# Disbudded and still growning horns?



## pennylullabelle (Nov 22, 2009)

Is this normal? The buck I met today was disbudded but grows small partial horns that eventually fall off and are fairly soft. Is there anything I can do to keep them from growing back if I get him? Banding?


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

Sometimes this does happen if the horns were burnt too late and/or not very well. These are called scurs, if they are not hurting anything I would just leave them go...


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I would suggest to the breeder that you dont want ot purchase him until he has his horns burnt again.

Bucks are hard to get all that horn growth and it isnt uncommon for them to need to be done again. 

Some scurs will fall off but others will grow funny and weird and can be very difficult to work with and it is just like having a horned goat. 

Yes they can be banded and if you decide to go that route then I suggest you do it right away. The smaller the horns the easier on the goat and the faster they fall off. plus the winter is a good time to do it as there are no flies.


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## pennylullabelle (Nov 22, 2009)

Thanks everyone. I'm still meeting vets to find the "one" I like. If I get the buck, I'll have my vet do the banding so I can see how it's done before attempting it myself! He isn't owned by the breeder. He was sold as a kid and is owned by a family who realized all too late how much work and odor they would be dealing with! Thankfully for him his scent, while not great, does not offend me so much that I didn't really enjoy just petting him all over for quite some time.


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

Scurs on bucks are quite commen. even at just a couple of days old when burnt they tend to grow small ones. If they are soft you can cut the off with a pair of hoof trimmers with little or no blood. Banding them wont do much good if they are small and soft. I have even just grabbed a hold of them and pulled them off with no pain to the goat. If you can have someone hold him down when you do it you can reburn the horn base a little. You may or may not be able to eliminate the scurs. But if the are small and soft he really cant do anything with them. If they are not harmful to him (growing back into his head) then you can just let them be.
beth


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## pennylullabelle (Nov 22, 2009)

I think they could prove harmful honestly. But the family who owns him has no idea what to do. I'd like to have the scurs reburnt I think. One is growing in a circle towards the side of his head. it's very small, maybe 2 1/2 inches long. But it is not soft enough to just "pull" off. I think if it didn't come off he could hook it on something or it could grow into his head. I am pretty confident I was this young man...I am in love :drool: (which is saying a lot about a young buck with funky horns and his own urine caked all over his belly and legs!)...but I will want to take care of this as soon as I can because it does worry my.


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

If you can get a band under and around the scur that woul be the best way. Just make a notch with a small saw or a metal nail file as close to the skin as you can get. Sometimes its easier to shave the area first. Put the band in the notch you make and then put duct tape over it to hold it there. You may need to replace the band a couple of times. Often i put a band around the horn or scur only as far down as i can get it, Wait for that part to fall off and then put one lower. 
Its best to have an iron in your posession and when he knocks it off you can burn it. Less chance of it coming off that way.
OR you can have a vet out to do it. He will make him sleepy, saw it all off and then burn it. Its faster but goats dont always do well under anasthesia, and they can take a long time to come out of it.
Either way he is going to have quite the headache.
beth


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## pennylullabelle (Nov 22, 2009)

Ugh, poor guy. I have buteral and ibuprofen, have a preference? Also have access to other sedatives, these are just the more common anti-inflammatories used in livestock that I am familiar with. 

Where can I buy banding supplies? I know a breeder nearby who can help me, but making a notch with a file sounds like a great idea! I don't have an iron, but the breeder does. So once the buck is home and settled, I'll ask her over to help.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I wouldnt use bute - not safe for goats.

Banamine would be best


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## poppypatch (May 30, 2009)

They don't burn off well once the goat is older and the scur has grown out. You would have to cut the scur off before burning and there would be a LOT of blood and it would be painful for him. Banding at that point is a better option as most would agree. 
Or if you are not concerned with taking the whole scur off but rather just keep it from touching down on his head you can get a wire saw and trim the scur back(you cannot go all the way to the base or it will bleed and be painful). We had a Togg wether who had been a buck for many years with scurs the size of full size horns that grew up and curled back and grew strait toward his head. No bander we could find was nearly large enough to get around those and they grew against each other so they we like one huge horn anyway. We used a wire saw couple times a year to manage them and it worked great in his case and if you miss the blood level in the scur there is no pain for the goat. My Dad once tried to trim his scurs with a large pruning tool like you use on tree branches but the wooden handle on the pruner broke in half before the scur cut. Wire scur saws are available through Caprine Supply.


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

You might be able to find one at your local Wallyworld(walmart) in the camping section. I am going to check mine tomorrow. I have a dow with a curling scur that has started laying against her skull. The scur is thin and clear so there shouldn't be any blood.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I have the task of needing to band the scurs on my moms one togg wether, I am thinking that since it is very close to growing into his eye the way it curled that I would be better to snip the end before I band it as it is very close to the side of his head and the band won't fit the end.

Banding has worked well with the 5 yr old nigi doe I did for my mom too....no problems with bleeding using them.


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## The1moe (Oct 26, 2010)

I have a doe (my learning curve) that I recently purchased that has a spur growing back into her neck/head area. this band that you mentioned... is this the same thing you use when castrating buckling to weathers? This does is due to have kids within the next couple of months so will wait until she has kidded... I suppose the next alternative will be to call out the vet....


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

yes the bands are the same you use for castrating bucks


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## Bellafire Farm (Jan 5, 2010)

We did a few of our adult Nigi's. Shaved the area (mainly so you can see what your doing), then we apply the band as low as possible, then use strong black electrical/duct tape placed just above the band to hold in in place. I think ours take about 6-8 weeks ???. We did try to file a little dent low on the horn to help hold the band in place, it's very helpful and effective for holding the band in place, but it's just very difficult to do as the goat doesnt usually like it much. The tape doesn't stay on well, but atleast it's something to hold it until it's set. We don't do anything after that but check to make sure the band is still intact...no replacing weekly.
Ours were always short scurs, about 1-2 inches or so???
Our doe's didn't notice a thing at all once the band was on (even moments after!), never seemed pained, never bled, never even acted sore at all. Much nicer than actually trying to burn them again.


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## The1moe (Oct 26, 2010)

And then the horn just falls off? With no further problems like bleeding?


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

sometimes they do bleed some


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