# Pictures of how disbudding should look



## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

Don't know if there are any other topics about this. But I disbudded Dorcas's girl today and remembered to take a picture before I put the Blue Kote on her head. This is what it should like like after you burn with a X30. I know there are a few beginners on the board who might like a picture so here it is:


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Thank you for sharing! I usually take mine to the vet to have it done, but this year I will be trying it on my own. What do you like to use to put on the burn after disbudding?


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

I just put a little blue kote on after. Then I send them off to get a good drink off their mom.


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

Somebody please help me muster the courage to do this on my own after my goaties kid. I have the X30 disbuddiing iron, but I'm absolutely terrified to use it! It looks like you did a very good job though & thanks for sharing!


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

It's a terrible thing and I hate doing it, but I also don't like horns. And you can't show a nigerian with horns.

I goes a lot smoother if you have a person to hold the goats head still while you burn. I find that, despite the box, they still manage to wiggle away from the iron and I end up burning more.

I always pick them up right after, hold them close and tell them how sorry I am. Once they get a good drink from mom I give them some more hugs and let them fall asleep in my lap.

Here she is after some blue kote and mommy milk:


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

I still think I'm gonna bribe my DH into doing it so they associate him with the nastiness & not me 

buy stock in Miller Genuine Draft everybody, cause I'm gonna be buying a lot of it come April!


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## Jenna (Jan 7, 2009)

I just disbudded my kids about a week ago, it went fine.... Something I don't care for! :tears:


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

Looks good. Thats exactly how it should look when you get a good burn. Sometimes if you do really young kids (like a day or two old) you wont get the copper ring, but you will get a completly white hole almost, this is another way you can tell it was a good burn. 
Im suposed to be doing a clinic for the 4-h kids on how to disbud and tatoo here in a month or so. Once we get a fair number of kids. I will see if i can get someone to video the process of disbudding. Ill try and remember to ask someone to shve their goats heads before so you can see better without all the smoke. 
Its really not too bad of a process. I did a couple kids last night. Its fast and easy and so much easier then having horns.
beth


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

MissMM said:


> I still think I'm gonna bribe my DH into doing it so they associate him with the nastiness & not me


what I do is have my brother get the kid and he puts it in the box (well I help but stay perfectly quite and try to not let the kid see me. I burn the kids hornbuds and then I pick him/her up and cuddle -- hence I am the good guy. Worked the past couple kids --- brother wasnt happy as the kids would run from him.


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

Thanks, I probably could have burned a little more, but ick. I think I take disbudding worse than the kids do. I always burn one side, then the other and check the original side I burned. If it looks weepy or bloody then I touch it up, then I do the same on the other side. I think the key is as long as there is no blood or clear fluid then you have a good burn. 

Sheila still gave me her mommy cry a little while after I did it and jumped in my arms, so I guess she forgives me.  

A video would be awesome sparks, I just never have enough people around to video tape anything.


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

Thanks for the pics!

Gosh... I hope I can do this when I have kids born.... I just don't know.... :shrug: :tears:


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## yonderhill (Jan 15, 2009)

Thanks for the pictures..You did a great job! 

Jennah


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## BeeLady (Dec 12, 2008)

Thanks for taking the pics. I still need to buy a disbudding iron and I suppose a box. I'm glad you said there should be no blood or weeping of the wound; I suppose the heat cauterizes the blood vessels, etc.

A video would be great as I would like to see in real time how long the iron is held on (would rather only do it once!). Seems like I've read it should be 10 seconds or so but I'm afraid I might lose track of time and pull it off too soon. So seeing what it actually looks like would be very helpful. Reminds me of cattle branding -- took a few tries (on different animals) to get the timing down.

I hope I have forgiving little kids!


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

10 seconds for me is way too long. I have intervals depending on the breed and age and sex of the animal. Having alpines, some of my buck kids are born ready. I have done them as young as twenty four hours old. Doe kids are usually two or three days. Nubians tend to need to cook their buds a little longer. Nigies i have done up to six weeks of age. I start out with three seconds and check after that. I would rather have to put the iron on their head again rather then have it on their too long. 
I always use a box and wear leather gloves when i disbud, in case i slip, keeps me from burning my hand.
i found a decent video of a kid being disbudded. The iron is very different from mine and they hold it on longer then i would. but i think mine probably gets hotter.





beth


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

Yeah, with my X30 I hold about 3 seconds, check it out and then burn more if needed. I also do the X over the horn bud. 

My friend is trying to convert me to a portasol, but I really like my x30.


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## Dreamchaser (Oct 30, 2008)

*passes out* Sorry, I know that is has to be done, but ick! I'm a little squeemish. I'd be terribly afraid of doing it wrong.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

The "other" reason why I take them to a breeder friend and stand OUTSIDE the barn!

I like horns....but having requests for it to be done was a first last year.....and I know I'll be making the trip again this year with my first reg. nigi kids


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## PotterWatch (Jan 23, 2009)

One of my boys just had the scab fall off today and he has a spot that is bloody. Is that normal? I put some neosporin on it for lack of knowing what else to do. What, if anything, should I do for it? It looks like a scab will be falling off the other side soon.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I think it's pretty normal for the scab to come off and have very minimal bleeding, the neosporin should be good enough, maybe even put a little bandaid over the top to keep the dirt out and then take it off once it dries pretty good.


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

I just spray more blue kote or some iodine on.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

you want it to scab over again so dont put anymore neosporin on it. (not that doing so was bad) 

Try something like Wounder Dust or Blue Kote. I have also found that keeping the area clean with peroxide is good too


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## Firestone Creek Farm (Jul 11, 2008)

Hubby and I just did Valentino and Dream today, and I hope it wasn't too late to be doing it. They did have little horns coming out already, so we burnt around them AND did an x over the tip of them, too. It's our first time doing it, so we were veryyyyyy wary, and we did have some liquid and some blood, and I'm glad that I was right to go back over that part again. We got a copper ring, but didn't get a white ring around the little horn part. I wasn't sure if I should keep going. Will those little tips of the horn (about 1/4 inch long maybe if that much) drop off since the area around it was burnt? I know some people have you cutting them off (the little tips, with a razor knife or scalpel).. should we have done that and then burned more afterwards?? if so, let me know so we can do it again. We're completely new at this, so I wanna make sure we get it right without hurting anyone. Poor babies... gave them a cdt and shaved them and then the disbudding and they were very angry with us.  Gave em lots of hugs...


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

yah it should fall off if done right. Sounds like you did it well, but you will know soon if they start to grow again or not.


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## Firestone Creek Farm (Jul 11, 2008)

Ok... GOOD! So, if they start growing again, do we just do it again? 

Oh, and by the way, I can't tell yet if Fortunate Son is polled like mom or not. How do I tell for sure? I read somewhere that the skin should feel loose over the horn area if he's polled, but I felt Cinnamon's and hers does not feel loose either, and she is polled! His head feels like hers. There's no 'tip' poking out or anything and he's a week old today.

Angie


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

If they have horns when you burn then you should burn, knock off the horn covering and then burn a really deep X into the "horn." When they just have buds I just burn the X over the bud, my mom likes to scrape the buds off, but I don't have the stomach for that. They turn out the same after they heal anyways. 

Since you have already burned I would just keep an eye on them for horn growth. If you see any then burn them again. 

This year I am giving tetanus antitoxin before I disbud to take care of tetanus. I was too freaked out to do it last year after Bambi had a reaction to it.


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

We have to do Dancer and Lovey's disbudding again as the horns are growing. When they were done the iron was not rolled over the buds and the horns came up through the middle. We had a good copper ring around the edges. The horns are maybe 1/2" now so we will be doing it as soon as last nights snow fall melts and dries up a bit, probably Wednesday.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

So this will be my first year disbudding the kids myself and I have a couple questions...

So you should disbud before the little horn start to appear? So like just when you can start feeling the little bumps on the head or ???

I have a 50X with a nigerian dwarf tip...how long should I hold it there? 

I am getting nervous since we are getting so close to having kids. :worried: We need a smiley that's chewing it's nails!!


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

The boys I do from 2 -7 days old. Sometimes things happen and I need to wait longer, but that just means you need to burn longer. 

Girls I wait till they are about 2 weeks old. But once you can tell where the horns are you can burn. 

I hold the iron on for about 3 seconds. I count slowly. Then I check and do longer depending on how well that burned. I also always let the iron get red hot and re-heat between buds. 

You can do it. :thumb:


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I dotn have that disbudder so I cant say anythign about the timing but for when to do it. The sooner the better. I wait till the kids are good and strong and so that when I burn it isnt close to their eye. Their heads are pretty small when born so I wait for it to widen some before burning. Or their eyelids swell up


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Ok, thanks guys. I think I will be able to get my confidence up to get it done. I just don't want to hurt them. But i'm sure i'll get a hang of it once I try a few times.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

and if you dont do it right the first time - dont hesitate to redo it when you first see horn growth happening. The longer you wait the harder it is on the kid and to get it done right.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Alright, thank you. I'll be sure to remember all these tips guys! You've helped a lot!! :grouphug:


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

uuuuuuuggggggggghhhhhhhh! I just disbudded my first goatie.... it was horrible, incredibly gross, I think I screwed it up and I'm NEVER doing that again..... :GAAH: :GAAH: :GAAH:


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