Disbudding

[Laura Amann]

ok, I was in love with the goat idea, until I read about disbudding.  I got very nauseated reading about it. (I am a newbie, so I finally got around to looking up some new words related to the goat world).  I just don't think I can/ want to do that to an animal.  How do you find the place inside you where you can do that and be ok  with it?  I have always had a hard time with the idea of branding animals.  I am thinking that there isn't anyways around doing this if you are having a goat for milk. 

I am not trying to judge people here, I am truely dumbfounded about this.  I know many of you didn't start out as farmers or goat raisers and had to deal with this issue yourselves. 

Thanks-Laura

[Melissa Johnson]

I've been reading your post - I dont like your vet. -(  I hope you can find someone that is interested in goats :)

[Melissa Johnson]

hey, thanks for the pics!!  Deborah, yep, egg shaped head - that was the first thing I thought about the buck. - goose egg lol

Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:

I'm betting this one is polled because she has an egg head. That was one thing my mentor told me when I bought my first polled buck seven years ago. Some polled kids have an egg shaped head when they're born. Bucks are easy. Does can drive me crazy! I have a five-week old doe now that I'm still guessing on -- seriously, you would think it would be obvious by now! But whatever is there is still so small, it won't be a big deal if we ultimately figure out they're horn buds. She had massive swirls when she was born, so I assumed horned, but we keep feeling for horn buds to burn, and although there are bumps there, they're not pointy. A few years ago I remember someone saying that she disbudded a doe at six weeks because it took that long to figure it out, and I had a very hard time believing that, but this very same dam threw a doe last year that kept us guessing for a month.

Let us know when you figure out this one!

PlayRite Farm said:

 

 Here is some pictures of my polled kids.. the last one on the bottom is  horned, the second from the bottom according to the rules of the hair swirls etc she should be polled but the other day i felt ruff nubs, because she is a doe i have a small amount of time to waist to see for sure

[Melissa Johnson]

this head above definitely looks like my little buck - his sister has this look too, but right above her eyes the hair kind of curves up like a kid with a crew cut with the ends of the hair combed up. ^^  I'm going to run him to the vet this a.m., I dont like the raised cloudy spot I see at the top of his pupil.

[Deborah Niemann-Boehle]

I'm betting this one is polled because she has an egg head. That was one thing my mentor told me when I bought my first polled buck seven years ago. Some polled kids have an egg shaped head when they're born. Bucks are easy. Does can drive me crazy! I have a five-week old doe now that I'm still guessing on -- seriously, you would think it would be obvious by now! But whatever is there is still so small, it won't be a big deal if we ultimately figure out they're horn buds. She had massive swirls when she was born, so I assumed horned, but we keep feeling for horn buds to burn, and although there are bumps there, they're not pointy. A few years ago I remember someone saying that she disbudded a doe at six weeks because it took that long to figure it out, and I had a very hard time believing that, but this very same dam threw a doe last year that kept us guessing for a month.

Let us know when you figure out this one!

PlayRite Farm said:

 

 Here is some pictures of my polled kids.. the last one on the bottom is  horned, the second from the bottom according to the rules of the hair swirls etc she should be polled but the other day i felt ruff nubs, because she is a doe i have a small amount of time to waist to see for sure

[Julia Johnson]

We are new to raising goat so last year was our first kidding and we took them to the vet to be disbuded he charged $25 for the disbudding and $2.50 for the tetnus shot. We will need to get our own iron soon but are still a little uneasy about disbuding our selfs.

[Beth Keene]

The skin will move over the giaffe bumps on a polled kid.Yes ,thats what I call them (some polled lines have them....some don't).....lol  It cannot be moved if they are horned.

Just one more way to tell.

[Melissa Johnson]

I dont see any swirly spots????

[Melissa Johnson]

I took a pic today to show the bucks had.  I dont feel buds/nor do I feel them.   the hair seems not to swirl as you were saying.

[Tammy]

'Well we have disbudded several goats this week.  What I have personally discovered is that I do not recommend using Molly herbal "Ow-Eze".  Our kids didn't do to well with it.  The liquid is made up of 55% alcohol and it was just to much for the little kids.  So plain and simple--disbud when you feel the first nub.  The younger the better.  Thanks Deborah for the best advice.  Learning lessons for the future.  However, I still don't like disbudding and want to purchase the polled buck. :)    

[Deborah Niemann-Boehle]

I can't think of anyone who uses any type of numbing medication. The vet did our first kids eight years ago, and he gave them a shot that just made them floppy, so they couldn't fight back, but they could still scream. It was sad.

Don't use the small tip, because it won't burn enough of the horn bud -- and wear leather gloves so you don't accidentally burn yourself.


Tammy said:

I am going to attempt to disbud our kids this week. We have the disbudding iron with two possible sizes, lidocaine to numb the site, but I wanted to ask if anybody recommends a topical numbing medication, other than Fiasco Farms. I have purchased one of their items, but wanted to see if there is an additional item that could be used? My husband is going to hold them and I guess that I will have to be brave and just do it. We have been reading and looking at pictures.