disbudding

TroutRiver · #1 05/29/11, 02:56 PM

Is a week and a half too old to disbud? I just had my 3 bucklings disbudded a few days ago (kept the horns on the doeling because I think I'm going to keep her). The manager at the farm I work at helped me with it. She had only ever done calves, not goats, but the box on the disbudder said it was ok to use for goats. She said they usually wait until calves are 2-3 weeks old, but I read online that 2-3 days is ideal for baby goats. 2 of them were 3 days old, but the other was about a week and a half, you could definitely feel his little horn buds coming through, they were bigger than the other little guys. You can still feel a stump in the middle of the ring that the disbudder left. Will they continue to grow as scurs? I guess the only way to know for sure is to wait and see, but I thought you guys might have some ideas as to how old is "too old" to disbud...

Alice In TX/MO · #2 05/29/11, 03:13 PM

If you burn long enough and the iron was the right size, it should work. Watch the center and edges for scur growth and reburn as necessary.

When I disbud, I burn the center (after popping out the scorched cap) with the side of the iron.

I have a Saanen cross buckling that's about ten days old. He had horn buds that were obvious at birth, and I disbudded at three days. I'm pretty sure I saw scur growth today, and I may reburn tomorrow.

Blue Run Farm · #3 05/30/11, 12:03 PM

I sure hope it's not too late. I did my babies at two weeks this year. The first set was because the iron was on backorder, they were my first to disbud myself and they do have scurs, but they are going to freezer camp anyway.

The second set was born during the fiasco when our mare coliced while we were out of town and we almost lost her. I did theirs and popped off the actual horn nubs down to the bone like the video that was posted on here. That was about two weeks ago now and so far their disbudding scabs are getting ready to come off and I see no signs of scurs yet. With the first set I could tell by now that they were growing scurs, so hopefully that's a good sign!