keep hearing that you can twist them off with pliers. You cant even grip my boy's. He is a whether so they dont grow very fast, i just keep an eye on them.

xoxoGOATSxoxo · #7 07/07/08, 06:18 PM

Im showing him in a wether class and a meat class the second week in August. He needs to be "neatly disudded" according to the rules. So, this band method, will it make it look like he was disbudded? Will the scur grow back? Should I burn after the scur falls off?

I dont know.... are you sure this band will take it off before the show? Or should I get it off with a dremal and then burn? I think if I burned after the band the black scab would still be there at the show.

Ug, I dont think I could twist it off with pliers! It is kinda thick at the base, plus that would just be a little too gross for me.

Im worried about restraining him, too. He's a big boy for his age, and can easily throw me off balance. I dont have a disbudding box, and he wouldnt fit in one anyway. I can put him in the milkstand, as it has an adjustable neck piece, but he could still toss his head. Can I drug him? Some of that horse tranqulizer paste, perhaps? Or a bit of whiskey?

thanks.