# disbudding



## pstello (May 10, 2011)

Ok I know some people against de horning (or debudding ) but I am going to debudded my little guys. They will be a week old on Monday. This will be my first i have watched but never done.
Do you use spray anesthetic and what kind of disbudding iron is good for a NG buckling.How old should they be? I say I am going to do this but will probably chicken out and take them to the lady that help me with questions and breeding.


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Haven't done it myself but I get all of them done at around a week or so. I think buckling are good to do young like that.


----------



## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I use a 50x with nigerian/pygmy tip for my nigerians. It works awesome on the doe kids, but i've gotten buck kids with scurs. I have heard that the 30x with regular tip works better for nigerians. So I guess that would be your choice as to which iron.

Shaving around the horns before burning is usually a good idea. After you burn and pop the cap off, a spray of bluekote is a good idea.

I have disbudded kids as young as 4 days old. As soon as you start feeling that little nub coming up then it's good to get it taken care of quickly. My buck kids are usually done within the first week and my doe kids are ready usually a tad later, some on the first, some on the second week.


----------



## eggrookie2010 (May 20, 2013)

My first baby buckling was done today...by the guy we bought the mama from. I hid in the house cause I didnt want to hear him cry! He seems fine now...in fact right afterwards. I dont know the size of tool be used. My little guy is la mancha and the holes in the top of his head look to be about the size of a nickel. He is a week old today.


----------



## fibromom (Mar 31, 2013)

First, I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS FORUM!!! I'm new to the goat world and I had forgotten that I registered on here. (I have short-term memory loss and had not written the addy down!)
Today, I got an email from you and an invite to come in and visit! Couldn't have come at a better time!

My question (zillions, but at this moment, I'll ask just one! ): We disbudded our baby girl at about 10 days old (she and her twin boy are 3 weeks old today... she's doing fabulously!) but my dh couldn't stand "torturing" the kids so he decided we would NOT to dis-bud the boy (he's going to be raised for meat... he's got the "banding" for neutering in place. That will be enough to PROTECT OUR MILK, correct?) 
We all know how aggressive those little baby head butts are on the udders. Now that he's getting horns, he's too rough and Momma is pulling away from him so that he can't nurse. Will she be able to train him to stop doing that? I am disabled and DO NOT WANT TO BOTTLE FEED! Milking x 1 per day is plenty for me! FUN, TOO!
Is 3 weeks old too old to dis-bud? We could band them but that won't help with the immediate problem of his head butting udders... and his sister!


----------



## Petersfamilyfarms (Jan 15, 2012)

fibromom did you ever find out if you could disbud a 3 week old, or should you band them? I'm looking up the same question


----------



## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

My friend did Daffodil for me when she was supposedly 8 weeks. It depends on how much horn growth you have. Daffodil barely had any horn breaking through the skin even at 8 weeks. (seller told me she was 8 weeks, I really don't know for sure.) if there is very much horn growth it is too late. I don't know how much is too much but my friend told me anything over a 1/4 inch is too much.


----------



## mirage_mp (Jun 29, 2013)

Does anyone know what size iron you use on Mini Nubians?


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

I can testify to the fact that burns only hurt for a short time before the nerves die and all is better. Or at least until you hit it. Even raising horned packers I would always suggest the average person to have any of their goats dis budded.


----------



## angora1972 (Jun 1, 2013)

My nigerians were disbudded by the breeder....but they have each have a little piece of horn coming back in.....what's up with that?


----------



## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

its a scur. Sometimes that happens. How big are they?


----------



## fibromom (Mar 31, 2013)

Kelly,
As we have read here, age isn't really the issue but rather how big the horn bits are. I think his were about 1/2 inch. (Personally, I would have disbudded them then but the iron we used was borrowed from a neighbor (who did the disbudding for us) who borrowed it from a neighbor!  Sort of a hassle to get him and the iron back!) We left his horns to grow, hoping that they curl beautifully like his "auntie's" do. Gator, his momma, had him totally trained on how to nurse!!!  However, the SCURS from baby girl's ONE HORN are a problem. {QUESTION: if we left that one horn to grow, would it mess up her balance? I ask because her twin, who has horns {and is neutered}, is VERY AGGRESSIVE with her now. We've decided to keep him as he's way tooooo cute and cuddly to eat, but she might need a way to defend herself! Would one horn be ok? ] We file hers down when they begin to get rough and sharp. 

Gator (the mom)also has some scurs... I'm wondering if the increased hormones are what make hers grow??? She is 2 yoa and didn't have scurs before delivery!


----------



## fibromom (Mar 31, 2013)

TDGFARMS wrote


> The difference between a buck & a billy: $$


 That's funny!:laugh:


----------



## laurelsh (Jun 26, 2013)

I'm wondering if my 9-week old MiniNubian doeling's horns are growing back? I've had her for 3 weeks. She was disbudded by the breeder. I'm not sure, but I think they might now be more pointed and a little taller? What should I do?


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Dis budding is not an exact science. If you do it to soon they get scurs, to late, they get em. Bucks need to be done long before does. Even as early as a few days old. Even with that looks to be a perfect burn, you can still get scurs. But its ok. If they are a bother you just wire saw em off and burn the scur area again.


----------



## laurelsh (Jun 26, 2013)

Thank you for the reassurance. I'll just wait & watch then.


----------

