# Disbudding Iron



## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

Is this a good disbudding iron for goats? http://www.jefferspet.com/product/x30-e ... r-7845.cfm Hopefully the link works. . . .

There is another one on Hoegger's - with a tip made specifically for goats.

I really do not want to disbud our babies but this weather is crazy and I do not think I can even get to the person who normally disbuds them. I have disbudded kids before (but absolutely HATE doing it!) I'm so scared. . . . :worried: Any tips? Does anyone use any type of pain killer or anything?


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

I use the rhinehart x30. It has worked great for me so far. 

I couldn't get your link to work, the new jeffers website is terrible now!


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## FarmGirl18 (Oct 5, 2007)

I think the link was the X30. I have the X30 and will be buying the X50 before I have anymore kids to do, the X30 is pretty good, but the tip doesn't really cover enough space, and it seems to get thinner with time....I would have to kind of "rock" it around the whole horn base to get a really good burn. From what I've heard the X50 is one of the best....


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

I, too, have this one and like it alot


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

i have an x50, and love it. Its quick easy to use and i have never had a problem. This is actually the best time of year to disbud, as there are no flies. Its too cold for them. So even if you have a little bit of weeping in the spot there usually is cvery little risk of infection. 
beth


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I like the wall lenk ....... had difficulties with my X30 :shrug:


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## Sonrise Farm (Sep 18, 2008)

I am planning on buying the x40 . . . . .does the normal tip work for Nigies?


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

No idea, I just like the x30 because the tip isn't too big on the nigi's

When I first disbudded I had my vet do it. Well he did it with a calf disbudder and my poor goats were horrified the rest of the day. There heads were all burnt and their eyelids swelled up so much they almost couldn't see the next day. :shocked:


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

You all make it seem so easy to disbud. . . . does anyone else freak out like me??? It has to be the absolute worst part of goat-raising! I even considered just getting out of raising goats last night 'cause I am freaking out about it. It's like I don't want to disbud our babies but then again, do not trust anyone else to do it. :hair: There is only one or two other people who I trust to do it. We have at least 6 inches of snow now and it started raining, so I can't get anywhere. I'm so frustrated!


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## FarmGirl18 (Oct 5, 2007)

I'm always a bit nervous right before I do it...but then once it's over it's really not all that bad. Definitely not the most pleasant part of goat raising, but very necessary.


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## SDK (Jun 26, 2008)

i hate doing it!! but it has to be done.. easy as that.. just bite the bullet and its done


i use the lenk dehorner.. for the same reason as stacey


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

The thing is that I'm not scared to do the larger dairy breeds or Boer goats because their heads are larger and it's just not as scary for me. . . . but the little Nigerians - it just scares me so much. It wouldn't be hard if I could knock 'em out, like the vet, but that's not possible. :sigh:


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## PiccoloGoat (Sep 10, 2008)

I see why you are scared, Olivia. Considering it could hurt them badly (from what I've read), I wouldn't trust myself.
But the thing is, you will continue to be scared until you do do it a few times, I would imagine. So try and stay relaxed, or get your dad/mum/sibling/auntie whatever to help you. I hope you go alright if you do. :hug:


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Just wondering what everyone thinks of surgical disbudding? I have read somewhere that you can have the vet do it, he cuts over the horn bud, removes the bud and then puts a little stitch in the incision. Obviously its gonna be more expensive doing it this way, but what are the pros/cons? What are the chances of scurs forming? 

Call me a baby, but I hate the though of disbudding them  it freaks me out, but I guess if I do it a few times it wont seem so bad.


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

Disbudding young kids is the most humane way to remove horns. Doesn't sound humane, but it actually is, compared to the other methods.

I may have found someone to do it for us though! Happy day!! :stars: I am really hoping it works out. ray: I really do not want to disbud! I may buy an iron though and see if I can hire someone to come out and do future kids, if we have a lot to do at one time. Then, also, if I _*absolutely have*_ to do it, I do have the iron and can.

Now you all know what a major wimp I am. :roll:


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## K-Ro (Oct 14, 2007)

capriola-nd said:


> Now you all know what a major wimp I am. :roll:


You are not a wimp for not liking to do something. It takes me longer to give a shot to the goats then to disbud them, now that's ridiculous but I cannot stand needles.

I have the X50 and a tip for the dairy goats and different one for the pygmies. I don't mind disbudding, but DH hates it as he holds for me, since he hasn't built me a box yet.

I would not recommend having the vet put them under as most goats do not do well with anesthisia and some actually die because of it, takes them longer to recover too.

Glad you found someone to do it for you though, now if only someone would come give my shots for me.


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## SDK (Jun 26, 2008)

olivia.. i didn't dehorn my kids ( unless surgically) for the first two years of me raising them.. i couldn't do it at all!!


but then when i started haveing 5-15 kids at a time.. i HAD to do it.. and even though i vomit from the smell most times.. i know the kids are better off in the long run

and i know it seems easier on bigger goats.. but its really not.. and the x30 and lenk are small enough.. never burned a kids head or ears at all( except for the horn buds)


if i was closer. i would help you


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

thats how i look at it, they are better off in the long run. no horns to accidently get caught on the fence no horns to accideently bump you in the face on the milkstand. no accidental puncture wounds. 
I do my alpine kids at anywhere from one to five days old. I very rarely wait longer, it take about theree seconds per horn and i have always gotten a good clean burn.
beth


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

Oh I hate doing it to, I never get use to it. Once they are born I dread disbudding them until it is done with. 

I am such a wimp I scream with them when I burn. :GAAH:


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

Yeah, I know it is best for them. . . . just actually doing it is so hard for me.  Thanks everyone for the help.


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## Amos (Oct 2, 2008)

I don't blame you.. I hate disbudding.. I think the worse part of it is the screaming.. I cannot stand it.

Our first three, we read to hold the burner down for five seconds, so we did that and it didn't work.. they kept growing, so we did it AGAIN for 8 seconds, and that didn't work, so we did it yet another time for another 8 seconds, but that last time we couldn't get the burner on very well because the horns were too big by then, so we just left them.. and then on Ernie we only did it once for 10 seconds and they grew back, and gave up basically. We've tested the burner on wood each time before we use it too, so it is hot enough, and we get a good burn, but no avail. We have never used any pain killers for ours.. I suppose that could help with the screaming..


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## Laurel_Haven (Oct 20, 2007)

Yep I agree, this has to be one of the worst parts of dairy goat raising. I for 4 years just had a vet do it. But then we had a bad experience when he put one under... we couldn't get him to wake up, and it scared me and the vet. We lost him later and I do blame the drug "Rompum" for that. So now we don't sedate them ever. And have found they do much better without it. Lesson learned... I thought I was doing good by putting them under so they didn't feel it, when actually I was putting them more at risk by just trying to keep them from a bit of pain.

I have used two vets and felt one didn't burn long enough and one burnt too long, so now I just do it myself... I use the Rhinehardt X30 and I do 6 seconds on one side, then criss-cross an x across the top of the bud, repeat the to the other side, that gives each side a chance to cool down so the brain doesn't get heat, then I repeat 6 more seconds to each side. I do not remove the caps as they either come off while burning or fall off within the first 24 hours because I burn an X over them which breaks them apart.

And I do them around 6-8 days old for the bucklings and 10-12 days for the doelings.

I never thought I would be able to do this... and for years didn't, but honestly I feel better with them in my own hands rather then someone who doesn't "love" them like I do. I am actually proud of myself now that I can do it, and we don't have scurs or health problems now either.

But yeah, I hate it, and shake for hours afterwards. But I am doing it. And they still love me afterwards as I snuggle each and everyone directly afterwards to comfort them and tuck them into bed for the night.

A little hint, I found the best time to do it is right before dark, that way they just sleep it off... they can snuggle in with the group and by morning it is mostly forgotten about. Better than doing it earlier when they will be out and about all day bumping into things and scratching dirt into the wound. This way they are in the barn, and most will sleep away the pain as it is bedtime anyway. But I do go back down about 3 hours afterwards to check on them and make sure all are allowed to nurse from their mommas as sometimes the new smell can make their dams act odd around them. If this ever happens, put a dab of vicks or VetRX on the kids tail and on the dam's nose then she doesn't smell the burnt smell and associates the new smell on the kid and herself as one of her own again. This has worked more than once for me. :thumbup:


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Laurel - I have heard a lot of people talk about their bad experiences with Rompun/Xylazine. We use it routinely for AI as well as emergency surgery - caesars, horn removal, urinary calculi etc. and I have never lost one. We get it from the vet in an extended solution, so that you dont have to use such tiny tiny amounts. Generally it takes about 15 - 20 minutes for them to drop, but they are never fully under. And about 20 minutes after they have dropped, they are awake again, back to almost normal. I will have to look up the books for the dose rate we use, I will post when I find it.


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## Laurel_Haven (Oct 20, 2007)

You know some would never go completely out, they would still whimper a bit and such during the disbudding, but others would go out completely, I mean out cold... and on the average they would wake up about 30-45 minutes afterwards, but we had several that didn't for over an hour or more. And once he had to give 2 of them something to bring them back. But one was never the same afterwards, it was like he was sleepy up until he passed. :shrug:


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Wow, he was def. giving them too much. Rompun isnt a true true anaesthetic ... its a sedative ... so you should never give enough to knock them out cold. The whimpering is not because they can feel anything, its just a characteristic of the Rompun, I am not sure why but they almost all make a very characteristic noise. They also drool alot, which is another reason you dont want them knocked out cold. Depending on the severity of the operation we are doing, we manage them so they either lose their footing and lay down, but they are not out cold if you know what I mean, others they are dopey but still able to stand. Like most drugs, it is very safe IF YOU USE IT CORRECTLY but if you dont use it properly, it can have bad bad consequences. Also, if you use it correctly you should never have to give them anything to bring them out of it. 

I'm sorry you've had bad experiences with this. 

You know, when Chaplin had his surgery to be castrated (he was a cryptorchid) he was under completely, I wasnt there as I had uni so I had to drop him in the morning and pick him up in the afternoon, anyway he had a general anaesthetic but I am not 100% sure what they used, anyway I picked him up and you know how when your dog or cat gets done and they are dopey for a few hours after, well I went in to the clinic and there he was bouncing around and playing under the receptionist's desk! (she loved him) I commented on it and they said they used a new type of anaesthetic which doesnt leave them dopey ... he was so bright I got them to put on their records that I wanted that particular anaesthetic used on all my animals in the future. I will have to ask what it was next time I am in.


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

I have the X30 dehorner and kidding box all ready to go for spring kids..... and I'm absolutely terrified of using it! I"ve watched it being done on several kids... between the smell and the sounds of the kids..... blaaaahh.... I don't know if I'll have the nerve to do it myself :GAAH: 

It may be one of those things were a few ounces of liquid courage are required beforehand?


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