# Disbudding anxiety



## Calliopia (Dec 15, 2010)

So I made the decision to disbud a while ago. I dealt with a punctured udder this summer and I'm not going there again.  If I had ND's I might consider horns, but my idiots are just too freakin' huge to even thing about it. We have children, other animals, etc on the property and for everyone's safety it's going to happen. 

I have someone that used to keep goats willing to give me her iron and show me how to do it. But the last time she did horns was a good 20 years ago.   I also have somebody from Craigslist that DOES goat and calf horns as a side job lined up if I chicken out. (Unfortunately that will be $50.00) 


I'm looking for pointers, moral support, etc..    

How bad is it REALLY?


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## Roll farms (Dec 15, 2010)

Not nearly as bad as you're imagining.
Not as bad as a punctured udder.

Seriously, maybe I'm just jaded from doing so many, but it doesn't phase me a bit.  
I'd rather disbud than do tats any day.


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## ksalvagno (Dec 15, 2010)

It is hard to do when you first do it. I think about all the problems that horns can cause not to mention that diary goats can't be shown with horns. It truly is harder on you than the goat. As time goes on, you will get used to it. I know I will never like doing it, but I look at it as one of those things that just has to be done.


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## Calliopia (Dec 15, 2010)

Yeah I'm not looking forward to tattoos either  (L) 

I'm down with all the reasons to do it. Safety, showing, being able to sell them, not getting poked in the eye when they come up for kisses or turn around to see what you are doing back there. 

Do you have any "for the love of all.. DON'T do X when you are disbudding"?    And I've already thought of Sneeze.


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## KellyHM (Dec 15, 2010)

On a random side note...does anyone use disbudding paste?  It's made for dairy COWS and works wonders, but I think I'm going to try it on my goat kids this year.  Any reasons not to?


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## poorboys (Dec 15, 2010)

this year was my first year to disbud, I did'nt leave the iron on long enough, scared I'd get to the brain, so I had scurs on my little doelings, I tried to remove and then decided that they were so small i'd leave well enough alone, 2 days ago went out to feed and one of my doelings had lost her scurs, she wasn't bleeding or complaining, so I just check her head and no blood, no hole, next year I'm gonna leave that iron on a little longer, better than to pay alot of money on a lot of heads that I should be able to do on my own: plus dh wants me to be able to save that money:


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## lilhill (Dec 15, 2010)

Calliopia said:
			
		

> Yeah I'm not looking forward to tattoos either  (L)
> 
> I'm down with all the reasons to do it. Safety, showing, being able to sell them, not getting poked in the eye when they come up for kisses or turn around to see what you are doing back there.
> 
> Do you have any "for the love of all.. DON'T do X when you are disbudding"?    And I've already thought of Sneeze.


I don't think you'll be sneezing when disbudding.  Even though we clip the hair around the buds before burning, there's still smoke so you'll be "blowing and burning."  

Too much risk for my taste using disbudding paste.  And too much trouble compared to the short time it takes to disbud and be done with it.


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## chandasue (Dec 15, 2010)

KellyHM said:
			
		

> On a random side note...does anyone use disbudding paste?  It's made for dairy COWS and works wonders, but I think I'm going to try it on my goat kids this year.  Any reasons not to?


I think the risk is of it getting in their eyes and anywhere else it shouldn't. Awhile back someone posted their method of using the paste and it really made it look tempting to try it. They used gauze pads to keep it from getting rubbed into their eyes or anywhere else. Do a search and see if you can find it.


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## aggieterpkatie (Dec 15, 2010)

I disbudded my first goat kids this year and it was very easy, and not at all hard on me.  The goats seemed fine too.  I just had a bottle ready and after I did each one I gave them a bottle (because dam raised kids nurse off mom when something stressful happens) and they were back to jumping and playing within minutes.


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## helmstead (Dec 15, 2010)

Calliopia said:
			
		

> Do you have any "for the love of all.. DON'T do X when you are disbudding"?    And I've already thought of Sneeze.




You'll be OK!  Take your time, make several short lil burns if you have to, always give the baby a break (or yourself!) and it'll be fine.


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## Roll farms (Dec 15, 2010)

After 5 or so little circle burns in my hand...my hubby got me an "Ov Glove" last Christmas....and don't you know I haven't slipped even once since I've been wearing it to see if it's helping.

We shave the area around the buds, too...
I don't use a disbudding box, I find I have more control if I'm sitting on top of the kid.  We wrap them tightly in a large towel so they can't get up, hubby holds a finger or two over the nose (not the nostrils, the bridge) and I hold the neck w/ the gloved hand.   
Once I stick the iron on the bud, we both BLOW like crazy.  I hold for a count of 5, doing the 1-Mississippi thing.  If I don't get a good ring around the horn, I'll put it back on for a count of 3....then I cool them w/ a damp paper towel that's been soaking in cold water if it's really warm out that day.


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## PattySh (Dec 15, 2010)

While on this topic.....I disbudded my 3  kids this year for the first time and also did a friends 2 kids. Wasn't too bad actually but I am pretty medically inclined. Was very nervous initially about leaving the iron on too long and burning thru bone but that didn't happen and all is well . One thing did happen tho, my friend's little buck was about a week old with good size buds showing when I did him. Unlike the others he immediately had quite a bit of a clear fluid leaking from the circles and it scared me enough to not proceed to burn enough and he has horns. What was the fluid all about? No one ended up with scurs so I guess I did a good job except for the little buck.


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## helmstead (Dec 15, 2010)

About the fluid, I don't KNOW for sure, but I'm guessing it was the body's overreaction to the burn...like it was trying to blister.


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## Calliopia (Dec 16, 2010)

Does anyone put aloe or anything similar on it after to help with healing or is it pretty much ok on its own?


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## lilhill (Dec 16, 2010)

I just spray each bud with Furall after the burning.  Since Furall isn't available anymore, I think I have blue cote or something like that.


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## Roll farms (Dec 16, 2010)

I read online not to put anything on them when I first started, and the 'dairy goat farmer' who was my mentor at the time told me she didn't so....I never have.

There's a lot of times I read that I should or shouldn't be doing something long after I've already been doing it another way.

This is a case where I'm not going to start using something on them after 8 years of NOT doing it and never having a problem...but if it makes you feel better to put something on them, and it works ok for you, then go ahead.


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## Bebop (Dec 16, 2010)

I feel so lucky right now. My first goat kids ended up both being polled! But who knows next time? Ugh.


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## Calliopia (Dec 18, 2010)

Ok so that was not horrible.  We did 5 seconds with a good hot iron and got a nice clean copper ring.  The first little horn skin nub flaked off after we did the second one. 

We also did a friend's doelings that were a week older and they took about 8 seconds.  Still got a nice clean ring. 

I did the goat head holding and my aunt did the burning.  All told not horrible.  

 ... And I didn't even sneeze.


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## savingdogs (Dec 18, 2010)

What tool did you buy, Calliopia? I need to do the same thing in February and hope to have as much success!


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## BetterHensandGardens (Dec 18, 2010)

Calliopia said:
			
		

> Does anyone put aloe or anything similar on it after to help with healing or is it pretty much ok on its own?


When we took Honey to the Vet to have her scur burned off (4th disbudding for this horn), the vet put Iodine on it after burning.  It was clear but thicker than water and coated the burned area.


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## BetterHensandGardens (Dec 18, 2010)

savingdogs said:
			
		

> What tool did you buy, Calliopia? I need to do the same thing in February and hope to have as much success!


Yes, what tool did you buy?


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## Calliopia (Dec 18, 2010)

I can take a picture of it and post it but I didn't buy one. I was given an older tool by my aunt who no longer keeps goats but came over to supervise the disbudding.  Maybe somebody who has them can identify the model.


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## savingdogs (Dec 18, 2010)

I wish I had a useful aunt like that!


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Dec 19, 2010)

We use the rhinehart x-50 and really like it so far.  It's a little pricier than the other models, but if it holds up like it should it will be well worth it!


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## lilhill (Dec 19, 2010)

I have both the Rhinehart X50 and X30.  I got much less scurs with the X30 and it seemed to stay hotter than the more expensive X50.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Dec 19, 2010)

lilhill said:
			
		

> I have both the Rhinehart X50 and X30.  I got much less scurs with the X30 and it seemed to stay hotter than the more expensive X50.


Great, now I find out...


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## lilhill (Dec 19, 2010)

Your X50 will work, just take your time and make sure it returns to full heat before doing the next bud.  On mine, the tip also got loose somehow and we just could not get it tightened enough to make good contact to keep it hot.


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## Calliopia (Dec 19, 2010)

Mine looks just like  the pictures I see of disbudding so it's probably an older X30 or X50. It's not labeled at all and is at least 20 years old. Still going strong though.  My only complaint is that it has a super short cord.


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## doreenmcd (Nov 27, 2011)

KellyHM said:
			
		

> On a random side note...does anyone use disbudding paste?  It's made for dairy COWS and works wonders, but I think I'm going to try it on my goat kids this year.  Any reasons not to?


I gave some thought to using the paste but watching my goat kids bumping hard at the teats to feed I didn't think it would be a good idea after all.  Didn't want to burn holes in Mom or mouths.  Maybe if you can keep a covering on but reading the label it's kinda nasty stuff.


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