# Disbudding, what to expect afterwards



## tremayne (Feb 8, 2008)

The kids at the high school farm where my daughter's goats are kept were disbudded weeks ago. We've never had goats before and had no idea know what to expect from that. My daughter's doelings (Alice and Luna) did fine. They cried during the process, but had done well, so far. Today when we went to the farm to feed, I noticed that Alice's horn bud was gone and in its place was a bloody circle. :shocked: 

The blood was coagulated on the wound, and there was no blood spill to be seen in the pen where all the kids are. We found the horn bud on the ground. It didn't look bloody at all. I didn't have my own first aid stuff with me, so I put a little iodine on the wound and then some fly repellent around the wound. It's hot here and the flies are fierce. 

Nobody at the school told us what to expect as the horn buds healed. Is this what's supposed to happen? The girls have been sticking their heads out through the fence boards and we think Alice might have hit her head trying to pull it back into the pen. Is there anything else I should do for her? :shrug: 

She seems fine. I was surprised to see the wound. I think I expected the buds to fall off cleanly. This is probably something everyone here knows. Like I mentioned, we're still new with goats, so it's all new to us. Thanks for any info anyone can offer.

Anna


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I had 2 kids burned for the very first time in 7 years of breeding and I was scared too when the one knocked off the scab, from all who replied to me here it is perfectly normal and is healing. They get really itchy as they heal and you will see them rubbing their heads on anything to scratch and those "caps" will come off though not so neat when they do. You did good putting the iodine on it and keeping the flies off.


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## bigoakfarm (Oct 6, 2007)

Hi Anna,
I normally knock the little horn cap off while I'm disbudding and cauterize under it but I know people who don't and the cap will pretty much always fall off on it's own. So long as you keep the area clean and don't allow it to become infected it's probably going to be fine. My kids will knock scabs off all the time and there will be a little blood there. No big deal.

I would watch closely though and if you see any horn still growing or scurs developing soon after the disbudding just have her done again. If the flies just won't let her have any peace or if it's still bleeding off and on in a day or two, you might want to have her touched up just to make sure the area is completely cauterized. Just use your own judgement. More than likely, you have absolutely nothing to worry about and you can just let her heal up all by herself.

Kristen


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## tremayne (Feb 8, 2008)

When the young man who did the disbudding was working on the girls, I watched every move. I thought he had taken off the horn buds, but maybe not. It was the first time I'd ever experienced that process. It was pretty intense. To the young man's credit, he did very well with the large group of kids he had to work on. He's only about 16 years old. 

The kids at the school were around 6 weeks old when they were disbudded. That seemed older than what I've read in articles and in web forums. Basket case that I am, I worry about the goats all the time. My own ignorance and inexperience has a lot to do with it, no doubt, but even if i knew more, I'd probably still worry. I don't really "get" everything about goats yet, but I love them very much. 

I'll watch Alice and see how she does. I feel better now. Thanks.

Anna


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

wow 6 weeks! :shocked: I hope he did a good job and you dont get regrowth.

As to the scabs coming off with the blood --- quite normal. Sometimes you will get some that knock off their scabs cleanly after everything has healed and others will knock them off a bit prematurely which will cause the blood to clot. It is like any scab that forms on humans, sometimes we scratch it and then it has to rescab over othertimes it falls off and the skin has healed.


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## Sweet Gum Minis (Oct 6, 2007)

I too ALWAYS scoop out the horn bud when I burn. If you don't it leads to more scurs in my experience. I cauterize underneath the horn bud. 

What I've noticed in kids is some are less active after disbudding. Some are itching and scratch. Most take naps. Doesn't take them any time at all though to be bouncing around like usual as if nothing's happened. 

As the scab heals it will get rubbed or flake off on its own. I never see any bleeding when the scab comes off, just fresh pink skin underneath like you'd see on your own scab. Only time I see bleeding is if a buck plays with another buck and they knock a scur off. Then they may bleed just a little but nothing to worry about.


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## mariamcbride (Apr 20, 2017)

Thank you for the information. My kid keeps itching his head and I was almost getting worried. Is there anything that can be put on the burnt buds to stop itching?


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