# Disbudding at 6 weeks?



## Axykatt (Feb 1, 2013)

I just had my first two babies out of my Pygmy doe, and I decided to have them disbudded. I left their momma and daddy natural, and my doe has become a bully, so we're avoiding that with the babies. I am also having daddy wethered, as he is a cross breed and keeping a buck isn't worth the trouble (he's only 9 months old, so not too bucky yet).

My vet told me to bring them all in next month for the procedures, but the date he gave me puts the babies at 6 weeks old. Isn't that old for disbudding? I'm beginning to wonder if disbudding goats is something he does routinely, or if he's only done it for cattle.

What is the general consensus for disbudding age? Thanks!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

he probably is going to surgically remove the horns.

Can you find a local dairy breeder who will disbud for you? disbudding should be done before 2 weeks of age. Ive dont older but its a lot harder on the kids and Ive never done a 6 week old!


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

I agree, that vet date is pushing it.
Also as Stacey said, find someone local who can do it way before then. Lots of goat owners would be willing to do it Im sure. 
We have a gal a few miles away that will do it for five bucks a head.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

One time FFA kids bought some goats. Had I known this at birth, kids would have been disbudded by the first week.
Horns were 2" and FFA has no horns rule.
They hired a cattle vet to come out for dehorning.
I have strong stomach but just about lost my cookies.
Kids were put under & he used OB wire to take them off, then was gonna cauterize with iron that never did heat up enough.
Handed him ours.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Bean was done by his original owner very late. He now has the nastiest pile of scurs that curl around and grow in a big clump on his head. They've gotten bad enough now that I'm going to have to take him in and have them removed.


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## Axykatt (Feb 1, 2013)

Thanks everybody! I thought that was wrong.

Got ahold of a former NG breeder that still disbuds and taking the kids tomorrow for disbudding. Considering my quote from the vet was $50 per kid including anesthesia I seriously doubt he had intended surgical horn removal, so I'm thinking he doesn't know anything about goats. 

Anybody know a decent small breed goat vet in Central GA?


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## Axykatt (Feb 1, 2013)

Poor Bean!

Tomorrow puts my babies at 11 days old. The buckling has good sized buds, but his sister is just to the point of being ready, so I think the timing should be fine.

Vets are supposed to care about animals, the fact that this vet would take on animal clients he doesn't know how to treat makes me very sad and more than a little angry.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Yep..I would look for a vet that at the very least is willing to learn about goats....even if I had to drive an hour : ) a good vet is priceless..


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## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

Axykatt said:


> Anybody know a decent small breed goat vet in Central GA?


Unfortunately there are none. It wasn't Town & Country was it? They like to experiment from my experience with them. You can contact Fort Valley State University. They have a wonderful ruminant division and I have worked with them. Dr. Mobini and Dr. McCommon on campus, they can advise you on sheep and goats. Wouldn't trust anyone else in this area.


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## Axykatt (Feb 1, 2013)

Melissa, just looked at yer website and we're neighbors! I'm just over in Reynolds, so I pass near you whenever I go into town. Small world, huh?  I'll definitely look into FVSU since I haven't got a decent vet for ANY of my animals. (I've learned to call the farrier instead of the vet for my horse since they misdiagnosed a puncture wound and sprained ankle as a coffin bone injury w/out an xray. Glad I called Tim for a second opinion!)

Do you leave yer goats natural or disbud? If disbud do you do it in house or take them somewhere? 

I'm going to breed Peggy Sue to a registered buck next time, so maybe I can come see some of the does out of yer bucks while they are in milk sometime?


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## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

Axykatt, Sorry for late response, haven't been on much at all this weekend - family time and rebuilding our rabbitry.

I think I know Tim from when we had horses. It's been a couple years, but if he's who I am thinking of - he has his own traveling farrier service for middle Georgia and out. Great guy and very knowledgeable!

We have never disbudded our goats. I like the natural horn look and find them easier to handle with them. However, I tried my hand at using the disbudding paste a few weeks ago on a new kid. It wasn't that hard to do as for a method, but the helmet thingy didn't work really well and was a mess getting off. I want to know how to do it so I can disbud for show babies. So I'll try again with some new kids this summer. 

Yeah we are close - we are in the Byron area. So if you come through Ft. Valley this way you probably pass by us. Is Peggy Sue a Pygmy? I have a registered Pygmy buck if you're thinking Pygmy. He is Pretzal on my site. He's going to be a showstopper if he turns out like his parents. They are gorgeous. His dad has a full, long billowing beard/mane, but I love the long manes on Pygmies. Can you Pm me the info for your Nigerian breeder? I am looking into getting some more.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Be sure to watch closely when you have your kids disbudded. It's much better for the kids if they are done "as needed"...meaning...the boys need to be done sooner then the girls. If you make the boys wait till the girls are ready, you will probably have scurs on the boys. Also, neutering your boys will help prevent the regrowth. I want to wait to neuter, till the boys are a little older, but then I risk scurs, so I've made the decision to band my boys at 8-9 weeks old, rather then the 10-12 weeks that I used to wait. 

Watch for any scur growth, re-touch them as soon as you see them. It's better to get it all done once and as you get better at it, you will find it much easier. 

There are many videos of disbudding on youtube, etc. When I do it, I count to 7-10 (depending on the size of the bud), then I wait for it to cool a little (don't be in a hurry), do the other side. Wait again and go back to the first bud heat again count to 3-5. Do the 2nd bud again. Then, I go back (I know...it sounds bad...but really not) and put a 3 second burn right in the middle of the bud. All of this may take 3-5 minutes, per kid. Before I start I catch the kids I'm doing and put them in a stall, clip hair around the bud and give each kid a cd/t shot and a little shot of Banamine. Wait for the Banamine to work (at least 10 minutes or so). Again, we are not in a hurry. 

It's OK, you can do this. It's more traumatizing to you then the goat. Offer the doe her kid back with it's butt first...I haven't had one reject a kid, but, I've heard it can happen.


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## Axykatt (Feb 1, 2013)

Thank you, Di and Melissa! 

My first two goats are natural, but since raising them with a human "herd" in the house I've found that natural causes some issues. The horns look scary so non goat people tend to be intimidated by them. This has lead to my doe trying to dominate our visitors because their body language tells her she's higher ranking than they are. No amount of explanation will change how my friends and family behave, and Peg has gotten a bad reputation for meaness, so I'm disbudding my babies now. It makes me a little sad because around other goat people Peggy Sue is the sweetest little baby; she even gave the lady who disbudded her babies a nice kiss!

I waited longer than I should have because of the misunderstanding with my vet. I had thought he'd wanted me to bring them in on Feb 25th when they would be 2 weeks old, instead I found out when I called to reschedule that he meant March 25th when they will be 6 weeks old!

I immediately found a former breeder in North GA that would disbud and got them in at 11 days old. She used to run a dairy and is one of the only disbudders in GA. She has lots of experience and did a great job with both of them. Really they seemed much more upset about being put in the box than about the actual burning! Both ran to Peggy Sue to suckle for a second and then they were bouncing around the yard like nothing had happened. It wasn't anywhere near as horrifying as I thought it would be. 

As for my buckling, I've ordered a Burdizzo and I'm gonna clamp him at 8 weeks. My DH comes from a cattle ranch and he's been castrating calves through various methods his whole life, so we're comfortable doing that in house.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

Morning, I haven't been on much last few days. Sounds like you've got it all figured out. So, on a side note you mention Peggy being a little dominant with her horns and getting a bad wrap. Have you thought about tennis balls on the ends, or a pole (be it pvc or something) between the horns for a little while and see if that 'embarrasses' her to being a little more polite? Just a thought since she is a sweet girl.


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## Axykatt (Feb 1, 2013)

She rubs the tennis balls off, but I have considered hot gluing rubber bouncy balls to them! Have you found that sort of thing helps? She is very sweet to me, my son, and my DH, and she's fine with farm types, but my urban friends and my daughter allow themselves to be intimidated by a 35lb pygmy! I keep telling them she's not mean they are just sending "dominate me" signals, but to no avail.


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## julieq (Feb 25, 2013)

We disbud our nigerian kids at ten days to two weeks, whenever the buds pop up, which is sooner on the bucklings. After that, if we've missed getting them done properly (which happens more often with the bucks), our vet puts them under general and does a better job. If they're adults and have scurs, he saws them off.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

Axykatt said:


> She rubs the tennis balls off, but I have considered hot gluing rubber bouncy balls to them! Have you found that sort of thing helps? She is very sweet to me, my son, and my DH, and she's fine with farm types, but my urban friends and my daughter allow themselves to be intimidated by a 35lb pygmy! I keep telling them she's not mean they are just sending "dominate me" signals, but to no avail.


I haven't had to deal with it really. I would think, maybe correct me if I'm wrong someone, kind of like a dog if they sense intimidation they 'bully;. If you have an 'urban' friend just put the tennis balls w/o gluing and see what happens. Maybe it will calm the urban instead.


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