After disbudding, then what?

[newbiekat]

We disbudded several of our boys this week. I'll have to start by saying it really wasn't as bad as I was thinking. I got copper rings (at least they look copper to me ). What will it look like when the scabs pop off? How long should it take until that happens? When will we know if we didn't do it right?

 

[Pioneer Chicken]

I burn till I get white and then pop off the cap. I figure it'd be the same with the copper ring. In fact, it might scab and pop off sooner than my way. The way I do it, it takes at least a week (usually more) for it to scab, then several more weeks till the scab pops off. When the scabs are starting to head towards popping off, it will look like it's raising on the head. By the time it's popped off, most of the fur has grown back (if you shave the areas like I do) and you don't see much. It'll just look like a normal goat head, kind of like when we get scabs and they fall off.

 

[newbiekat]

Shoot... Should I have gone a little longer to get the white? How will I know if I need to do it again? Will that not be for another month at least?

 

[Pioneer Chicken]

I know lots , if not most, of folks that do the copper rings. I think I'm one of the few that goes to the white. Going to the copper should be just fine. You could try out the other way next time if you don't feel comfortable with the copper. Just do what works for you and your herd

I wondered if I was forgetting something! LOL I had a doe last year that I didn't do so good of a job disbudding on and I kind of figured I didn't do so well with it; I didn't want to put the iron back on her, so I just left it. Sure enough, she grew a scur on that one side. Unfortunately, I don't recall how long it took for me to tell I'd done a 'bad' job and I didn't re-disbud her. Let me try looking through my photos to see if I can get an idea.

 

[Pioneer Chicken]

Okay, so I don't have any good photos up close of the head -or this particular doe's scurs. Since that's so, I'm going to say she didn't start growing a scur till after she lost her scabs.

 

[cindyg]

The scurs usually start to grow after the scab has dropped off, and that takes several weeks, at least mine do. Sometimes the scurs grow quite big, and will curl, other times they are just little nubs of horn. They are not as strong, and often with head butting they get knocked off, causing bleeding but never anything to really worry about. The bloody head just looks bad. I've saved the largest spiral from my buck and it's hanging on the wall of the barn. It's if they start to curl into the head or eye that you might consider snipping the tip off. I don't do the dis budding myself, so don't bother taking them back to be done again. The worst job I've ever seen was done by a vet, under anesthetic.

 

[Southern by choice]

Our buckling is 4wks today. He was disbudded at 2 days old. He was born with his nubs already present so we had to get him in right away. We use a vet that does sedate and gives a nerve block. When she does disbudding on the buck she makes it a bit larger and deeper at the back. She also scoops buds. Burns a criss cross pattern over the top. His are still scabbing and "lifting" off.

1 of our bucks that we got from the breeder that disbudded him at a few days old and we purchased at 6 weeks had no scurs. When he came to us all looked good but we feed very well. High quality feed and good hay, lots of trees etc. Boy did those scurs grow! Grrrr. He is a great buck, beautiful confirmation, very nice quality buck- all that is lost on the worst ugliest scurs ever! They are really like blunted horns and we have had to gigli wire off one because it grew into his face. We didin't take it fully off just enough to get it off the face.

If he grows a scur get a good vet to sedate and remove it. Far more dramatic at an older age than when young. Some vets are good at this some aren't ... ask around and find out who is good. We only use one particular vet for dis-budding. We have 3 vets, but I only use one for all things horns.

 

[newbiekat]

Thank you everyone for the information! I guess I will just have to wait and see what happens. We had the disbudder on their head for about 12 secs each time.. I wonder if it would just be best if we had it on there a little longer to be sure. Who knows. We still have about 5 girls to do, hopefully not too many of them grow back scurs!

 

[Southern by choice]

That is a long time. Are you breaking and then going back over? Like 6 sec then other side then back again for 6 each time or a straight 12? Bucks are more difficult as there buds are larger. Does are easier and rarely get scurs if done right. All in all there is a higher chance of males getting scurs.

 

[Southern by choice]

Oh... I also took a few pics of my little buckling.. 4 weeks yesterday... I thought of you and thought I'd show what his are looking like now. I still have to upload and all that jazz... so it will be either tonight or tomorrow if you want to see them.