# When to disbud nubians?



## billmac (Sep 8, 2008)

My kids are about 8 lbs each. I can feel the buds on the buck pretty well, and just barely on the doe. They were born Saturday evening.


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## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

Usually around 4 days old on bucks. So you might want to do it tomorrow. I think they have to be no longer than 1/2 inch (?)
On does I heard its around 8 days or as much as 14 days depending on how fast or slow they grow. Some breeds grow quicker than others (such as toggs), sorry I do not know anything about nubians.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

We always did the Nubians at one week.


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## francismilker (Oct 22, 2011)

I may have made a mistake. I used an electric dehorner on five nubian babies the other day that were as old as 4 weeks of age. The younger ones had only a small button about the size of a pencil eraser while some of the older ones had small horns about 1/2"-3/4" in length. I used a dehorning iron I bought online at Nasco.com. It's only instructions were to burn (about 8 seconds) until you noticed a distinct copper colored ring all the way around the horn base. I did as directed and some of the little "horn caps" actually fell off immediately exposing a non-bleeding little cone of flesh underneath. On the ones that did this I used the iron to seer the flesh. On the ones that didn't have the horn cap come off I did nothing. 

Do you think I'm going to have some funky looking scurs in the months to come? If so, I'll have to take some of my spring goat crop to someone with some experience as I want the dehorning/disbudding job to be something that doesn't discount and animal's show ring appeal.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

here are topics with information on disbudding

pictures and descriptions
viewtopic.php?f=26&t=21702

video (doesnt matter the breed of goat, all should be done the same)
viewtopic.php?f=26&t=24757


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

Great pics and video Stacey  Why do they get scurs if they bleed? You are right as the kids of ours that have had blood after being burned got scurs and had to be re burned and the ones that did not bleed did not get scurs. But why :chin:


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

well if they are bleeding that means the area there is still "living" you want it dead! you dont want any horn growth at all.


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## francismilker (Oct 22, 2011)

Stacey, 
Do I need to reburn those that bled? If so, how long do I have to get it done?


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

watch the video -- that shows you how it should look and how you should burn


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

Great video!!! How long did she burn her?


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

for as long as the video is (all shown in real time) -- but dont go off a specific count, you do the burning till you see the results as shown above


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## francismilker (Oct 22, 2011)

Based upon the video I was way too soft on the little fellas and am going to have scurs. For those horn caps that didn't come off, I didn't peel them off and burn like you did in the video. Maybe next time! lol........


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