# did I botch this disbudding?



## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

I am very new to disbudding goats as we bought all ours as adults. I have helped a friend with 4 and done 3 of my own. Before we used her burner- but I recently got a Rhinehart 30x and that is what we used on our buckling (19 days old). The husband was NOT happy about having to hold him as he was just sure I was killing the poor little guy. The dehorner was HOT HOT HOT! I burned a full circle on the picnic table in about 3 seconds- It was glowing red. Anyhow I burned him for 3 seconds cooled it with an ice pack burned the other side, cooled and repeated this twice more for a total burn time of 9 seconds. The others we have done got the nice copper ring and were dry dry looking afterward and for the rest of the time until they caps fell off. His looks oozy and watery. There was a copper ring when we first finished but not now. There is no way I will get the husband to hold him again- he has already told me that several times. I will not have a goat here with horns. I will try to attach a picture when i can get one.


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

I did not shave the hair first because we were giving the dog a haircut right before that and the clippers were too dull to use anymore.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

19 days is pretty old to disbud a buckling. A lot of the time...if they're that old...you won't be able to get all the horn tissue and will get scurs. With the x30...you need to hold for more like 10-15 seconds. When I had my x50...I didn't have to hold it as long, but with the x30 i've found it needs to be held longer for sure...that's why you got the oozing/watery look. I also like to spray blu kote on after disbudding.

I try my disbudder out on a piece of wood first to make sure it's hot enough. If it is...it will burn a ring almost instantly. You want to make sure it's at full heat before disbudding.

Looks like you could get scurs with this guy...kind of hard to tell for sure, but it doesn't look like a "clean" disbud.


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

that is what I was afraid of. I guess I need to buy or build a box for disbudding instead of waiting until I can get someone to help. Is there anything that can be done now?


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

You can re-burn. 

You'll need to burn for at least 10 seconds at a time, not 3 and ice. Bucks are harder to disbud than does. I wouldn't use the ice until i was completely done.


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## peggy (Aug 11, 2010)

Just wondering why wouldn't you use the ice. I was thinking if you did 5 sec. then ice and 5 sec. then ice and 5 sec, then ice, you still get the 15 secs. Just wondering if there was a reason??


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

I dont use ice, burn cream or anything I just burn and give them a bottle and they are fine. 

I would say there is a good chance of this guy getting scurs. Couple things I would have done differently: 

1. Needs to be done earlier than 19 days. I do mine all within the first week - saanens usually day 1 - 2 and nubians usually day 4 - 5. As soon as I feel little bumps. 
2. Needs to be burned for longer than 9 seconds, I burn for a minimum of 10 seconds and often for 15 - 20 seconds each bud total (I do it in short bursts). 
3. I burn to a white ring rather than a copper ring, as per advice on this forum from the very experience disbudding ladies. 
4. Heat that iron up for longer, mine gets a red glowing tip, and when I touch it to the wood I get an instant black ring. Actually the best disbudding I ever did, I put the iron on the wood and for a split second there was a FLAME. Scary, but that kid ended up with the most perfect disbudding job and only had 8 - 10 seconds each side. Beautiful clean head now. 

Doing it this way, I very rarely get scurs. When I do, they are the small button type scurs that get half an inch long at most, wobble and are loose at the base so the goats just knock them off from time to time, most of them I dont even see as the hair on their head covers them. So far, touch wood, I have not got a serious scur you know like basically a horn. 

From my experiences when they are watery and oozey (and if they are itchy) they are likely to get scurs. 

I HATE HATE HATE re-burning. I will do it, but only when the kid is still young. Given that this guy is so old and likely big and difficult to hold, I would not reburn him at this point. I'd watch and wait and if a serious scur pops up make the decision later on to have it either surgically removed, or banded (though I dont band horns as I personally feel it is inhumane) or to just leave it. many scurs are quite manageable and dont even cause any trouble.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Yep^^ I get it red hot, burn each bud for 20 seconds in short 5 seconds at a time, spray with wound kote and throw them back with their mom's. Never get scurs.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

how a correct disbud job will look - also a link to a video
http://www.endofthelinefarm.com/disbudding.htm


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## SammySimple (Jun 27, 2013)

Nice demo, Stacey.... Thanks, Sam


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## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

Ok So we reburned Stinky Pete last night and both horn buds popped off this time. Is that a good thing or a bad thing. I am hoping we got it all this time because I will not do it again. I can post pics tomorrow or Monday as we are headed to an out of town wedding today


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

sounds about right. But as they say the proof is in the pudding. You will know in a couple weeks if they start growing


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## HollyK (Aug 1, 2018)

mlktrkdrvr said:


> Ok So we reburned Stinky Pete last night and both horn buds popped off this time. Is that a good thing or a bad thing. I am hoping we got it all this time because I will not do it again. I can post pics tomorrow or Monday as we are headed to an out of town wedding today


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## HollyK (Aug 1, 2018)

So how did it work? I have a 2 month old that was disbudded a few days old but I can feel horns coming through. I'm meeting with a breeder in a few days to re-burn but I'm having some serious anxiety!


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

This is an old thread from 2013


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## HollyK (Aug 1, 2018)

I know, just wanted to find out if it was successful. Most threads I've been able to find are old. I figure it was a long shot but worth asking at least.


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## NicoleV (Dec 12, 2015)

The reason you are looking for a copper colored ring is because you want to burn down to the bone of the skull. The bone is what turns copper when you burn it with the dehorner. You don't need to ice. It's cauterized. If it's oozing, that's skin and tissue, not bone. You need to go deeper.


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