# Disbudding a kiko



## punkgirrl (Jan 20, 2011)

I am kind of scared of a goat with horns so can I disbud a kiko kind of goat. He is a boy and about a week old.


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## helmstead (Jan 20, 2011)

You can disbud him if you want.  From what I've heard, show boys tend to do better if they have horns, but for production stock...its completely a personal choice.  I can't even say I've seen a Kiko show, just Boer.


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## punkgirrl (Jan 20, 2011)

Thank you. He will be for a pet not showing. I had never seen horns like the babys dad. I was worried that the horns could not be taken off.


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## helmstead (Jan 20, 2011)

Kikos do have some amazing horns!  One word of advice is to have the disbudding done in a figure 8 - to kill the fluted front part of the horn bud.


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## chandasue (Jan 20, 2011)

You probably already know this but if you're going to burn them you should do it soon too. The longer you wait the more difficult it'll be.


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## punkgirrl (Jan 20, 2011)

Yes amazing horn in a pic. Scary in my back yard  I pick up the baby in two days and will be going to the vet that day to get the horns and fixed. I am the wussy-est goat farmer ever. I can not even give a shot let a lone do horns
The mom had utter trouble and he needs to be bottle fed.


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## jodief100 (Jan 20, 2011)

Kikos do have impressive sets of horns.  If he is to be a pet it would be a good idea to disbud. I have no personal experience but I recomend checking horn growth afterwards, it may take a few times.  

Bullet at 8 months, already has larger horns than my boers and they go out to the side, not turn back to the head.  






He has gotten me a few times with those horns.  He has learned better but I doubt I will be venturing into the buck pen during rut without a big stick.


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## punkgirrl (Jan 20, 2011)

helmstead said:
			
		

> Kikos do have some amazing horns!  One word of advice is to have the disbudding done in a figure 8 - to kill the fluted front part of the horn bud.


Do I need to ask for the figure 8 to be done?


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## chandasue (Jan 20, 2011)

Depends on your vet's goat experience. My vet didn't do a great job on the first goat (not a kiko but still needs to be done properly) I needed to have disbudded so I learned how to do it myself after that. You'll probably have a much better experience than I did with your vet.


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## Roll farms (Jan 20, 2011)

FYI...Kikos aren't shown, as in a breed-standard-meeting, based-on-"looks"-type show.

The emphasis is production / performance, so they're tested that way.  

They gather up x amount of bucklings of various breeds, record weights, parasite loads, etc. and turn them loose in a big pasture.
They are monitored and periodically weighed, dewormed if needed, etc.
At the end of the 'test' the best scoring bucklings (best rate of gain, least parasites, etc.) will bring the biggest price at the production sale after the test, if they're sold.  

Smart breeders should hang on to the best boys but...what do I know?

I do believe if someone came up w/ a Kiko 'show' they would get laughed out of the IKGA....BUT....give it time, someone will probably come along and start messing them up like the Show Boers are.

Most kiko keep their horns....but I've disbudded many of ours.  ETA:  Have it done SOON.  I do our Kiko kids by 2-3 days of age usually, the longer they have them the harder I've found them to kill off.


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## helmstead (Jan 20, 2011)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> FYI...Kikos aren't shown, as in a breed-standard-meeting, based-on-"looks"-type show.
> 
> The emphasis is production / performance, so they're tested that way.
> 
> ...


Well good to know!  Thanks   Clearly, not a meat goat person here


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