# Disbud Age - NDs



## OhCee

In Nigerian Dwarfs, at what age do you disbud your kids?

I was told to do it at 3 weeks, but is this too old? I want to have everything all planned out long before the babies get here! Thanks!


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## ProctorHillFarm

as soon as I can feel the bud under the skin I disbud mine.
Usually 3 weeks is too long for a buck- I have had some bucklings that need to be done as early as 2 days old- doelings can go for 2-3 weeks though.
It just all depends


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## OhCee

ProctorHillFarm said:


> as soon as I can feel the bud under the skin I disbud mine.
> Usually 3 weeks is too long for a buck- I have had some bucklings that need to be done as early as 2 days old- doelings can go for 2-3 weeks though.
> It just all depends


Ok, so I'll be able to feel a hard bud and then I should take them over to the guy who is disbudding them right away! Got it, thanks! And I will be extra mindful of the little bucklings!

Thanks so much


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## Bebop

Yeah, as soon as you can is best! From what I hear, if you wait too long, they can get scurs, which is basically, they keep growing small bits of horn that you'll have to keep removing. Am I right? haha still learning!


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## TinyHoovesRanch

good job jessica! You know well enough! lol but ya if you wait too long its also more painful for them. I took a 3 month old doe to the vet to get dehorned and it as very painful for her, luckily she was asleep during most of it


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## OhCee

Bebop said:


> Yeah, as soon as you can is best! From what I hear, if you wait too long, they can get scurs, which is basically, they keep growing small bits of horn that you'll have to keep removing. Am I right? haha still learning!


I think Urbi has scurs, I'll have to get her checked out...


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## TinyHoovesRanch

Scurs arent bad, well they cant really hurt a goat. Most of mine have scurs and they are fine


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## OhCee

TinyHoovesRanch said:


> Scurs arent bad, well they cant really hurt a goat. Most of mine have scurs and they are fine


Oh, ok... they don't bother her, but when I pet her she does have a little bit of hard growth on the top of her white crown area. Can you see them?


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## liz

The only thing you'll need to worry about would be wether or not they grow awkwardly, some scurs will break off before they continue growing, others will need to be trimmed back because of the way they grow, some will curl to the point of going back into the head. Urbi's look fine.


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## suzanne

I have two ND doelings that are 9 days old now. I have been feeling their little heads for the last several days, not sure if I am feeling horn buds or not. I read they feel like a hard pimple. Is that accurate? I am not sure if I am feeling just the bony part of their skull or the horn bud emerging....


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## ProctorHillFarm

Yes those are probably the horn buds- are they doelings or bucklings? If they are doelings thats about right on, if they are bucklings, thats quite late for them to come in


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## mnspinner

ND doelings usually have a wide window. Some of mine I've waited til 2 weeks, as nothing much was showing.
Boys almost always I do at 4-5 days. And does more like a week or so. Waiting on the bucks is just asking for scurs, plus the older they get, the bigger, more wily and difficult to handle.


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## suzanne

So I shaved the two doelings heads (11 days old at this point), one had obvious horn buds and so we disbudded. Ugh! We were very nervous as it was our first time but I think it went well. We had someone there who had done it before and said it looked good. The other doeling did not have the obvious buds. We knew where they would come up but didn't see them yet. My husband thought maybe we should burn the area anyway, but I decided to wait since everyone always seems to wait to feel the buds before disbudding. Since she is shaved it will be easy to see them. We used the X30 with the 1/4 inch tip. Is that what most mini-breeders use?
We just had a buck and doe born this morning so I will have to watch that little boy and make sure we do him earlier.


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## WalnutGroveFarm

I have done them at four weeks before when the bud was just starting to come in. But this last boy I did at 7 days and the doe to. But most of my does can be done later. I use the x30 with the 1/2 tip.

Sounds like things went well for you dont feel bad this last time was the first time I did it to and I was very nervous. Good luck in your future dehornings.


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## capriola-nd

"We used the X30 with the 1/4 inch tip. Is that what most mini-breeders use?"

Hi Suzanne,

I bought the X-30 with 1/4" tip and it does not work well for bucklings but the two doelings I did went well. I ended up ordering a 1/2" tip for disbudding bucks. Just did a buckling w/ that iron and it worked great. So, you may want to have a 1/2" tip for any bucklings but the 1/4" worked well for our doelings. . .


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## suzanne

Thanks Olivia,

I think I will order the 1/2" tip too. I already disbudded the little buck (he had horn buds by day 5), but I am watching him for any scurs.... 
It sounds like a good idea to have both tips for the future.

Suzanne


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