Nigerian Breeders: Question...

[GLENMAR]

I've been disbudding for people with standard size goats. I have a Rhinehartx30 with a 1/2 inch tip.
Do I need to get the 1/4 inch tip one for Mini goats? Do you still do them at 5-7 days old? I have done a few minis at 10 weeks or so with my standard tip and the breeders tell me they turn out fine. I'm just trying to see what you all do.

thanks

 

[OneFineAcre]

I just measured mine
It is 1/2" if I measure the hole
3/4" on the outside
That's the round one
I use it on does
I use the teardrop shaped one on bucks and it is pretty close to twice the size
We try to do ours around 7-10 days
Not usually a problem with does at 2 weeks
Better to do the boys at 7 days

 

[GLENMAR]

Thanks. I was hoping you'd see my question. I think that is the same size I have, so I may be ok.
So we don't need the 1/4" tip???

 

[OneFineAcre]

When we ordered ours we paid extra for the "Pygmy " tip which is smaller
I don't know where it's at to measure but probably the 1/4" one
It's too small

 

[GLENMAR]

Ok. I'm confused. I need to get home and measure mine. You ordered the 1/4" tip, but it was too small, so now you are using the 1/2" tip. Right?? I really thought that would be too big for their tiny heads. That's good news for me, because now I should be able to do Nigerians for people with the disbudder that I already have.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Right
The 1/2 came with it
We thought we needed the smaller one but its too small
If you have that one that is 1/2 on inside 3/4 on outside it is fine

 

[GLENMAR]

Great news. That means I can do the little guys with the equipment I already have. THANKS.
Thanks for the tip on the ages too. Do you do does at 2 weeks mostly or 7 days and up to 2 weeks.

 

[OneFineAcre]

I do them when I can do them
We have all of these babies coming in the spring
I have a job.....
Any does that we do at 2 weeks is usually because that's when we can do them
Our plan is to do at 7-10 days old
Life dictates when we do them sometimes
But don't wait until a single buckling with a high producing dam is 3 weeks old and weighs 20 lbs
See my thread about banding Zeus"s horns
Your plan should be for all of them at 7-10 days old

 

[Southern by choice]

We use the 1/2" too and our vets that use to disbud for us also used the 1/2".

On a side note- The time frame OFA mentioned has been similar for us... however this year completely different.

I have no idea why- whether it is the bucks we used, we used some new bucks this year on all our goats that kidded so far. Std Lamanchas, Mini- Manchas, and the Dwarfs ... or if it was some of the supplements we did this year.... anyway - this is the FIRST time we have ever had buds that were already raised at 3 days old on Nigies!
One was a doeling! That is unheard of for us. Very strange.
I don't like doing Nigies at 3-5 days but at the same time they were already raised and feeling hard.

 

[Fullhousefarm]

We have Lamanchas and Nigerians and use the same 3/4 in tip too- though I ground mine to be a thinner contact area after seeing a Nigerian mentor with hers like that.

I usually aim for a week. Boys can be done sooner usually and girls could go a but later. We got a 7 day old bottle baby quad doeling last year and couldn't even feel a bud until 3 weeks- so that's when I had her done. I would have thought she was polled but neither parent was so I just had to keep checking.