# Disbudding Dwarf Kids.. What would you do? Another Question?



## Skyz84 (Jul 25, 2011)

I'm torn on who to let disbud my kids. I have two options. Could you please tell me what YOU would do and WHY?

My 1st option was a vet who did my older kids last year. (They were growing scurs). Vet is very reasonably priced but a 2 hour drive each way. (So kids will be in the back seat of my car for the 2 hour drive home. Last year it was very stressful. They screamed the whole way home.) Vet will NOT disbud them before 4 weeks of age. They use a metal iron that is put over an open flame until it is glowing.

2nd option is a person I have never met. She sounds like she knows a lot about goats. She said she raised dairy goats for over 10 years. She has both the rhinehart x30 with a mini tip and the rhinehart x50. She is willing to come to US but she is twice as much. (Cost is the least important factor). Kids will be here at home so they can run right back to their mom when we are done. I don't know the person at all. Actually found her on Craigslist. She no longer has goats but she offers services like disbudding, vaccinating, blood draw, etc. She is willing to come out any time. I was thinking on a date when the doe will be 3 weeks old and the bucks will be 16 days old. 

What do you guys think?


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

*Re: Disbudding Dward Kids.. What would you do?*

Well that is hard!

I can't imagine waiting 4 weeks to disbud and don't understand why the vet will only do after that. If last years kids he did got scurs IMO he is out.

This other lady I don't know. I guess see if you can get references. :shrug: I would go to someone that I knew did a good safe job with no scurs. If her references say that then try her.


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## Skyz84 (Jul 25, 2011)

*Re: Disbudding Dward Kids.. What would you do?*

Well the vet wasn't the one who did the original disbudding. The person who had them waited until they were 5 weeks to disbud. They started to grow scurs and we took them in to the vet around... oh I think 4-5 months? They re-burned them. On now has a nice smooth head and the other has very small nubs. The vet said they won't do Mini's before 4 weeks because they just can't handle the iron they use. The tip on the iron was pretty large. Fit over a 4 month olds scur just fine. I want to say the size of a quarter but it could have been a little smaller. Does using an open flame make it too hot for a mini?

If I go with the second person... should I have her use the rhinehart x30? Should she use the mini tip? She said she would bring both the X30 and X50 and take a look at the kids when she got here. I just wanted other opinions too


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

*Re: Disbudding Dwarf Kids.. What would you do?*

I don't know...that's tricky.

I do know however, that disbudding without a vet license can be illegal last I heard. Though I don't know that it'd actually be enforced...doubt it. But might want to check into the laws just to be safe. You probably wouldn't be at fault though...but just wanted to mention it.


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

*Re: Disbudding Dwarf Kids.. What would you do?*

Offering to disbud, vaccinate, etc. and charging for it without a vet's license is not legal. I doubt you would be in trouble, but someone could report her and she could be fined. I'm pretty sure you can't even do it for free.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

*Re: Disbudding Dwarf Kids.. What would you do?*

Can you meet the woman somewhere? Could you ask for references? It could end up being a good thing. Someone I know used a woman from a Craigslist ad and it ended up being a great thing and the woman was extremely knowledgable on goats and helped her with other things.


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## Skyz84 (Jul 25, 2011)

*Re: Disbudding Dwarf Kids.. What would you do?*

I didn't think about things like disbudding being illegal... but it makes sense. I think I'm going with the lady from Craigslist anyways. She sounds like she really knows what she is doing. I just don't trust our vets around here. Even the ones who see goats don't seem to really know what they are doing.

I trust people who have hands on experience with goats more then I trust vets who only see a few every blue moon.

Does anyone know if she should be using the X30 with a mini tip? Or no mini tip? I've read that the mini tip can leave scurs on bucks because it doesn't burn enough?

Also, I was planning on using Aloe Gel with Lidocaine on the burns immediately after. I think it will cool the head faster. Anyone ever try it?


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## Skyz84 (Jul 25, 2011)

*Re: Disbudding Dwarf Kids.. What would you do? Another Quest*

So part of me is nervous now about not having a vet do the disbudding so I called my vet to clarify age of at least 4 weeks. They already told me 4 weeks but I just wanted to make sure they can't do it any younger.

They said 4 weeks is the minimum. 4-6 weeks is the age range they prefer. They want the horn bud already erupting out of the skin and at least as thick as your index finger? They said their iron is just to large to do anything smaller and it's much safer for the babies. :scratch: I didn't think you could wait that long. Everything I read for Nigerians says 1-3 weeks. Does anyone else wait 4-6 weeks to disbud?


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

*Re: Disbudding Dwarf Kids.. What would you do? Another Quest*

Well...I am quite sure it is not the best to wait until 4 weeks & wouldnt completely trust that vet unless they have great success stories to prove.. The horns on our 3 week old kids are already too big to disbud for us. We were unable to have help with the disbudding this year and may regret that but last year we did not do a good job and needed help.

If I were you I would opt to disbud with help at home from the iron. Read up on it as much as possible; look for option 3.. is there someone else who also is experienced and successful. If not.. then I would have that lady do it only if she has been successful at it. Spurs on these goats are a pain when they are going all over in weird directions. Thats what we got from last year... something worse than horns.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

*Re: Disbudding Dwarf Kids.. What would you do? Another Quest*

Ok, the vet doesn't know what they're talking about. They shouldn't be doing disbuddings if they don't have a disbudder to do it at the appropriate time. You do not wait 4-6 weeks. Most kids are done the first or second week. The sooner it is done the safer it is and easier it is on the kids. You want to feel the little nubs and get them done...you don't want the horns growing in that much...what the vet is describing. They need a new, proper disbudder if they're going to offer disbudding services!!

The x30 with regular size tip is preferred for nigerians. I have an x50 with nigerian tip and the tip smaller than i'd like. It works...but I do get scurs now and then.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

*Re: Disbudding Dwarf Kids.. What would you do? Another Quest*

Oh and the x30 with a nigerian tip might work fine...but I have heard the slightly larger size works better. I'd just talk with the gal about it if you are going to have her do it. She might be really good at disbuddings and if she knows what she's doing, you should be fine.


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

*Re: Disbudding Dwarf Kids.. What would you do? Another Quest*

I agree with Kylee! We disbud our kids at a few days to a week.... 4 to 6 weeks is just to long!
We have an x30 I don't remember what size tip..... I know we got the pygmy tip and it was too small so we exchanged it.....


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