Scurs...

[The Tin Mom]

My wonderful sweet little buckling has them. Will they just fall off (a friend told me they would - I really liked that answer)? All the books say to re-use the iron on them but he is 3 months old.

Also, should I contact the breeder about this? What could she do?

Thanks!

[chamoisee]

Cut them off and reburn. Or, just deal with them.

[AnnaS]

If they are just scurs, and not rooted horns, you can pull them off with pliers. There will be some blood and pain, but a couple of rounds of pulling usually kills the horn cells.

I have to say, I have NEVER seen a non-polled buck without scurs- and I've seen bucks out of some very well managed herds.

[Backfourty,MI.]

Our little nigie buck has knockede his scurs off a number of times playing with his wethered buddy & they bleed & still grow back. I think it's just that the bucks have too much testoterone. I just make sure to put some furall or other stuff like that to keep the flies away from it during warm weather.

[The Tin Mom]

Originally Posted by AnnaS

If they are just scurs, and not rooted horns, you can pull them off with pliers. There will be some blood and pain, but a couple of rounds of pulling usually kills the horn cells.

I have to say, I have NEVER seen a non-polled buck without scurs- and I've seen bucks out of some very well managed herds.

How can I tell if they are not rooted? I know she disbudded him - and one was loose for awhile but seems to have tightened up.

This is a well run herd & managed extremely well. I was very impressed with her whole operation.

Thanks!

[The Tin Mom]

Originally Posted by Backfourty,MI.

Our little nigie buck has knockede his scurs off a number of times playing with his wethered buddy & they bleed & still grow back. I think it's just that the bucks have too much testoterone. I just make sure to put some furall or other stuff like that to keep the flies away from it during warm weather.

What is furall? Can I get it at the feed store?

Thanks!

[The Tin Mom]

Originally Posted by Helianthus

Cut them off and reburn. Or, just deal with them.

My friend offered to cut them off if they don't fall off. I really don't want him to have the scurs since I have small children.

Thanks!

[Starsmom]

The horn base on a buck is much larger than on a doe, so it is rare for a buck to be completely disbudded. There is usually some amount of scurs. I have even had them surgically removed and they still grow back. Most of the time it is just one little spot and if it isn't a sharp horn, it isn't a problem. I have a buck that the horns grow back in the weirdest fashion. They are curved and he has about 4 pieces that grow back toward his head. Most of the time, they get knocked off with their head butting. After a bit, they become more and more hollow on the inside and after a while they will be where you can just pull them off, but that usually takes a long while for that to happen.

[fishhead]

I think "rooted" means they are attached to the skull. My wethers have scurs that are loose and only seem to be attached to the skin and some that are solid. They knock both of them off when playing.

I wonder if they couldn't be banded if a person was careful to get the band low enough?