# Disbudding



## Hobby Farm (Feb 18, 2010)

I have an Obe kid that is almost three weeks old.  This was our first kid.  In looking thru other threads on debudding, it looks like I needed to do it a week ago.  I noticed last night the kid has one that is about a half in high and the other is just a little bump.  

Is it too late?  What should I do?


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## ksalvagno (Feb 18, 2010)

Just go have it done now. I had a Boer doeling that was almost a month old before I got her disbudded and it was fine.


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## the simple life (Feb 18, 2010)

I agree, I am no expert but I have heard that if they are under 3/4 of an inch they can be done, its more the size of the buds than the age.
My kids were done last week, the girl had barely any bumps and the boy had nubs about a 1/2 inch or maybe a little more and they were only 9 days old.
The bucklings grew so fast it was crazy but the vet did them and they both look fine.
The only thing I have heard that is if they get a little too big before disbudding that sometimes they need to be redone in a couple of weeks but I am not sure how often that happens.
Go ahead and get them done, its better than dealing with the elastic band method which is how my doe was done when I bought her.


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## DonnaBelle (Feb 18, 2010)

What is the ideal age for does and bucks to be disbudded?

I have read 3 to 4 days and also 2 weeks.

What's some old hands' thoughts on this subject???/

DonnaBelle


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## Roll farms (Feb 18, 2010)

I don't do it by age, I do it by the buds....once they've erupted and I can feel them, I do them....some doelings take up to 2 weeks, some bucklings are born w/ them and are done at 3-5 days old.


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## lilhill (Feb 19, 2010)

I also go by feel as to when I disbud.  If I can feel the buds, then they are disbudded.


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## DonnaBelle (Feb 19, 2010)

Thanks for the personal experience posts about the disbudding.
I must admit, I was a bit confused.  I was paying attention to time instead of bud condition.

DonnaBelle


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## cmjust0 (Feb 19, 2010)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> I don't do it by age, I do it by the buds....once they've erupted and I can feel them, I do them....some doelings take up to 2 weeks, some bucklings are born w/ them and are done at 3-5 days old.


I agree with you 100% about disbudding according to the maturity of the bud itself, but I think you might wanna clarify what you mean by "erupted."

Depending on who you're talking to, I can see "erupted" as being taken to describe when you're able to clearly feel the smooth, fleshy bump of the horn bud...or...when you're able to feel a little point of horn that's 'erupted' _through_ the skin of the horn bud.

Based on the approximate ages you're giving, I take "erupted" to mean when the former because, like you say, some little bucklings are born ready to be disbudded, whereas perhaps a runty doeling might take a couple weeks to be ready.


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## Hobby Farm (Feb 19, 2010)

Thanks everyone.  I am having someone with expirience coming over this weekend to evaluate and hopefully disbud.


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## cmjust0 (Feb 19, 2010)

HF said:
			
		

> Thanks everyone.  I am having someone with expirience coming over this weekend to evaluate *and hopefully disbud*.


Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater.


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## ThornyRidge (Feb 20, 2010)

obviously too you must make sure that the area completely is covered by the iron.. once established horns come on quick so it is best to stay on top of it and getter done quickly.. also the quicker you catch them (even though it seems they are soo small) I have had far less chance of scurs!!!!  and those can be a real pain too.  but my preferred method now is since I introduced a polled buck into my herd he throws me predominantly polled kids and voila... no muss no fuss...


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## dhansen (Feb 20, 2010)

I just disbudded 8 kids yesterday and it was horrible.  I've done this many, many times, but it makes me so sad each time.  I definitely go by what the horn bud feels like, not by the age.  All my kids were 5 days  to a 8 days old.  Fortunately, the kids quickly forget when you give them back to Mom for some love and warm milk


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## the simple life (Feb 20, 2010)

I my two done at the vet's farm last week and I couldn't stay in the room when she did them and she prefers that you don't anyway.
She has an assistant to help her and to comfort the kids.
I walked several yards away to the horse pasture and I could still hear them, I felt terrible.
She said that some of the screaming was because when they picked one up it started screaming for the other to be put back down and vice versa.
As soon as they were done and could walk around the room and check things out they were quiet.
After I brought them home they acted fine and they didn't have any swellling at all. I was surprised but its probably because I read so many horror stories with complications that I freaked myself out.


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## jeaucamom (Feb 21, 2010)

total newbie here.. sorry ...

How is disbudding done, who does it, how much generally does it cost, and does it hurt them?  Thanks.


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## lilhill (Feb 22, 2010)

Disbudding is done with a disbudding iron.  Sort of like a curling iron, only it has an open tip on it that gets red hot. 

I do my own disbudding so don't know the cost of a Vet doing it.  It should be done when you can feel their horn buds.  Bucklings get done usually around 5 to 10 days old, depending on the horn buds.  Doelings get done when I can feel their buds, usually 10 days to whenever they pop up.

It does hurt for a couple of seconds until you burn through the nerves.  They will scream to high heaven, but also scream when you hold them too tightly and not doing anything to them.  Once disbudded, I spray Furall antibiotic spray on the burns.  After they are disbudded, they go back to mom and start butting the udder for milk.  Or, if they are bottle babies, they get a bottle right after disbudding.  

Before disbudding, they should get a tetnus shot.


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## cmjust0 (Feb 22, 2010)

jeaucamom said:
			
		

> total newbie here.. sorry ...
> 
> How is disbudding done, who does it, how much generally does it cost, and does it hurt them?  Thanks.


In the order of your questions...

With one of these, you do, free minus the purchase price of the iron, and _yeah_...but they get over it pretty quick.


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## Wild Wind Farm (Feb 22, 2010)

You can have your Vet do it, it cost me $25 a kid 2 years ago.  I only took kids to the vet my first year and then I bought my own iron and I do it myself now.  It is not fun but it is over quickly.


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## ThornyRidge (Feb 23, 2010)

Wild Wind Farm said:
			
		

> You can have your Vet do it, it cost me $25 a kid 2 years ago.


Yikes... your vet is making a killing there...hahah.. I can see why you quickly switched to doing it yourself...  thankfully I have a helper (raised goats for mannnnnnnny years help me) and other than the screaming and initial smell it is not that bad..and so much safer for you and the goats in the long run!!!


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## Roll farms (Feb 24, 2010)

Just tossing this out there, but when we disbud, I shave the area around their buds with a 1" mini-trimmer....it really cuts down on the 'stank factor'...


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## DonnaBelle (Feb 24, 2010)

Thanks Roll,

I did get the disbudder you mentioned.  I never thought of shaving the area around it.  Thanks so much for the tip.

DonnaBelle


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## lilhill (Feb 24, 2010)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> Just tossing this out there, but when we disbud, I shave the area around their buds with a 1" mini-trimmer....it really cuts down on the 'stank factor'...


Oh, yeah, I forgot about shaving around their buds.  I use an electric mustache trimmer before disbudding.  Cuts down not only the stinch, but also the smoke from burning hair.


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## mossyStone (Feb 24, 2010)

I wimp'd out, and found a gal thur our 4 h grp that disbuds since i have never attempted this before i thought WELL  i'd learn how right?!!!!! Well i get a big huge F in that...... I will never be able to do it! I held it together i loaded up the babie and at least waited till i drove down the driveway before i started to cry,....... it stunk  she cried/screamed, and looked awful...... I surely thought i had just killed my babie ... I was feeling pretty darn bad about what happen'd and Onnie was having nothing to do with me I went in the house and had a  glass or 2 of wine LOL......   but all was forgivin this morning when she was at the stall door waging her tail and very much alive! and happy to see me...........  we made it thur........ some goat farmer i am........ lol!

Mossy Stone Farm

Pygora's and Nubians.


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## cmjust0 (Feb 25, 2010)

First kid we ever disbudded, my wife (the head-holder-stiller and "one mississippi"-counter-offer) was crying after the 1st bud..  After the 2nd bud, her relief quickly turned to anger when I said I needed to reburn the 1st to make sure I got it all..  She begged me not to, but I could see black splotches instead of a solid copper ring...it wasn't done.  I burn it again, and now she's giving me down the road for being an evil SOB.



Now....imagine her response when, while touching up the 2nd bud despite her vehement objections, I burned straight through to the skull through about half the circle..  

I pulled the iron back and said..."Hmm..  Why is that white?  Oh, wait......um."

"OH MY GOD!!  THAT'S HIS _*SKULL*_, YOU MOTHE....."    

Seriously...she called me everything but a milk cow that night..  As though I wasn't already about to have a coronary all by my onesie..  As though seeing that I'd just burned straight to the bone didn't make me wanna throw up a lil bit..  

Disbudding, man..  It sucks.  I think the only thing that compares to disbudding together for the first time, in terms of things that are bad for a marriage, is trying to launch a boat together.


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## lilhill (Feb 25, 2010)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> Disbudding, man..  It sucks.  I think the only thing that compares to disbudding together for the first time, in terms of things that are bad for a marriage, is trying to launch a boat together.


  I've done both.  Rather disbud anyday.


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## Roll farms (Feb 25, 2010)

> I think the only thing that compares to disbudding together for the first time, in terms of things that are bad for a marriage, is trying to launch a boat together.


Or unstick a stuck piece of farm equipment....wheel deep in mud....in the rain...


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## aggieterpkatie (Feb 26, 2010)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> > I think the only thing that compares to disbudding together for the first time, in terms of things that are bad for a marriage, is trying to launch a boat together.
> 
> 
> Or unstick a stuck piece of farm equipment....wheel deep in mud....in the rain...


I wasn't married to him, we were just good friends, but imagine him backing up his first hay wagon and me trying to give him directions to get into the machine shed (he couldn't even see the shed past the wagon.    That was rough.


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## Hobby Farm (Feb 26, 2010)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> I think the only thing that compares to disbudding together for the first time, in terms of things that are bad for a marriage, is trying to launch a boat together.


What about getting *back on the trailor*?


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## cmjust0 (Feb 26, 2010)

HF said:
			
		

> What about getting back on the trailor?


Oh man..  

I witnessed a gigantic meltdown over that one day at a teeny tiny little ramp that launches into a creek, which then empties into the Kentucky River at Frankfort, KY..  I was in my boat, my now-ex-wife was in the truck, waiting to back the trailer down, and we were both waiting for this knucklehead and his wife to get their GIGANTIC cabin cruiser out of the water.

Ol' dude was in the boat, and his wife was in the truck.  He'd backed the trailer down, then jumped into the boat.  Her job was just to pull out when he was done.

Well..

The nose of his boat was hitting too far up on the trailer to slide...the angle was too steep.  He kept telling her to back it down further...further...further...before you know it, the rear ties are practically in the water, there's barely any trailer left above the surface, and he's cussing a blue streak AT HER.  

Why was he cursing her?

I have no idea.  She was doing precisely what he was asking, and he just yelled and screamed and pitched a big ol' hissy fit everytime the nose didn't line up right.

Well, seeing as how he was just about to tell her to back down again...which may have resulted in sunken truck syndrome...I said:

"Hey."

The guy snapped his head up and positively glared at me...

"Your trailer's too deep."

He threw his hands on his hips like "Oh, really KID?"

"That's why it's not sliding up...  You need to pull the trailer up quite a bit."

Realizing he didn't have a better idea, he goes "Well, _whatever!_"  He then yelled to his wife to pull up..  She started to pull up, but instead of watching and listening to him, she was watching ME.

She pulled up just a little bit and he said "Whoa."  

She kept going, still watching me.

"WHOA, WHOA" he yelled..

She was almost there...I didn't say anything.

"HEY!!  I SAID WHOA!!!" he's having a coronary at this point..

A few seconds later, I saw the trailer's fenders come out of the water and threw my hand up.  

He was steaming at this point.  Cursing, yelling, red-faced..  I looked back over at him and said "Try'er again."  

He just shook his head and plopped down in the captain's chair..  He backed off, lined it back up, and went in with this real "Lemme just go ahead and let this not work so this stupid kid will shut up..." look on his face..  

Suffice it to say that look changed really quickly when he felt it sit up on the trailer..  He looked over at me like "HOLY CRAP."  I gave him a 'throttle up' hand signal, and he did..  

Bump.

Nose of the boat slid right up to the bumpstop, slick as a whistle.  He got off the boat without really saying much to me, or even really looking at me frankly..  He just kinda did his thing..

His wife looked over at me with this huge, gigantic grin on her face and mouthed the words "THANK YOU."  Before he got away, though, I said "Hey.."

He looked over at me, sorta shamefully.  

I said "From now on, just back it down until the tops of the fenders are about even with the water.  That's as far as it needs to go."

He choked out a little "Um..  Thanks." and climbed up in the cab with his wife.

This guy was probably...I dunno, mid 40's or so..  I was probably 22, 23..  Somewhere around there.  He didn't like it AT ALL that I had the nerve to give him advice...in front of his wife, no less..   

She seemed to really enjoy it, though.


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## wyche (Jun 28, 2012)

Funny you mention debudding with your wife being a bad idea. I debudded my first goats today, with my wife. I am glad I didn't burn her. It was an exhilerating experience, to say the least. We took our time, about 20 minutes a goat. She didn't like it , but neither did I. I will get a buddy to help next time. I wish I could had someone take a picture as I held the iron on for about 10 seconds. I think I did alright and got all the way around, we will see. I used that blue stuff after we were done, but thinking about putting iodine on tomorrow. Any suggestions?


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## CochinBrahmaLover=) (Jun 29, 2012)

LOL!!

So i have a Q

How do you tell if your goats are disbudded? Ours have little either horns or scurs coming up (both around the same size), we have a doeling born 3/02 and a wether born 3/24, so around 3 months. (well nearly 4 months now!!) They MIGHT have been disbudded (on CL i THINK it said they were, but the ad is down now that we bought there last 2 goats, LOL) but i dunno. There scurs/horns are.. err... lettme go check

Okay its ROUGHLY like, 1 1/2 inches long. ROUGHLY. Please keep in mind they were VERY wiggly. SO, do the sound disbudded?


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