Disbudding

[R.Adams]

Hi, We disbudded several baby kids the other day and now the area appears to be moist around the horn buds. Did we do something wrong?
We applied the iron ( a Rhinehart X30) for a count of 10 on each horn bud. Did we put it on to long or not long enough? Need to do some more but want to make sure before we do, as these were our first ones we did. Thank you.

[chas]

Originally Posted by R.Adams

Hi, We disbudded several baby kids the other day and now the area appears to be moist around the horn buds. Did we do something wrong?
We applied the iron ( a Rhinehart X30) for a count of 10 on each horn bud. Did we put it on to long or not long enough? Need to do some more but want to make sure before we do, as these were our first ones we did. Thank you.

I believe I have a larger Rhinehart (x50) I think.The lamanchas get 15 seconds all coppery burn rings. My 1/8 th Boers get 20 seconds this year, before they get to be a week old.I had a couple bucks get scurs last year at 15 seconds.My daughter timed for me . The more smoke and bawling the faster I ended up counting!!!! I hate the job But the one I felt sorry for and didn't burn is the biggest bully.And destroys gates,doors,or anything that takes her fancy!!!!She's a lamancha/pigmy/fainter X
Hope this helps.

[mpillow]

Bucks definately need longer and wider on the horn bud.....my vet has left me scurs almost every year on bucks....thinking of doing my own but the chicken in me keeps jumoing out

[Goatladywebb]

Our kids had moist looking areas for a week or so. We kept the are sprayed with an antibiotic spray twice daily..and things healed up fine.

[Helena]

I would also say to put antibiotic oinment on the horn area also. Did you happen to give them a tetnaus (my spelling??) shot when you disbudded. But even without they should be just find. Keep on eye on that area incase an infection really does set in. It does seem as though our bucks do get the horns/scurs no matter how long we use the iron on them. We usually just get the clippers.. clippers we use for the horses feet..and snip the horn off a little at a time if it is becoming a problem for the buck or us.if they grow too large after the disbudding. Good Luck !!

[billooo2]

I hate disbudding.....I usually find the vet or someone else to do it for me. Last spring I bought some Jersey calves to use the goats' milk. The dairy farmer said that he went ahead and disbudded them for me. There were no burn marks. I asked him how he did it. He said that he uses a cordless dehorner. He said that it seems to be a lot less traumatic for the animals. I have not been able to find anyone who has used them on goats, but the company who sells them says that they are effective on goats. They are a little pricey, but I may buy one to use this spring.

[shorty'smom]

We don't disbud our kids. Sometimes I wish we did. Some of our nubians were disbudded when we got them. It was hard to keep hold of those girls until we got collars for them. The boers are so difficult to manage that we find the horns provide us a good place to hang on to them to restrain them when we have to worm them or vaccinate them. We made a small version of our cattle corral and crowding pen, which will shut down to become a narrow alleyway where we can get close enough to them to be able to restrain them. The only thing lacking is the squeeze chute. They can get destructive with their horns. We just build sturdily. The thing I don't like about them having horns is that they use them on each other sometimes. I have one doe who has just the tips loped off her horns, leaving them blunt. I think that helps. Can you do this to adult goats? Still, a stray kid can get thrown up in the air by a horned doe, and I don't like that. Vigilance and having ways to keep the kids away from other adults helps. They need room to have their personal space. Kids learn pretty quickly in fact, who they'd better stay away from. If I happen to get a doe who needs the whole barn fo her "personal space" she doesn't live here long.

[Rebel]

Instead of counting seconds I roll the iron in a circular motion until I get a good dark copper color around the bud. Then take a pocketknife and scrape the bud off. This has worked well for me and the kids did fine.

[mpillow]

My vet who is a bovine vet uses the butane dehorner...he rolls it after 5-10 sec burn then flicks the center bud off with edge of dehorner...then if there are any bleeders he burns them and then they get a spray of the silver stuff...hornbuds are shaved first and tetanus anti toxin given then burnt.

One time his burner coked up on him so we heated with a propane torch for a count of ten then burnt

[debitaber]

I always have my vet do this, because there are to many horror stories, about bad jobs done, and Ihave seen plenty. so I have them do it. they had goats for 23 years, so I don't worry. and have never had one bit of trouble. ever.