# Kid Disbudding- split from kid disbudding box



## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

StaceyRoop said:


> you put the kid inside the box with its head out the hole. THen you shut the lid and sit on the box you are then over top the kid and can easily hold its head down onto the slanted board so you can burn the buds


Okay, so their head is not already 'down' on the metal collar bit? (i bought the one from Caprine), you pin it down? If so, that makes a bit more sense. I have someone coming to show me how to do this tonight, and i put the kid in the box to check, and his back is against the top like the pic in the Caprine Supply directions shows, but he was twisting his head all around - for some reason i thought his chin would be kind of stretched out over it, and he wouldn't be able to move his head (which would only work if there was some kind of upper bar to pin it down i guess)

I am SOOOOO nervous about this whole thing. I will let people know how it goes.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

*Re: Kid Disbudding box*

thats ok -- yah you have to hold his head down. I am sure they will show it all to you or did already


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

*Re: Kid Disbudding box*

We didn't use the box at all. That is not how she was taught (family friend who has owned goats for 40 years) We sat side by side, with the kid's front legs between her legs, and the rear legs between mine. She held the ears back and pushed the head down with one hand and burned with the other. It worked great. She did the three biggest boys (with the largest horns, and the most squirmy) and then i did the smallest boy and the two larger girls (their horns were pretty little, but i thought i would rather do them with supervision so today was it) and then she did my tiny girl. (I changed her name from Aurora to Lily btw)

I meant to add, it was not that bad. The smell of burned goat hair is pretty gross, but the actual burning wasn't as terrible as i thought it would be. Everyone stopped fussing immediately afterward, as soon as we released them.

Lily was the only one who seemed stressed afterward. She was shaking a bit, but we cuddled her and she seemed to relax. I just went to check on them about a half hour ago, and the others are all acting normally (ie bouncing off the walls) but she was very quiet, staying away from the others, and holding her head tilted a bit. I gave her a half aspirin. Is there anything else i should do?


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## pelicanacresMN (Dec 29, 2009)

*Re: Kid Disbudding box*

I'm sure she'll be back to normal by morning. 
I never did end up buying the box. I usually clip the hair around the horn buds, then have hubby hold the kids while I do the burns. It works just fine this way. The kids usually run right back to mom for a drink & act like nothing even happened. I have had a few though that acted the same way you are describing PznIvyFarm & I was really worried the first time I saw one react that way, but by the next day they were completely back to normal & even headbutting the other kids again.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

(I split this topic so you could get relevant discussion to your questions)

if she isnt better by today I would be extremely surprised. Some take it harder then others. I usually wait for the smaller ones till they are 3-4 weeks old so their heads are bigger adn you are sure to get all of the bud. because if you do it when they are to tiny then the burn ring maybe actually larger then the horn base and you dont burn the base and then it has to be done later anyway because the horns still grow.


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## zoomom (Feb 27, 2010)

I'll keep an eye on it. I hope i don't have to reburn. She is a little better than 3 weeks old, but she might have been a preemie. 

I don't know if she is any better today. She went outside, but was standing there shivering, not running with the rest like usual. I gave her a squirt of nutridrench, and will keep checking on her.


eta: Whoops, i stopped using the zoomom user name...........sorry for the confusion - meant to post under PznIvyFarm, and logged on automatically from another computer - didn't notice until i saw the 'ticker' and thought 'i deleted that, didn't I?' :laugh:


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

its cooler this morning here in NJ so I presume NY is much the same. So the cooler temps could be causing the shiver. Do you have a sweater for her?


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

Definitely cooler - as my sister said 'Boy, Fall just slapped us right in the face, didn't it?' 

She was much better about an hour ago. I went out with the nightly bottle for the quads - she always gets first dibs, and then her littlest brother (although he is a piggy and usually full from mom) and then whatever is left goes to the big boys. It is usually the full cup from Bailey's evening milking. Lily usually drinks about a quarter cup, but tonight she sucked down half of it, and her little brother finished the other half. 

Chara should stop being so mean to Bailey - she is helping support Chara's crew. There is absolutely no gratitude whatsoever in Goatville.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

no gratitude what so ever


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